Review: The Sugarless Plum by Zippora Karz

Book Details:
ISBN: 978-0-373-89203-7
Pub. Date: November, 2009
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

I received a review copy of this book from Caitlin over at FSB Associates. I received no further compensation for this review.


From the Cover:

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 the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, dancing roles created by Jerome Robbins, and traveling the world.

It was the stuff dreams are made of until, at age twenty-one, Karz became exhausted, dizzy and excessively thirsty. Heavy pancake makeup covered the sores under her arms that would not heal, but she neglected to go to the doctor. When she finally did, she was diagnosed with diabetes, and learned that if she continued to ignore her symptoms, she risked heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation of her toes, feet and legs. She struggled to get the correct diagnosis and treatment, first thinking she had Type-2 diabetes, when in fact she had Type-1, juvenile diabetes. Once placed on an insulin regimen to regulate her blood sugar, she would inject herself with unsafe doses before going on stage in misguided attempts to obtain peak performance. The potentially fatal result of Karz's self-experimentation became all too real when she nearly lost consciousness. Her weight dropped and she became dangerously ill.

Balancing ballet and her blood sugar would be a long and difficult struggle for Karz, but eventually she learned to value her body and work with it, rather than rage at its limitations. In The Sugarless Plum, Karz shares her journey from denial, shame and miseducation about her illness to how she led an active, balanced and satisfying life as an insulin-dependent diabetic and soloist with one of the world's most famous ballet companies. Through her fascinating story, those struggling with diabetes and other serious illnesses can find encouragement and inspiration as well as practical advice on achieving physical and emotional wellness.

My Take:

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 returned her doctor's calls and was told to come see her immediately. The honest admission of her denial of what was happening to her makes the telling more real. The effects diabetes has on her body before she sought treatment are scary.

I was outraged when I read how her doctors had misdiagnosed her condition as Type-2, when she was Type-1. But she overcame and gave herself the needed insulin injections. The scariest part of the whole story was how the unnamed Doctor G took advantage of her vulnerable condition. I wanted to punch the guy as I read about him.

It took a lot of courage to write down her intimate story of how this disease effected her body and the strength she had to summon in order to control her life. I found this book very easy to read and was surprised at how fast the pages turned. The message of taking control of your own health is very strong and serves as an inspiration to anyone battling a disease such as diabetes. The author also provides a nice collection of resources at the end of the book.

About the Author:

Zippora Karz is a former soloist ballerina with the New York City Ballet where she performed for 16 years on stage and in televised performances. She was featured in a variety of roles choreographed by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins (The Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker being one of her favorites) as well as works choreographed for her by such choreographers as Peter Martins and Lynne Taylor Corbett. Miss Karz danced with the New York City Ballet from 1983 through 1999. She now serves as a teacher and repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, rehearsing and staging Balanchine’s choreography for a host of national and international dance companies. She is also a diabetes spokesperson and educator who regularly addresses major diabetes conferences and organizations worldwide. She lives in Los Angeles, California.