“Astonish me” is precisely what reading Maggie Shipstead's novel did. Paradoxically, the plot itself does not hold one in suspense. What is astonishing and repeatedly left me breathless, is the author's ability to bring the experience of ballet to life. Ballet—with its rigour and the passion it elicits—is at the heart of this story about art, love, and family life. It provides the link between all the characters and determines the way their relationships form and evolve. It acts as a third whose presence has an impact on every couple in the story. It is a metaphor for the way aspirations and failures can inspire and destroy.