PERSPECTIVES: "Astonish Me"

In the world of ballet, an American dancer helps a Russian ballet star to defect in 1975. That is the premise to "Astonish Me," a novel written by Maggie Shipstead. It began as a short story, and as Louie Saenz digs deeper into the story, the listener is drawn into a world of intrigue, immigration and a backstage look into the world of ballet. Ms. Shipstead is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and has collected the Dylan Thomas Prize for her writing. The book is available through Amazon http://amazon.com, Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/astonish-me-maggie-shipstead/1116055916?ean=9780307962904 and through Random House http://www.randomhouse.com/book/224499/astonish-me-by-maggie-shipstead