"If some prose sings, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s truly dances. Although set in the early sixteenth century, The Dance Tree addresses issues of the utmost importance today—the subjection of women, class inequality, the dangers of religious fundamentalism. Ultimately, however, the book’s wisdom, compassion, and beauty transcend historical boundaries: this is a timeless novel." — Hernan Diaz, author of In the Distance and Trust
"Some historical novels don't just describe the past, they transport you there. ... I absolutely loved this book…an exceptionally beautiful portrait of women from the past, told in the most spellbinding prose." — Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den
“The Dance Tree hums with intrigue, grief and rebellion, oozes tenderness and love. Fierce as Lisbet’s bees, delicious as honey. A raw, intoxicating novel.” — Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
“Kiran Millwood Hargrave has a masterly ability to summon the past to the page. The Dance Tree vibrates with urgency; its vivid, compassionate evocation of women and their desires in a time of patriarchal control and mass hysteria is a timely reminder of how far we have come, and how far we have to go.” — Hannah Kent, author of Devotion and The Good People
“The Dance Tree is a feat of tenderness and strength. Each page of Hargrave's luminous prose reminded me of candles in a cathedral. Here is something defiantly bright amidst all the darkness. Here is a tale not only rich with history, but hallowed in its hope and haunting in its grief. Extraordinary.” — Roshani Chokshi, New York Times-bestselling author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
“An intriguing, haunting novel pulsing with raw, beautiful emotion. Kiran Millwood-Hargrave effortlessly intertwines the stories of women tenderly and sympathetically, creating a novel in which female courage and resilience shines brightly against a brilliantly evoked backdrop of claustrophobic horror.” — Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
“Exceptionally brilliant. Immersive, sensual, compelling and totally convincing. Accessible, ambitious, The Dance Tree deserves to win prizes.” — Marian Keyes, author of Again, Rache
“The Dance Tree is, simply put, a stunning piece of writing. There is so much pain and grief and loss in it, yet in the end, it all comes back to the redemptive power of love. Sensual, gripping, moving.” — Louise O'Neill, bestselling author of Idol
01/23/2023
Hargrave’s overwrought latest (after The Mercies) takes place in the sweltering European summer of 1518, when a slew of women danced in the central square of Strasbourg for months. The craze begins with Lisbet, a beekeeper who is determined to see her latest pregnancy through after a series of miscarriages. Her husband, Henne, leaves home for Heidelberg to keep their bees from being confiscated by the local monastery, just as Lisbet’s sister-in-law, Nethe, returns after seven years at a secluded abbey in the mountains, penance for an unnamed sin. Only Lisbet’s friend Ida, married to a cruel and vengeful man, and Nethe know about Lisbet’s dance tree, deep in the forest, where ribbons flutter for each of the children she has lost. Secrets are revealed, and things spiral dangerously out of control for Lisbet after an increasing number of women take to dancing themselves into oblivion in the city, prompting two musicians to attempt to cast the devil out of them with their music. Sometimes Hargrave’s prose soars, but more often its excessive floridity undercuts the story’s drama. Readers will have a hard time finding their way into this one. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Mar.)
This audiobook takes listeners to Strasbourg in 1518, when a form of group mania breaks out and members of the city council believe they must bring in musicians to dance the devil out of the mob. The story is based on a historical event involving the phenomenon of St. Vitus dance. Narrator Ruta Gedmintas portrays Lisbet, a pregnant woman who is determined to deal with family secrets and with the city council’s malevolence. Gedmintas’s performance helps listeners understand the various prejudices aimed against those who are stricken by the dancing plague, which is related to rheumatic fever. She captures the inexorable tension building around Lisbet’s pregnancy and her determination to get to the bottom of her family’s history. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
This audiobook takes listeners to Strasbourg in 1518, when a form of group mania breaks out and members of the city council believe they must bring in musicians to dance the devil out of the mob. The story is based on a historical event involving the phenomenon of St. Vitus dance. Narrator Ruta Gedmintas portrays Lisbet, a pregnant woman who is determined to deal with family secrets and with the city council’s malevolence. Gedmintas’s performance helps listeners understand the various prejudices aimed against those who are stricken by the dancing plague, which is related to rheumatic fever. She captures the inexorable tension building around Lisbet’s pregnancy and her determination to get to the bottom of her family’s history. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine