A deeply engrossing, beautifully written memoir. There is a lot to Joudeh's story; I imagine it took a lot of bravery to let it all out on page—the horrors of living the in war-torn Syria, the difficulties he has faced in his relationship with his father, the personal lowest points, the losses, the moments of hopelessness. At the same time, this book is infused with an incredible dose of hope and inspiration; it was, indeed, dance or die for Joudeh so many times, and each time, he chose to dance.

Speaking of dance, so many ballet-related memoirs pay special attention to the technicalities of classical dance, the exact moves being honed at the barre, the specific details that go into pushing your body beyond the limits to create art. There are preciously little such technicalities in the pages of this book, even though it's evident that dance is something Ahmad lives and breathes since childhood. Dance, for him, doesn't seem to be about exact moves and steps; it just is, whether it's in a studio or on stage, in the privacy of his room or among people, on a roof in the middle of a war-torn city or in Europe with one of the world's best ballet troupes.

One of my favorite thing was how Joudeh described the people that surrounded him durin the different periods of his life. He clearly strives to present everyone as candidely and fully as possible, even the people who didn't have a positive role in his life at all. The way he sees the world is truly as much of a gift as his dance talent.