Leya Marks ambition is to rise to the top

of her field-to become the dancer of her

time. She s lovely, light on her feet, so

graceful she leaves her audiences breath-

less. One moinent she s a classical bal-

lerina, evoking romantic images of love

and yearning; the next, she s swaying

seductively to a modern beat.

Leland Cooley has written a big, bold,

gutsy novel that reveals as never before

tile ins and outs of the entertainment

world and the people who give it life. Tak-

ing his readers behind the glitter of the

Broadway stage, inside the busy film

studios of Hollywood, Cooley gives ns a

compelling inside view of the glamorous,

exciting-and, at times, heartbreaking-

field of show business.

We meet Leya as a child, with a long

road ahead of her on her way to premiere

danseuse. She works at odd jobs to sup-

port her dance lessons, overcoming fatigue

and discouragement, and always stealing

time to practice. When success begins to

come, Leya is thrown into conflict between

the glamour and money of the com-

mercial entertainment world and the true