The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – is set in Strasbourg in1518 and based on true events.
During one unbearably hot summer, a woman dances for days without rest in the town square.
Gradually, when word gets out, she is joined by a multitude of others. Fearful that they are all possessed,
the local authorities bring in musicians to drive the Devil out of these manic women.
On a farm in the surrounding countryside, lives Henne, his pregnant wife Lisbet, and his Mother, Sophey. They all tend to the hives of bees that are their livelihood.
Lisbet’s best friend, Ida, is a constant visitor and the two women are looking forward to sharing their
experience of motherhood.
As the dancing plague continues, Henne’s sister, Nethe, returns from seven years’ penance in the
mountains for an unknown and unspeakable crime. Lisbet, however, is determined to discover the truth.
In the coming weeks, as the manic dancing continues, the mood becomes dangerous and the authorities
are on the hunt for suspected deviants.
As Lisbet, Nethe, and Ida are drawn into a web of secrets, lies and forbidden passion, they find themselves in danger of losing their lives and that of Lisbet’s unborn child.
This is literary time travel at its best. The characters are beautifully created as examples of their time and
beliefs.
The text perfectly describes the conditions under which those people lived. The filth and abject poverty. A
religious fervour that broke out in the town. The great divide between rich and poor. And, most
importantly, the brutal persecution of those who didn’t fit the expected norm.
There is, however, a tenderness, the love of family and friends, despite the tragedy of great loss.
Also, a hopeful ascension from oppression and a brighter more inclusive future.
The Dance Tree is a truly wonderful, but highly emotional but worthwhile.
ISBN:9781529005219
The Dance Tree is available in hardback, e-book and audiobook
About Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Kiran Millwood Hargrave (b.1990) is an award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist. The Dance Tree
and The Mercies are her first novels for adults. Her bestselling works for children include The Girl of Ink
& Stars and have won numerous awards, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the British
Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year and the Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Year. Kiran lives by
the river in Oxford, with her husband, artist Tom de Freston, and their rescue cat, Luna.
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