Becoming Ginger Rogers

"An absorbing, inspirational memoir" about finding joy in the midst of challenge and hardship—step by step (Publishers Weekly).

If you've spent most of your life pursuing your career, raising your family, and/or caring for loved ones who may be ill or infirm, your own needs may have been neglected in the process. Patrice Tanaka found herself, at age fifty, needing an infusion of joy after losing her husband and her business, and experiencing the sorrow of living in New York City in the aftermath of 9/11.

In Becoming Ginger Rogers, she tells her very personal story of growing up Japanese-American in Hawaii and finding success in Manhattan—and then, in midlife, embarking on ballroom dance lessons to satisfy a lifelong dream of dancing like Ginger Rogers. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the world of competitive ballroom dancing, she also reveals how the things she learned—about being fully present, about the value of following as well as leading—ultimately made her a better partner and a smarter CEO.

Becoming Ginger Rogers shows us how we can revitalize ourselves even after years of woeful neglect, so that our most exciting and joy-filled days are ahead of us.