The Lost Ballerina

By: Deanna Lynn Sletten

Narrated by: Jennifer Groberg

Two generations. Two dreams. One story powerful enough to change a life.

1963 — Evalina Ashford has spent her life reaching for her dream. Raised with little more than determination and a passion for dance, she has fought her way into the revered halls of the New York City Ballet under the watchful eye of the great choreographer, George Balanchine. Just as her long-held dream is finally within reach, a devastating betrayal from someone she loves threatens to shatter everything—her future, her trust, and the very identity she has built through years of sacrifice.

Today — Seventeen-year-old Madison Carlson is having the kind of summer she’d rather forget. With her car wrecked by her boyfriend and her parents urging her toward a “sensible” career path, she’s stuck mowing lawns to earn repair money and questioning every choice she’s made. When Maddie reluctantly knocks on the door of the old house the neighborhood kids whisper about, she expects to be turned away. Instead, she meets two elderly ladies with a past that glimmers with secrets and heartache—and one woman whose extraordinary story inspires Maddie to reclaim herself, her dreams, and her future.

Across decades, the lives of a rising ballerina and a struggling teenager intertwine, revealing how courage, mentorship, and the stories we share can change everything.

©2025 Deanna Lynn Sletten (P)2025 Deanna Lynn Sletten