It started as the perfect story. Zippora Karz was a member of the famed New York City Ballet by the age of eighteen. By twenty she was starring as ...
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reviews
May 15, 2011
Kasia
rated it: 
I always knew that ballet is a very difficult art to master, it requires a lot of sacrifices, discipline and asks to move our bodies in the most unnatural but beautiful way. The lives of ballet dancers are as mysterious to an average person as the chasms of the deepest ocean, but this book provides fascinating and cringe worthy look behind the velvet curtain. These people are intense athletes and with this story Zippora Karz not only exposes her hardships as a dancer but also as a diabetic. Her
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Jun 09, 2010
Denise
rated it:
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and fascinating autobiography of a prima ballerina, November 25, 2009
This review is from: The Sugarless Plum (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This memoir of her career as a ballerina with the New York City Ballet is an insightful and moving look inside the life of Zippora Karz. Her association with this famed company began at age 18 in the corps de ballet and continued for the next sixteen years as she More...
This review is from: The Sugarless Plum (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This memoir of her career as a ballerina with the New York City Ballet is an insightful and moving look inside the life of Zippora Karz. Her association with this famed company began at age 18 in the corps de ballet and continued for the next sixteen years as she More...
Mar 29, 2010
Miki
rated it: 
This is a great memoir, focusing mainly on the professional ballet career of Zippora Karz, in the years leading up to her diagnosis with diabetes, and especially with her struggles in progressing in the world of ballet while also dealing with misdiagnoses, out of control blood sugars, conflicting advice, and more than a little bit of initial denial about the seriousness of the disease.
I love the idea of memoirs like these, but all too often I pick them up only to find that they are More...
I love the idea of memoirs like these, but all too often I pick them up only to find that they are More...
Dec 29, 2009
Morris
rated it:
This books delivers a fascinating, scary and inspirational story of a young person's life. Zippora Karz provides us a unique perspective into the life of a professional ballerina. The dedication and physical demands are sometimes overwhelming in contrast to the beauty and grace of the performance. While not the primary focus of the book, the inside story of the New York City Ballet is very interesting.
Reading the book, I could share the fear Zippora must have felt when she finally retu More...
Reading the book, I could share the fear Zippora must have felt when she finally retu More...
Oct 19, 2009
jennifer
rated it:
Title: The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina's Triumph Over Diabetes
Author: Zippora Karz
ISBN: 978-0373892037
Publisher: Harlequin
List Price: $22.95
From a young age, Zippora Karz desired to achieve her dream of becoming a ballerina. By the time Karz had reached the age of 20, she had attained professional status and had obtained work with the New York City Ballet.
The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina's Triumph Over Diabetes is a debut memoir written by More...
Author: Zippora Karz
ISBN: 978-0373892037
Publisher: Harlequin
List Price: $22.95
From a young age, Zippora Karz desired to achieve her dream of becoming a ballerina. By the time Karz had reached the age of 20, she had attained professional status and had obtained work with the New York City Ballet.
The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina's Triumph Over Diabetes is a debut memoir written by More...
Oct 12, 2009
Renee
rated it:
In recent years I've met multiple moms whose children have been diagnosed with diabetes - the preschool daughter of a longtime friend, the school age son of a neighbor, a high school boy in our church youth group as well as a school age girl in our preteen youth group - the list seems to keep growing. When The Sugarless Plum was available for reviewing, I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I did.
I was surprised to find out that Karz is a contemporary of mine since I can't remember knowing More...
I was surprised to find out that Karz is a contemporary of mine since I can't remember knowing More...
Feb 10, 2010
Eileen
rated it: 
Zippora Karz's memoir, "The Sugarless Plum" details her struggle against diabetes even as she climbs the excrutiating ladder of success in New York City's ballet.
The physical difficulties of a ballerina's life are immmense under ordinary circumstances, with hours of practice, rehearsals, and performance. When illness enters the picture, the dancer is forced out of the company or into silence about the illness.
Zippora contends with her emotions as a young girl More...
The physical difficulties of a ballerina's life are immmense under ordinary circumstances, with hours of practice, rehearsals, and performance. When illness enters the picture, the dancer is forced out of the company or into silence about the illness.
Zippora contends with her emotions as a young girl More...
Oct 27, 2009
April
rated it:
The Sugarless Plum by Zippora Karz is about the author's experience living with diabetes. Karz's case is a bit unique, as she's a ballerina, so she must walk a fine line in her insulin and sugar intake.
I felt the Sugarless Plum was fairly depressing. I know she eventually gets past her disease, that's what happens in pretty much every IMPORTANT ISSUE/DISEASE memoir, but it still sort of made me sad. I guess I never really thought of diabetes as being a big deal, after all I've read T More...
I felt the Sugarless Plum was fairly depressing. I know she eventually gets past her disease, that's what happens in pretty much every IMPORTANT ISSUE/DISEASE memoir, but it still sort of made me sad. I guess I never really thought of diabetes as being a big deal, after all I've read T More...
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Nov 20, 2009
Christine
rated it:
Author Zippora Karz offers an insightful look at her struggle to manage diabetes as a solo ballerina in her memoir The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina’s Triumph Over Diabetes. Ms. Karz’s love of dance started at an early age and with the encouragement of her family and ballet teacher, she was able to earn a place in the New York City Ballet company at the age of eighteen.
Ms. Karz’s dedication and diligent work ethic earned her many solos including the lead as the Sugar Plum Fairy in num More...
Ms. Karz’s dedication and diligent work ethic earned her many solos including the lead as the Sugar Plum Fairy in num More...
Nov 03, 2009
Crystal
rated it:
I am really starting to enjoy memoirs - I have gone from being a straight fiction reader, to reading non-fiction and enjoying it. This is just one of the things that reviewing books has done for me.
The Sugarless Plum was a very enjoyable memoir of the life of Zippora Karz while she was growing up and in the New York City Ballet dealing with Type-1 Diabetes. It was a fascinating look inside the life of a ballerina. I had no idea what all they go through during the day and how many More...
The Sugarless Plum was a very enjoyable memoir of the life of Zippora Karz while she was growing up and in the New York City Ballet dealing with Type-1 Diabetes. It was a fascinating look inside the life of a ballerina. I had no idea what all they go through during the day and how many More...
Aug 09, 2011
Beth
rated it:
Outstanding memoir about the life of a dancer with the New York City Ballet. Zippora Karz started ballet as a young girl and was chosen to attnd NYCB summer camps. By age 18 she was a member of their Corps de Ballet. But at 21 she developed Type 1 (children's) diabetes. the book covers both her experince as a dancer and her trials and tribulations as she worked to get her diabetes under control.
I enjoyed the book very much. I think that readers who have an interest in either or both More...
I enjoyed the book very much. I think that readers who have an interest in either or both More...
Feb 06, 2011
Anne
rated it:
I'm always a sucker for behind-the-scenes stories of the ballet world-- and Balanchine's ballet school and ABT are every bit as colorful and larger-than-life as I had hoped. Zippora makes a fabulous heroine-- she's not afraid to acknowledge both strengths and weaknesses, and her decision to take charge of both her health and her dancing are an inspirational lesson for everyone. The balance between her creative growth and struggles as a dancer and her diabetes is handled beautifully -- the book l
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Feb 04, 2010
Briony
rated it:
This was very quick and mostly enjoyable read. I love any memoir detailing the life of a ballerina and this book was no exception. I enjoyed reading how Karz rose through the ranks to become a part of America's most prestigious ballet company, New York City Ballet, only to succumb to diabetes during her prime dancing time. It was also interesting to see how she and NYC Ballet Company responded to this disease. The only time Karz started to lose me was the last 30 pages, probably because I was ti
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May 12, 2011
Crystal Starr Light
rated it:
"I could not let my excuses, my fears, even if they were valid, interfere"
NOTE: I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program
This Vine selection is a bit of a departure for me (nonfiction biography), but the "story" really called to me.
Zippora Karz is a ballerina with the New York Company Ballet. At the age of twenty-one, she is diagnosed with diabetes. The book details her childhood, her growing love for ballet, her early life with the NYC More...
NOTE: I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program
This Vine selection is a bit of a departure for me (nonfiction biography), but the "story" really called to me.
Zippora Karz is a ballerina with the New York Company Ballet. At the age of twenty-one, she is diagnosed with diabetes. The book details her childhood, her growing love for ballet, her early life with the NYC More...
Jan 28, 2010
Holly (2 Kids and Tired)
rated it:
This was a memoir I thoroughly enjoyed. I love ballet and while it's not a "tell all" book, the insiders look into the world of the New York City Ballet was fascinating. Zippora's account of the perseverance it took to become a prima ballerina is inspiring: the hard work and hours of practice; the pressure to not only excel, but succeed to the expectations of greats like George Balanchine.
Zippora's story is honest and unembellished. As she reaches her professional goals, he More...
Zippora's story is honest and unembellished. As she reaches her professional goals, he More...
Jan 04, 2010
Haley
rated it:
Zippora’s memoir is touching, inspirational, dramatic, and profound. I felt 100% in her shoes through her story, not just because I am a dancer and can relate to a lot of the experiences, but because of the way she has written it. She writes like the whole thing is magic—because Ballet is magic. I just can’t think of words to describe how much I loved this book.
There was a lot of information about Diabetes in the text, and I did skip over a paragraph occasionally. But for the most p More...
There was a lot of information about Diabetes in the text, and I did skip over a paragraph occasionally. But for the most p More...
Dec 20, 2009
Mishel
rated it:
THE SUGARLESS PLUM is a powerful story that will reach out to those who suffer from diabetes and even touch those who have never encountered it on a personal level. Zippora's struggles are portrayed honestly and with a lot of emotion as she re-tells the story of her younger years, her ballet career, and struggling to balance her life with her diagnosis. She not only shares her personal and professional life to readers but she reaches out to others with diabetes by providing resource materials ne
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Dec 02, 2009
Susan
rated it:
This is an okay book, but it is published by Harlequin and is a harlequin reading level. I loved reading the first half about how Zippora got to be a professional ballet dancer in New York. It requires a tremendous amount of self discipline and hard work. After her diagnosis of diabetes, she works just as hard only has to balance her disease and her work. Overcoming some terrible odd she gets things under control and continues as a soloist for the next 7 years.
Nov 05, 2010
Emma
rated it:
The Sugarless Plum, by Zippora Karz, was a great book that showed that determination will pay off in the long-run. It was a great book for dancers and told the story of a talented member of the School of American Ballet and later the New York City Ballet, who struggled with diabetes. This was such an inspiring story and may of it's lessons will stick with me for life.
Mar 21, 2011
This book inspired me because i do ballet also. She had an illness which was diabetes type 1 and overcame it while dancing for new york city ballet. She was determined to continue what she loved doing regardless of this horrible obstacle she had to overcome but she did it. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
Mar 01, 2010
Jodi
rated it:
This was a great read! Not only does Zippora give you an inside look at SAB and NYC ballet but her personal struggles and triumphs as well. She did not skim over her denial stage while writing this book she embraced it and shared her experience. A great read for anyone who wants to read an inspirational story.
May 19, 2010
Lindsay
rated it:
I really loved this book. I was involved with dance my whole childhood, 5-18, so I loved revisiting memories of that time. I'd definately reccomend this more to people who have experience dancing, because I'm sure all the terms could be confusing for those who have never heard them before.
May 13, 2010
Cate
rated it: 
quick read I picked up at the library. not bad, not great. some interesting details about life as a professional ballerina newly diagnosed with diabetes.
Nov 13, 2009
Nicole
rated it:
The entire book is great, but the opening really made me feel the urgency of the situation.
Mar 05, 2011
S
rated it:
Thuis book was interesting to me because it's about a dancer. I enjoyed it a lot.
