The Dancing Master

This was an interesting book. I had been putting off reading it for awhile since I wasn't sure if I would like it. The story was interesting but definitely not my favourite. I had been told that if you like Jane Austen you would like this author. I wouldn't agree with this statement. The book was good but not great. \\r\\n

Much of the story relies on the fact that the village matriarch has forbidden the townspeople to hold dances in any form. This seems an unrealistic premise for a story, but I was intrigued to see how Julie klassen would weave an interesting story from this. I found the plot very slow. I have noticed this in one or two other novels Julia klassen has written. I forced myself to read at least 100pages before giving up and turning to another book that would hold my interest. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe main character Alec has some secrets he withholds from the reader as to why he has retreated from London with his family to stay with his uncle. I felt as though I should have had a deeper glimpse into Alec's life and his reasons for this move. I also felt disconnected to the other main character Julia. She is an unlikeable character from the first time the reader meets her. Perhaps late in the story she softens, but again the reader doesn't get to see any chinks in her perfect exterior to make a different judgement. All in all I felt I had wasted my time. \\r\\n

I really enjoyed reading this book and learning (through the fictitious story) all about the history of dance and dance masters in centuries past. Like all novels by this author, the characters had great depth to them and the story kept me intrigued all the way to the last page, wondering how all the strings and stories would come together. A beautiful story of grace, love, transformation and forgiveness.

A city boy with a passion for dance moves with his mother to a small country town with a powerful moral leader who banned dancing following the tragic death of a young man many years ago. The leader has a rebellious daughter who seeks out the company of inappropriate young men, including the new boy in town, who wants to reintroduce the townsfolk to dance. \\r\\n\\r\\nSound familiar? Yes, it's the plot of Footloose, the 1984 movie starring Kevin Bacon. It's also the plot of The Dancing Master. \\r\\nParts of The Dancing Master were very good. Klassen's writing was, as always, excellent, with a use of language and evidence of extensive research. I appreciated the attention to detail. I had high expectations for The Dancing Master, because I've read and enjoyed several of Julie Klassen's earlier novels. I was expecting to be wowed, in the way I was when I first read The Maid of Milkweed Manor. But I wasn't. The Dancing Master was missing that originality of plot and character demonstrated in her earlier novels. I found it slow to read and difficult to finish. I hope her next novel returns to the combination of strong characters and excellent writing that made her earlier novels so good. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.