Family Secrets

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead follows the life of young dancer, Joan, from her aspirations in a New York city ballet company and her early retirement when she decides to get married and has a child. Along the way, readers are introduced to the characters that influence Joan's life: Arslan Ruskov, the brilliant Russian dancer whom Joan helps to defect, Jacob, her partner in her strained and awkward marriage, Harry, Joan's ballet-prodigy son, and Chloe, the neighbors' daughter. Recommended for readers who enjoy literary fiction and family secrets. Similar in style to Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" and Jess Walter's "Beautiful Ruins." HM