Book Review: The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Delphine has recently returned to the Paris Opera Ballet, eager to begin work on the new production she is choreographing. While Delphine is no longer a professional ballerina, she is still immersed in the world of dance. In Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s debut novel, The Ballerinas, we are taken deep into a world that makes up the childhood dreams of so many.  “When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina.”  While the world of professional ballet is full of beauty, grace, style, and intrigue, it surely has a dark side, as well. 

Through the main character, Delphine, as well as her dear friends Stella, Lindsay, and Margaux, Kapelke-Dale makes an incredibly powerful statement about how women are treated - not just in the world of dance, but in the world - period.  Not afraid to tackle some tough situations, she wrote a beautiful story while sending a vital message.  

I thought the book was excellent.  Well-written and thoroughly-researched, Kapelke-Dale also knows how to create characters with depth and personality. No one in this novel is perfect, but Delphine and her friends are women I want to go to brunch with, intelligent women who know who they are and what they want.    

This one comes out December 7, 2021.  I highly recommend you pick it up, especially if you’re a woman in your 30s or 40s who may be realizing that life isn’t quite panning out the way we hoped it would. This book is a great reminder to never lose sight of who you are and what you’re capable of.  Also a good reminder of the importance of brunch. Don’t ever go too long without going to brunch with your crew. 

Thanks to Rachel Kapelke-Dale, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.