Maisie

Maisie is the main character and first person narrator of the novel. Maisie is in middle school. She lives with her mother, Angie, stepfather, Jack, and stepbrother, Connor. When Maisie was just one year old, her father was killed while serving in Afghanistan. She therefore never knew him and has come to see her mother’s new husband as her father.

Ever since she was four, Maisie’s life has revolved around ballet. She began dance lessons when she was young, and thus fell in love with the art form as a child. She has come to see dance as a part of her identity. She has dreams of dancing professionally. The dance studio has also given her a community of dance friends, as well as a safe place to express herself emotionally and creatively.

Therefore, when Maisie tears her ACL and is forced to take time off...