Bird with the Heart of a Mountain

Opening in Andalusia, Spain, in 1936, Mariconda's (The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons) romance follows 16-year-old Drina, a passionate flamenco dancer in a war-torn country. She dances to feel beautiful and proud, to release resentment, and to transcend the stereotypes that accompany her mixed heritage%E2%80%94Drina is half-Spanish and half-Romany (though the author uses the term "gypsy" throughout). Beyond dance, Drina's second passion is for a falconer, Boldo, with whom she hopes to elope. When Drina's mother is raped by a soldier, becomes pregnant, and dies shortly after giving birth (first uttering Drina's absent father's name), Drina is left alone to care for the baby and seek her father. But a Gadje outsider kidnaps the baby, which propels Drina's journey all the way to Sevilla. Mariconda takes her time with the visceral and dramatic descriptions of Drina's inner life and threads Spanish and Romany vocabulary throughout her story. A sensual portrait of a young woman with dance in her blood and fire in her soul, who moves beyond the need for approval to discover her individuality. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (Jan.)