Excellent! I am the mother of 5 internationally adopted daughters and I have long wished for this kind of connection for them.

Anokhi was adopted from India by a single mother, Sasha, who encourages her to go to India once she hears that a beautiful Indian woman, Shaila, has danced through Anokhi's dreams most of her life.

Anokhi sets off with the blessing of her Hawaiian boyfriend, Kale. She stays with a family friend, Jasmine Aunty, and later with Nalini, whom she meets in India. Nalini takes her to a dance festival, where Anokhi becomes entranced with Indian dance traditions, and sees her off to the next town.

There she meets a woman who sees her and knows immediately that this is the daughter of Shaila and shares their story. I won't spoil the ending but it is immensely satisfying even if it is left open-ended. In this book, it works.

From this book, I learned a lot about Indian dance traditions...things I had wanted to know, like why the dancers roll their eyes around, and it has spurred me to get on youtube and watch related videos. The only part I disliked was when Sasha (Shaila's mother) blithely allowed her to drop out of high school because she wasn't feeling it. What kind of mother would actually do that?

I loved this book so much! The story was very well written and I loved the travel part of this book! Highly recommend!

Dasari’s story about an adopted girl from India who has been haunted by dreams of a classical dancer kept me up late finishing it. The author writes difficult emotion with such beauty and ease — it’s so clear to see that Anokhi, initially, feels so unmoored and alone in a world where she sticks out like a sore thumb. The depth of emotion behind this actually let me to take a break from reading this book for a bit before I — very quickly — dove right back into it.

Despite the support of her adoptive mother, she wants to know more, about her past, her parents, and the world she came from. Her journey of self-discovery to India was probably my favorite part. Despite my Indian heritage, details about Indian classical dance have always been a mystery to me, and Dasari dives into the art with gorgeous prose that is at once informative but also a treat to read. Though the ending was left slightly open-ended and ambiguous, I was reassured about the course of Anokhi’s path in life.

A wonderful debut from an author from whom I can’t wait to read more.

Shaila’s Dance is a heartfelt exploration of identity and cultural rediscovery. Through Anokhi's journey, readers are offered a window into the transformative power of reconnecting with one's roots. While the pacing may be slower for some, the rich cultural tapestry and emotional depth make it a worthwhile read for those interested in stories of self-discovery and heritage.

A beautiful story about an adopted girl entering adulthood and seeking to find her roots in India. Tropes include: adoption, dance, India, and family. It is very well written with lots of inspirational passages throughout the book.

Anokhi has always seen visions of Shaila, a woman dancing in the classical South Indian style. Growing up adopted in Idaho, Anokhi always felt different, dropping out of high school junior year to travel to India and find her birth parents. The trip through parts of India was described to evoke a real sense of Indian culture. Her travels to Chenni led her to a dance festival where her appreciation of the details in dance, intertwined with Indian mythology, develops. The book takes the reader on a journey of self discovery, while opening up another culture. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This story was a pleasant surprise. I had no clue if I would be interested in this story but the plot about an adopted girl who dreams of an Indian dancer that brings her back to India sounded so unique. Anokhi has only memories of her life in Idaho where she has no one who looks like her in her community. She is listless and unfocused. She is a teenager struggling with purpose that eventually causes her to drop out of high school. As a child of Indian immigrants this is horrifying to me but this girl is not living my story. Her story is unique. Even though she was born in India and adopted by a single mom and raised in America she finds no place to be truly “home.” She has no clue who she is.

The story has a bit of magical realism with the presence of an Indian dancer that appears in her mind when she sleeps or mentally drifts off. This dancer is our Shaila and she dances traditional Indian dances that tells a story. The stories guide Anokhi and some times confuse her. The book was like a “choose your own adventure” story but Anokhi kept making the wrong decisions. She figures out she needs to go somewhere but then stays stuck in Idaho working. This part of the story felt purposefully written to be a meander through tedious days as it was all “off-mission.” The mission: Go to India.

The second half which is in India had more wrong decision-making that had me screaming. However, the bad was counter-balanced with the good. Good people with hearts and fate guiding Anokhi to where she needs to be. I did enjoy the journey the book took and the growth of our FMC. I loved learning about Indian dance and the origins in worship and faith. I ended the book wanting more and that is always a good sign. I felt like this book was special and a story that will expand your mind about a world you may not ever see.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read diversely and support BIPOC authors. If you want to read a book about a young woman’s journey to find their origin and purpose then this is a solid one to choose. I think it’s suitable for middle grade and up. I received this book as an ARC after requesting it from the author.

Dasari’s debut work of historical fiction appears on a canvas painted with broad brushstrokes of east Indian history, culture, food and art, while telling the story of Anhoki, an Indian native who is adopted by a single mother who lives in Idaho. While Anhoki grows up American, she feels a strong pull to India, in part through a vision named Shaila, who comes to her as a classical Indian dancer. Wanting to meet her biological parents, Anhoki visits India, departing on a journey that educates her regarding her birth country, as well as answering questions about her birth families. Both an educational and enjoyable debut.

I requested Shaila’s Dance on a whim, drawn in by its stunning cover and I’m so glad I did. Anokhi’s journey to uncover her roots is deeply emotional, yet also heartwarming as she begins to put down her own.

The author’s prose is wonderful. The way Indian cultural traditions and heritage are woven into the story is truly beautiful. Following a teenager as she traverses India alone, meeting kind strangers and discovering herself, made me ache for my own solo journey across my birth country.

Shaila’s Dance is layered with emotion, self-discovery, and the transformative power of movement. It’s a reminder that dance is more than performance. It’s a way to lose yourself, to find yourself, to speak without words.

Thank you, GFB, for this book.

I read "Shaila’s Dance" by Mohini Dasari and really connected with Anokhi’s story. She grew up in Idaho after being adopted from India and always felt like she didn’t quite fit in. Her vivid dreams about a dancer led her to leave her life behind and travel to India. There, she dives into Indian classical dance and starts to understand more about her roots and herself. I liked how the book shows her struggles with identity and how art and culture help her find where she belongs. The descriptions of dance and the emotions felt real and touching to me.

Sometimes the story felt a bit fast or expected, but I enjoyed the way the author painted images with her words. The mix of Anokhi’s quiet daily life and her intense dreams made the story deeper. Overall, it’s a beautiful book about finding your place in the world, especially if you’re curious about heritage and personal growth. I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about family, culture, and self-discovery.

I really enjoyed getting to read this, it had that elmeent that I was looking for and enjoyed from start to finish. I was engaged with Anokhi and her storyline going on. It was everything that I was wanting and enjoyed from this type of book, it worked well in this genre and had that character development that I was hoping for from the description. Mohini Dasari has a strong writing style and glad I read this.