Mao’s Last Dancer – Li Cunxin

My Constant Reader, Anita, suggested - strongly - that I do myself a favor and get hold of a copy of the book Mao's Last Dancer as quickly as possible. The story, she said, was about a young boy  who, at the age of nine, had been randomly chosen by Madame Mao to be trained as a ballet dancer. A peasant boy from a small impoverished village, a thousand miles from Beijing, who was completely ignorant of what ballet was, yet grew to became one of the world’s most famous ballet stars.
His name is Li Cunxin, and Mao’s Last Dancer is his story, told by himself, and in his own words. A simply told tale of hardship, cruelty, passion and pain. The story of a child, thrust into a world of which he knew nothing, and of his decision to be the best in what he was forced to do so that he would not shame his peasant family by failure. His inspiring story, of singular determination, and inner strength, which against all odds led him to another land, and another life, is recounted in this narrative. His journey from poverty to self-realization, and fame, became this book. Impossible to put down, impossible to forget. 
I went to the library, requested a copy and was told that I would have to wait, that though they had 15 copies available there were 256 people ahead of me. With that endorsement I was left with no alternative, I had to get my hands on it, so I waited. Thanks Constant Reader! The book is now a film, and though it is playing back East in Canada it is yet to arrive on the West Coast. 

A surprising twist: Li was chosen Father of the Year for 2009 in Australia!