Across The Years
The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner is a fabulous dual timeline novel that I really enjoyed.
The action is set in Paris during World War II and in New York City in 2012. We hear the war years through the voice of a young girl and in the first person. In 2012 the action is seen through a great niece clearing out her great aunt’s apartment. It is in the third person. The chapters alternate. We hear the great aunt’s experiences through a notebook.
The novel is about loss. “The grief… feels as if it could drown her.” With loss comes guilt. Both lead characters are consumed. They need to learn to forgive themselves. “What if I don’t deserve to be forgiven?” Everyone deserves forgiveness. “We’re always toughest on ourselves… It’s easier to be nice to other people.” We need to extend grace to ourselves as well as others.
Some friendships bring out the best in each other. “My friendship… made me believe anything was possible.” Some people just spread joy wherever they go. “If you want to change the world… just make it a little more beautiful.”
Life was expected to change as the Nazis marched across Europe and into Paris. A character observes “Up close, you could see they [Nazis] were just people.” They did look like ordinary people but committed the most heinous crimes against humanity, and the Jewish people in particular. When the Nazis were relaxing, they probably did seem like “just people.”
The sisters within the story offered resistance where they could during the occupation of Paris. There were some very brave acts during a time of persecution and horrendous cruelty.
There was forbidden love. A character really discovers who she was meant to be.
The theme of dancing links the two time periods.
There were moments of lightness within the novel – “We thought we’d start with a dog, and if that turned out well, we might be ready for a kid” – this made me particularly chuckle.
The whole novel was beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I will leave you with a powerful quote:
“You can destroy a human body but you can’t destroy love.”
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Paris Dancer
A heart-wrenching and unforgettable story of courage, friendship and resistance, inspired by the incredible true story of a Jewish ballroom dancer in Paris during WWII, perfect for fans of The Paris Library.
Paris, 1938. Annie Mayer arrives in France with dreams of becoming a ballerina. But when the war reaches Paris, she’s forced to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Then a fellow dancer offers her a lifeline: a ballroom partnership that gives her a new identity. Together, Annie and her partner captivate audiences across occupied Europe, using her newfound fame and alias to aid the Resistance.
New York, 2012. Miriam, haunted by her past, travels from London to New York to settle her great-aunt Esther’s estate. Among Esther’s belongings, she discovers notebooks detailing a secret family history and the story of a brave dancer who risked everything to help Jewish families during the war.
As Miriam uncovers Esther’s life in Europe, she realises the story has been left for her to finish. Grappling with loss and the possibility of new love, Miriam must find the strength to reconcile her past and embrace her future.
Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/3MAASpc
Author Bio –
Born in South Wales, Nicola Rayner is a novelist and dance writer based in London. She is the author of The Girl Before You, which was picked by the Observer as a debut to look out for in 2019, optioned for television and translated into multiple languages. Her second novel, You and Me, was published by Avon, HarperCollins, in 2020. In her day job as a journalist, Nicola has written about dance for almost two decades, cutting her teeth on the tango section of Time Out Buenos Aires. She edited the magazine Dance Today from 2010 to 2015 and worked as assistant editor of Dancing Times, the UK’s leading dance publication, from 2019 until 2022. She continues to dance everything from ballroom to breakdance, with varying degrees of finesse.
Social Media Links –
https://www.instagram.com/nicolaraynerwrites
https://www.instagram.com/headofzeus
https://www.facebook.com/NicolaRaynerAuthor
