‘Taking Flight’: 18 years offers ample fodder for first memoir

Most of us would not have considered writing a memoir when we were just 18. How much life had we really lived at that point? But by the time professional ballerina Michaela DePrince turned eighteen, she had survived more than her share of hardships, and her emotional journey from war orphan to professional ballerina is joyously depicted in her young adult memoir, 'Taking Flight” (Knopf, $16.99).

The book opens with DePrince's life in Sierra Leone. The only child born to loving parents, DePrince enjoy a happy, simple childhood until her country is gripped by civil war. A series of heartbreaking events results in DePrince being placed in an orphanage. DePrince is honest in her portrayals of the atrocities of war and her forthrightness shows both that she has great respect for her young readers and that she knows the importance of honesty when crafting a memoir.

The first half of the book is beautifully crafted around the storyline of her life in Sierra Leone. Will she survive? Will she be adopted? However, once DePrince moves to the United States, the book moves away from various possible plot lines (family life, PTSD, race, her relationship with her sister) and reads more like a resume of DePrince's various accomplishments. Gone is the emotional depth of the first half, replaced with sterilized accounts of DePrince auditioning for ABT, YAGP, and other prestigious programs. While DePrince certainly worked hard for all her accomplishments, the narrative was weighed down by her choosing to detail every single one.

But perhaps she made these narrative choices because she is, after all, only eighteen. At this point in her young life, perhaps DePrince doesn't have enough distance to write about all of her life and struggles. She is certain to have a long and varied career as a dancer, and readers can hope for another memoir from her in the future - when she's a bit older.