Hope in a Ballet Shoe

From war-torn Sierra Leone to the US, to dancing for the Dutch National Ballet, this is a heart wrenching, life-affirming true story of a young girl orphaned by war and saved by ballet.
Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated, and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teachers.

But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy.

And then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture.
Life in the States isn't without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words 'America's not ready for a black girl ballerina'. 

Michaela was an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19. Tragically, she died in Tragically, DePrince died in New York City on September 10, 2024, at the age of 29. The cause of her death was not determined.  A heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.