Women in Red: A Novel

Dead-broke single mother Stella Russo, daughter of a world-class prima ballerina, has nearly given up on her own professional aspirations—much less true love—when a dazzling impromptu stunt by a mysterious troupe reminds her just how empowering performing onstage can be. Convincing herself that a dependable gig with such a company just might be the ticket to a better life for her musical-prodigy daughter and now-invalid mother, Stella takes a giant jeté of faith and joins up. But when she lands in the clutches of an enigmatic and demanding impresario bent on making her his star at any cost, has she risked too much? As Stella untwists the troupe’s troubling secrets, she becomes entangled in turns she could never imagine—and is forced to face her own past as well. Women in Red draws readers into the dark, dangerous, and dramatically sexy underworld of the dance—but also into the longing of every living, breathing being for a family of one’s own.