Porter, Tracey. A Dance of Sisters. Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN‎ 978-0064407519 228 pp. $

A ballerina and her nonconformist sister forge bonds as they struggle to find a place in a world that includes suppressed memories of their mother, dead for ten years. The plot revolves primarily around dancer Delia and her hard work in an exclusive and competitive dance class. Delia’s sister Pearl is revealed through her conversations with Delia and later through letters mailed from the boarding school for troubled girls that she attends.

Issues such as anorexia and dabbling with witchcraft blend with more mundane stresses such as sibling rivalry and getting along with Dad. Elements such as complex characters and psychological drama deepen the story and move it beyond the superficial. Although neither girl attains the goals they have set, they achieve other things and learn a great deal about themselves and one another in the process.

The book has certain appeal for dancers as well as to girls who enjoy problem novels. Additionally, the dance theme would make this an appropriate book for a Summer Reading Program focused on an Arts theme.