Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
As the Waltz Was Ending
Emmy Macalik was a young ballet student in Vienna when the city was full of flowers, tree-shaded parks, and coffee houses that served rich mocha topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar. When the optimistic student heard the applause that followed her first real performance, her future seemed clear before her. What Emmy did not see was the devastating effects World War...more
Paperback, 187 pages
Published
October 1st 1987
by Point
(first published October 1st 1984)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
282)
I just finished this book, and it has to be one of the best historical non fiction books ive ever read. Emmey's story is so powerful and heartbreaking. LIke all the books about WW2, it was depressing that she actually went through all that and survived it. I was sad that none of her children folowed her in her love of dance, and that she didnt pursue her dream either. I also couldnt believe her father shot himself just 1 year after the war ended! Gosh, talk about a lot going on at once. I just w...more
1 like · like · see review
view 2 comments
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Oh god, this made me cry so much. It was a little slow going at first but then definitely picked up, and was truly an enthralling read. It's so interesting to read a WWII story from a different POV to what I usually read. Emmy was a young girl in Vienna who was at first not really touched by the goings on in the late 30s/early 40s. When Hitler first came to Austria there were parades and the people of Vienna welcomed him, most believing this would end the Great Depression and help people find jo...more
Oct 18, 2008
Heidi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Heidi by:
stabb@ozemail.com.au
When I saw this on the shelf (while shelf-checking) I couldn't believe I hadn't already read it. Ballet - check. Austria - check. World War II - check. All elements that usually mean I'll at least give a book a go, and this had all three!
Yet, despite perhaps one or two scenes seeming vaguely familiar, I'm fairly certain that I hadn't read this one before.
It was beautiful and sad and terrible. Realistic (it seems to me) in its portrayal of the ballet world, terrifying in the descriptions of Vienn...more
Yet, despite perhaps one or two scenes seeming vaguely familiar, I'm fairly certain that I hadn't read this one before.
It was beautiful and sad and terrible. Realistic (it seems to me) in its portrayal of the ballet world, terrifying in the descriptions of Vienn...more
This is one of my Most Favorite Books of All Time. I read this book when I was about 15-16 years old...and very much into ballerina's and ballet. I loved everything about this book...and have re-read it I don't know How many times over!
I highly recommend this book! Very Enjoyable!!!!
I highly recommend this book! Very Enjoyable!!!!
Jan 25, 2011
Karen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
ya-or-youth-friendly
This is such a sad book in many ways. Emma tells her own story and while many of her experiences are beautiful and happy, many of them are not. It's sad to see what a young girl in Nazi and then Russian occupied Vienna had to deal with.
I love Viennese setting, my great grandmother was from the area, but pre WWII thankfully.
I recommended this when we did our historical fiction unit in 7th grade a few years ago.
I recommended this when we did our historical fiction unit in 7th grade a few years ago.
This is a book I could read over and over again. It has everything for me: The love of dance, friendship and the repercussions of war and how it impacts everyone. A must read.
Read this when I was probably in middle school, but I still remember a lot of the imagery in it and the story line.
Very interesting!
"My mother bought me this book when I was a child. The war was always a specter that hung over us as it featured prominently in my own grandmother's Greek upbringing, so this book was very accessible. This is a compelling tale of a young woman absorbed in professional ballet whose world crumbles after the Anschluss. This book has haunted me for years and it was deeply satisfying for me to know that the author did, indeed, live happily ever after, even if she had to give up her dream of dancing....more
Review to come...
As I understand it, the real life Emmy met the real life American soldier also known as W.E.B. Griffin, whom she later married. Although the marriage did not last forever, I hope there were some happy years for her after her wartime experience.
Autobiography of what life was like during WWII Austria for a young girl. It is better for older youth. I would have liked the story to continue to discuss what life was like during the post war rebuilding years.
Jun 15, 2013
Erin
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2013
Diane Bliss
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2013
Allyson
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
