Padma Venkatraman turned to writing after obtaining a doctorate in oceanography at the College of William and Mary and conducting post-doctoral research in Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Her work has been featured nationally and internationally on TV and radio. She has participated on panels at Harvard and other universities was an invited guest at book festivals such as the international PEN World Voices Festival has provided commencement speeches at schools and keynote addresses at numerous conferences, including at the Caribbean Beach Pen Literary Festival in Trinidad, where she was the chief guest.

Padma Venkatraman is an American and lives in Rhode Island, USA, with her family. All three were released to three or more starred reviews (accruing a total of 12 starred reviews), and all three were ALA/Yalsa Best Books, Booklist Editor’s Choices, and CCBC choices, in addition to winning several other awards (Paterson Prize, Sanoc/SABA, BAC Julia Ward Howe award, ASTAL RI Book of the year etc.) and multiple honors (ALA Notable, Kirkus Best Book, Booklist Best Book, New York Public Library Best Book, Bank Street College of Education Best Book, and so on). As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.Padma Venkatraman is the author of three award-winning, critically acclaimed novels: A TIME TO DANCE, ISLAND’S END and CLIMBING THE STAIRS. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. For a girl who's grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling.

Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance-so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit. Padma Venkatraman's inspiring story of a young girl's struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form.

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman