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Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Swans of Harlem (Young Readers' Edition) by Karen Valby
At the peak of the civil rights movement, Lydia Abarca was the first ballerina in a Black ballet company to grace the cover of Dance magazine. Alongside founding members Shelia Rohan and Gayle McKinney-Griffith and first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells, Abarca invited a bright light to shine on Black professional classical dancers. Grit, determination, and exquisite artistry propelled these swans of Harlem to dizzying heights as they performed around the world for audiences that included celebrities, dignitaries, and royalty.
Forty years after the swans of Harlem made history, when Lydia's granddaughter wanted to show her own ballet class evidence of her grandmother's success, she found almost none — just some yellowing photographs and programs in the family basement. With The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults), these revolutionary ballerinas and longtime friends give voice to their stories on and offstage, reclaiming their past so that it is finally recorded, acknowledged, and lauded, never to be lost again.
The adult edition (Knopf/Pantheon; April 2024), on which this Young Adult edition is based, has been hailed as “a captivating corrective to an often-whitewashed history” (Publishers Weekly, starred) and is in development as a Netflix miniseries under the helm of the producer behind Black Swan, 12 Years a Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, and numerous other box office hits.
Arriving to shelves just in time for Black History Month, this “poignant and gripping piece of little-known history” (Kirkus) will captivate fans of narrative nonfiction, dance memoirs, and forgotten histories and inspire readers of all ages and interests to chase their dreams and follow their hearts.
I haven't had time to read The Swans of Harlem yet, but I'm very intrigued by the story it tells. I'll definitely be picking it up soon. If you're also interested in reading it, you'll want to enter this giveaway to win a copy of the young adult edition of the book for yourself:
Grand Prize Giveaway:
- 5 winners will receive a paperback copy of The Swans of Harlem (Adapted for Young Adults) by Karen Valby.
- US only, we will select the winners and ship directly
- The giveaway starts at 12:01am ET on February 24th and ends March 9th at 11:59pm ET
- Rafflecopter giveaway link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/
February 24th — The Candid Cover
February 25th — The Story Sanctuary
February 26th — Lit Lemon Books
February 26th — Tea Time Lit
February 27th — Twirling Book Princess
February 28th — Bloggin' 'bout Books
Top Ten Tuesday: Voices of the Past Coming From the Future (Or, Top Ten Upcoming Historical Novels I'm Looking Forward to Reading)
Top Ten Tuesday: Ten New-to-Me Authors I'm Hoping to LOVE This Year
Grim Victorian Murder Mystery the Start to a Compelling New Series
The novel has a moody, broody Victorian London setting, an appropriately atmospheric backdrop for this grim story. Although I saw the killer coming right from the start, the plot still had enough twists and turns to keep me reading. Which isn't to say it's original or surprising (it's actually quite generic), just that it's not boring. Even though I suspected the killer from early on, I kept reading to make sure I was right (and I was). Shapiro's prose isn't the most dynamic. It's more tell than show, but it still managed to pull me into the story and keep me immersed.
I quite liked Sebastian and Gemma. They're both intelligent, compassionate, determined people who are loyal and committed to improving society. They have an easy chemistry that develops naturally, never feeling fake or manufactured. I wanted them to succeed in their pursuits and find contentment in spite of their sorrows.
All in all, I enjoyed this novel (although "enjoy" feels like an odd word for this kind of read). I have the second book on hold at my library. Hopefully, I'll get to it sometime soon.
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: February Book Ideas and Link-Up for Reviews


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If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell


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2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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