Dancing on the Edge

A young girl from a dysfunctional family creates for herself an alternative world which nearly results in her death but which ultimately leads her to reality. Winner of the 1997 National Book Award.
Miracle McCloy comes from an unusual family: Her father, Dane is a prodigy who published his first book at age thirteen; her grandmother, Gigi, is clairvoyant; and her mother was dead when her "miracle" daughter was pulled from her womb. Having been raised according to a set of mystical rules and beliefs, Miracle is unable to cope in the real world. Lost in a desperate dance among lit candles, she sets herself afire and comes to in a hospital. There, a young psychiatrist helps her navigate her painful struggle to take charge of her life. Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.