The Book of Proper Names : A Novel
by Amelie Nothomb
Description:
The latest novel by France's "literary lioness" (Elle Magazine) tells the story of an orphan girl named--haplessly--Plectrude. Raised by an eccentric if loving aunt, she is a dreamy child who is discovered to have enormous gifts as a dancer. Accepted at Paris's most prestigious ballet school, Plectrude devotes herself to artistic perfection, until the body can take no more.