The Flamenco Academy

By: Sarah Bird

Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan

Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Rae's life falls apart when her father dies of cancer and her mother joins a religious cult. The only person who understands Rae is local bad girl Didi, who is experiencing a similar loss. Both girls fall in love with handsome flamenco guitarist Tomás Montenegro, whose aunt teaches at the university's flamenco academy. Rae and Didi take the class and become obsessed with the dance. In time, their love triangle plays out on an international stage, when Rae, Didi, and Tomás becoming the rising stars of flamenco.

©2006 Sarah Bird (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"A story brimming with romance and visceral details of flamenco, its music and its history." (Publishers Weekly)
"Funny and beautifully structured to create anticipation and suspense, with lush moments of romance and a surprisingly sturdy backbone." (Kirkus Reviews)

love flamenco, love NM

I enjoyed this book. i am a native nuevomexicana and have studied flamenco off and on at the University of New Mexico. there is an enchatment about both flamenco and NM and this book captures that tie very well. the story at times was a little too dramatic for my taste, but overall it was a great book.

Flamenco Puro

I love this book! This is my second reading, for it called to me across the decade since I had first read it. Fascinating in the history it tells, wonderful in the passion it explores, and made even more excellent with a reader who has the perfect accent. I walk around all day with the phrases in my head. A masterpiece!

Captivating

The beginning was slow, and felt like it took too long to set the up the characters, but after the intial staging, I could not stop listening to this book. I was captivated by the hypnotic way she pronounced the names, the places the flamenco. It made me want to research the dance, the places she mentioned and the history of the Gypsy. I was transported back and could hear the guitar the clicking of the shoes and the wailing of poet. I was constantly amazed at the twists and turns as the characters developed matured. I am a romantic, and this book certainly fulfilled my high expectations.

Mesmerizing

Maybe because I'm a beginning flamenca, but I loved this book, word-for-word. Yes, the plot is romantic, but the real love affair is between dancers and their dance. The narrator is brilliant, channeling the eternal heartbreak of the gypsies through the losses, thwarted loves and difficult friendship of the principal character. I do not think this book would have been as good if I had read it, rather than "heard" it!

Excellent

I read this book about 6-7 years ago and loved it then... But I have to say with a little extra age and the brilliant delivery of the performer, this has easily become one of my favorite books of all time. Literary preference is intensely subjective; this book resonates with me on a very personal level. I am from NM and I am also a pale, strawberry blonde in love with a culture different from my own. But all that aside, the rich story telling and the deep character development has created a novel that completely transplants me as I read or listen to it. Also, Alyssa's (performer) ability to deliver all the accents and speak the language was fantastic and seriously well executed.

Beautiful and…

The transitions between chapters were horrible at time. Cut too rough and too quickly. Other than that, truly magical tale.

Loved it!

This book is wonderful deep dive into the depths of flamenco. I really loved it. The narrator was terrific as well.

Best ever!

The story and the reader were merged into one. This is by far the best audible book I have listened too.

exceptional reader, exceptional writer!

the story is luscious, if you are a dancer, a lover, a woman who is finding her power, or someone who loves Flamenco, you will enjoy The rhythms, the descriptions, and the twists and turns of this story.

Torturous chick lit

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I have no idea, maybe a 12 year old girl?

Would you ever listen to anything by Sarah Bird again?

No

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Fairly good pronunciation, albeit a little over-dramatic. Oh wait, that may have been the writing.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Flamenco Academy?

Everything that had to do with the two main characters. That would have left the story about the Flamenco teacher, which was the more interesting thread in the book.

Any additional comments?

This made me not want to listen to Flamenco or hear Flamenco ever again.