Flight of the swan

by Rosario Ferré

"Flight of the Swan is the tale of a world-famous Russian prima ballerina touring in Puerto Rico in 1917. Because of extraordinary political upheaval at home, her troupe is forced to remain in the Caribbean for an eventful three months. During that time, Madame falls desperately in love with Diamantino, a young local revolutionary, and their passionate affair threatens the stability - indeed, the very survival - of the small, intense, and highly competitive world of the corps de ballet.". "Narrated by Madame's devotee Masha, Flight of the Swan explores the complexities of love and betrayal, of personal sacrifice for the sake of public art. Gradually Masha comes to recognize that in spite of what she sees as Madame's propensity toward pretense and vanity, the prima ballerina's true love is dance, and she is prepared to forsake almost everything for it. But Madame's tenacious commitment to this noble ideal demands nothing less from her acolytes, eventually forcing Masha to question what