Chopin in Kentucky by Elizabeth Heichelbech

It’s 1977 when 10-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 fruit cake, 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.