The Dance Tree: The BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick

(Paperback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The gripping historical novel from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mercies The Dance Tree is the perfect book club read, as seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers 'I absolutely loved this book' - Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den Lisbet is pregnant, and frightened she will lose this child, too, when the arrival of a stranger upends her world, and promises to change her understanding of love forever. Ida's life seems simple - she is married, her family fully formed - but a buried secret threatens to destroy her peaceful existence. Nethe has just returned from years in exile, punishment for a crime no one will name. As a mysterious dance plague takes hold of the city of Strasbourg, all three women become entangled in a web of deceit and clandestine passion that has them dancing to a dangerous tune. 'Intriguing, haunting, beautiful' - Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne 'Exceptionally brilliant. Sensual, compelling' - Marian Keyes, author Again, Rachel 'Extraordinary, enthralling' - Sunday Times

Reviews

Extraordinary . . . enthralling . . . An exceptionally atmospheric, original story * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *
Unusual and beautifully written, and the questions it raises about faith and love linger * The Times *
Exceptionally brilliant. Immersive, sensual, compelling and totally convincing. Accessible, ambitious, The Dance Tree deserves to win prizes -- Marian Keyes
An intriguing, haunting novel pulsing with raw, beautiful emotion . . . a novel in which female courage and resilience shines brightly against a brilliantly evoked backdrop of claustrophobic horror -- Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
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
Millwood Hargrave has a masterly ability to summon the past to the page. The Dance Tree vibrates with urgency; [a] vivid, compassionate evocation of women and their desires in a time of patriarchal control -- Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Burial Rites
Stunning . . . 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
If some prose sings, Kiran Millwood Hargraves truly dances . . . the books wisdom, compassion, and beauty transcend historical boundaries: this is a timeless novel -- Hernan Diaz, author of TRUST
Amazing . . . incredible . . . I was drawn in right away -- Sara Cox, BBC Between the Covers
Exploring themes of motherhood, misogyny, the patriarchy and forbidden love, the author utilises this moment in history as a great catalyst for examining issues that are still central to our contemporary concerns. * Irish Times *
The Dance Tree hums with intrigue, grief and rebellion, oozes tenderness and love. Fierce as Lisbets bees, delicious as honey. A raw, intoxicating novel -- Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
I just loved it . . . I was hooked from the start -- Sarah Keyworth, BBC Between the Covers
Hugely tender, heartbreaking and warm. Millwood Hargrave embroiders the world of the book so beautifully, it is an immersive rich experience that plays on in your head even after you put it down -- Sarvat Hasin, author of The Giant Dark
Millwood Hargrave takes an intriguing, female-focused moment of real history and weaves a heartbreaking story into it * Woman & Home *
Beautifully written, full of tenderness and hope, The Dance Tree explores grief and courage and the tragic consequences of forbidden love. -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl
[A] tenderly written story . . . Good characters, good plot and lots to think about in a solid piece of historical fiction * Times of Tunbridge Wells *

Author Bio

Kiran Millwood Hargrave (b. 1990) is an award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist. The Mercies was her first novel for adults, and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. It won a Betty Trask Award, was longlisted for the Jhalak Prize and was named amongst the NYT 100 Most Notable Books of 2020. Her bestselling works for children include The Girl of Ink & Stars and have won or been short- and long-listed for numerous awards including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year, Costa Children's Book Award, the Blue Peter Best Story Award and, twice, the CILIP Carnegie Medal. Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband, the artist Tom de Freston, and their rescue cats, Luna and Marly.