Death and the Dancing Girl
by Jenny Harrison
Death and the Dancing Girl is set in Britain and France shortly after World War II. Tom Blake is lost – his Special Operations role has ended, his estranged wife has died in a concentration camp, and he doesn’t know how to build a future. A visitor arrives – his wife’s brother – with news that his wife may be alive and also a daughter Tom never knew he had.
Tom’s search for his daughter and wife becomes his purpose. He traverses regions of post-war France in his quest. I found the descriptions of post-war times very interesting – I have read a lot more about the time of WWII than about the privation immediately following. The book contains an interesting array of characters who Tom meets along the way, including his volatile brother-in-law Lucien who grows, makes and sells wine. Tom discovers solace in working in the vineyard, despite being desperate to move on in his hunt.
Detailed descriptions of places are strength in Death and the Dancing Girl. The writing makes it easy to imagine both the remaining beauty and the struggles of the post-war era. There was, perhaps, a little too much agonising over the loss of a daughter about whom Tom knew nothing and had never met. However, if you have little in your life, you could easily become obsessed by an unknown ray of hope.
Overall, Death and the Dancing Girl is an easy read which keeps you wanting to know…why Tom is in his situation, whether daughter Sophie and Madeleine are still alive, where they might be if they are alive. To find out the answers, read the book!
by Jenny Harrison
Death and the Dancing Girl is set in Britain and France shortly after World War II. Tom Blake is lost – his Special Operations role has ended, his estranged wife has died in a concentration camp, and he doesn’t know how to build a future. A visitor arrives – his wife’s brother – with news that his wife may be alive and also a daughter Tom never knew he had.
Tom’s search for his daughter and wife becomes his purpose. He traverses regions of post-war France in his quest. I found the descriptions of post-war times very interesting – I have read a lot more about the time of WWII than about the privation immediately following. The book contains an interesting array of characters who Tom meets along the way, including his volatile brother-in-law Lucien who grows, makes and sells wine. Tom discovers solace in working in the vineyard, despite being desperate to move on in his hunt.
Detailed descriptions of places are strength in Death and the Dancing Girl. The writing makes it easy to imagine both the remaining beauty and the struggles of the post-war era. There was, perhaps, a little too much agonising over the loss of a daughter about whom Tom knew nothing and had never met. However, if you have little in your life, you could easily become obsessed by an unknown ray of hope.
Overall, Death and the Dancing Girl is an easy read which keeps you wanting to know…why Tom is in his situation, whether daughter Sophie and Madeleine are still alive, where they might be if they are alive. To find out the answers, read the book!
Review by Jane Shearer
Title: Death and the Dancing Girl
Author: Jenny Harrison
Publisher: Lamplighter Press
ISBN: 978-0-473-72623-2
RRP: $32.99
Available: print & e-book from [email protected]
Author: Jenny Harrison
Publisher: Lamplighter Press
ISBN: 978-0-473-72623-2
RRP: $32.99
Available: print & e-book from [email protected]
RSS Feed
