The Cranes Dance

February 27, 2012
Howrey’s engaging new novel (after Blind Sight) exposes the competitive world of professional ballet through Kate Crane, a charmingly sarcastic ballerina at a crossroads. Kate’s younger sister, Gwen, who dances in the same company and is a better dancer than Kate, has come back to her family after an emotional collapse for which Kate feels responsible. Gwen’s absence from the stage gives Kate opportunities, but the sisters have been struggling with competition and support for so long that Kate, trying to define herself without her sister, is uncomfortable with success. Already at a point where age and the limits of her talent are making her confront the future, Kate suffers an injury and spirals into guilt and depression in the novel’s dark second half. Though the plot moves slowly and secrets are disclosed too late, Kate is an ideal guide to an unfamiliar world, from her irreverent explanations of her ballets (Howrey was a professional dancer) to her relatable self-doubt and honesty. Her revelations about family, talent, and what makes us special create a thought-provoking and entertaining read. Agent: Sally Ryder Brady, Brady Literary Management.

April 15, 2012
Howrey's second novel (Blind Sight, 2011) is set in the ultracompetitive and demanding world of New York dance. A gifted soloist in an elite ballet company, Kate Crane finds herself adrift when her younger sister, Gwen, also a dancer, suffers a breakdown and returns to their parents' house in Michigan to recuperate. When Kate's boyfriend breaks up with her, she seeks refuge in her sister's apartment and is forced to face her guilt over alerting her parents to Gwen's deteriorating mental state, as well as her envy over the hard fact that her sister's skills have surpassed her own. In her sister's absence, Kate's own star starts to rise, and she's given the role of Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, a part that originally belonged to Gwen. But a neck injury that causes Kate to rely increasingly on prescription painkillers and her worsening malaise threaten to derail her career. Howrey's taut character study offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional dance through the eyes of a complex, damaged, tenacious young dancer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)