"It's 1977 when ten-year-old Marie Higginbottom sees the Paris Ballet for the first time -- Paris, Kentucky, that is. Accompanying her and providing critical commentary is her best friend, a dead composer of tragic piano music. Chopin's artistic temperament drives her nuttier than a five pound fruitcake, but his preludes delight and inspire her. In contrast, Marie's first "real" friend is Misty McPherson, the world's first female Elvis impersonator. Together they struggle to achieve their dreams in the face of rural poverty. Meanwhile, Marie's father has a bad case of religious mania, while her mother engages in an unlikely affair. Against a backdrop of late 1970's TV and battling siblings, Marie plans to dance her way out of her small town existence"--Publisher's website