THE TURNING POINTE

A love letter to Prince and 1983 Minnesota.

Sixteen-year-old Rosa’s days revolve around ballet, but her heart’s not in it. She yearns for funky beats, and Prince is her hero, but under the abuse of Master Geno and the Minnesota Dance Company, she still shines as a ballerina. Master Geno also happens to be her alcoholic father who abandoned her family after he couldn’t deal with the aftermath of an accident 18 months ago. The accident left Gloria, Rosa’s sister, mostly paralyzed and only able to say two words. Rosa feels responsible and is only going through the motions of living, until hope comes in the form of two things: a boy called Nikki and the opportunity to dance with Prince when he performs at a local nightclub. Nikki introduces her to sexy dance moves and the world that’s lived on the corner of her street but that she’d ignored until now: a world where boys who wear makeup get beat up, and queer men die from AIDS. The novel is vivid with historic details, making Minneapolis’ Block E neighborhood a character in itself and setting the atmosphere for a relatable main character to learn what her truth is and what it means to live it. Rosa is Mexican American, and Nikki is Puerto Rican; Spanish is seamlessly woven throughout, adding cultural texture to the story.

A powerful story of overcoming expectations with a hopeful ending.