Dancing for Your Life

The True Story of Maria de la Torre and Her Secret Life in a Hong Kong Go-Go Bar

Gold Medal Winner, President’s Book Awards
Finalist, National Best Book Awards

Dancing for Your Life is the true story of a beautiful, young Filipina who, in order to help her family financially, leaves her home in the quiet Philippine countryside to work as a dancer in Hong Kong’s red-light district of Wan Chai. This book will hold special appeal for readers interested in gaining a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of an Asian go-go bar and will serve as a companion guide for individuals interested in cultural studies, gender studies, or spirituality. It presents a rare first-person account that is thought provoking and controversial. Here is the “untold story” of faith, friendship, and sacrifice, but also of triumph and forgiveness.

“Straightforward. Honest. Storytelling that works because it bleeds truth on every page. This is a surprisingly powerful book.” —Karl Taro Greenfeld, Former Editor, TIME Asia magazine