Description:
All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most--and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina.
Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past?
About the Author:
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, and The Love Note. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their two kids in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her at www.jdpstories.com
My Thoughts:
This is one of those books that I don’t know if I have the words to do a review of it justice. Joanna Davidson Politano has such a unique and lyrical way of writing, with stories that draw me in, regardless of plot or characters. Her books always sound so mysterious or unusual. I picked up her first out of complete curiosity, without any idea whatsoever of what I was getting into, and have read the others simply because there was something so different about that book and I wanted to read more of it. A few books in and I still don’t think I can explain what that “something” is. But I will say that it’s beautiful and I always find myself buried within a tale that captures both my heart and imagination. In the case of this one, I think Ella would be quite proud, as that’s what she believes ballet should do, as well.
I don’t know much about ballet. I’ve been to one production of “The Nutcracker” a few years ago and that’s about the extent of my experience. That being said, I was very surprised by a number of the historical details shared within this story. I had no idea that ballet once had such obvious, and even expected, immorality. Or that the Church ostracized anyone who worked in theater or dance. I truly appreciate how the author included those things more so as facts than as a way to sensationalize the story or cause the reader to gasp in shock.
I greatly enjoyed getting to know Ella and Jack! I’m not sure what else to say about that, without giving something away. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that I was very intrigued by the mystery and was very surprised at how it concluded!
Overall, this book is definitely going on my list of favorite reads for the year! I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a unique take on historical fiction!
