Last Dance

by Lurlene N McDaniel

Overview

A girl’s dream of a ballet career is disrupted by a frightening diagnosis in this novel by the national bestselling author of Don’t Die, My Love . . .
 
At age thirteen, after years of lessons and practice, Rachel Deering is already a highly skilled dancer who shows great promise—and she’s staying on her toes because her dream is to become a world-class professional ballerina. But just as she’s preparing for an important audition for an opening with a prestigious dance troupe, Rachel starts having some very disturbing symptoms.
 
After collapsing in ballet class, she undergoes a series of tests and her doctor tells her the news: She has Type 1 diabetes. Now her world consists of twice-a-day insulin shots, a carefully controlled diet, and constant fear that she will have a reaction and end up unable to dance—or worse. And through it all, she can’t help wondering why life is so unfair . . .
 
Praise for Lurlene McDaniel’s novels
 
“Touching scenes abound.”—Booklist
 
“McDaniel shows her literary expertise by humanizing a terrible disease and guiding readers through the whole process . . . Just make sure there are tissues nearby.” —School Library Journal
 
“Over the course of decades and dozens of books, [McDaniel]’s taught her readers compassion and given them hope, which is something people could use at any age.” —The Washington Post
 
Previously published as Will I Ever Dance Again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467727853
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/28/2022
Series:	Lurlene McDaniel Books
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	148
Sales rank:	909,959
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Everyone loves a good cry, and no one delivers heartwrenching stories better than Lurlene McDaniel.

But there's more to her books than that. McDaniel has written over 40 novels about kids who face life-threatening illnesses, who sometimes do not survive. These are powerful, inspirational stories about courage, love, and strength in the face of overwhelming trauma. McDaniel’s books touch the hearts and spirits of the teenagers and adults who read them. Her following is a devoted group of appreciative fans. McDaniel says: "These are books that challenge you and make you think."

Some readers—and their parents—have wondered why McDaniel chooses to write about sad situations. "I tell them that sometimes tragedy hits people—kids, too. They want answers. They want to know 'why.' By using novels, I show ordinary kids confronting and overcoming great odds." McDaniel's books are ultimately optimistic and life-affirming.

McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. "I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family," says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic.

To make certain that her books are medically accurate, McDaniel conducts extensive research. She interviews health care professionals and works with appropriate medical groups and hospice organizations, as well as the Tennessee Organ Donor Services. "I study medicine and traditional grief therapy techniques to give the novels a sense of serious medical reality," she says. "I also study the Bible to instill the human element—the values and ethics often overlooked by the coldness of technology."

Growing up, McDaniel lived in different parts of the country because her father was in the Navy. Eventually her family settled in Florida. She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned a B.A. in English. She now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In addition to her popular YA novels, McDaniel has written radio and television scripts, promotional and advertising copy, and a magazine column. She is a frequent speaker at schools, writers’ conferences, and conventions.

McDaniel's books have been named to several bestseller lists, including Publishers Weekly. Three of her novels were selected by children as IRA­CBC Children’s Choices: Somewhere Between Life and Death, Too Young to Die, and Goodbye Doesn’t Mean Forever. Six Months to Live has been placed in a literary time capsule at the Library of Congress, to be opened in the year 2089.