The Dancer's Promise by Olivia Horrox

 

The Dancer's Promise by Olivia Horrox.

Published 31st January 2024 by Embla Books.

From the cover of the book:

When their father loses the family fortune, and their mother locks herself away, sisters Grace and Clementine are left to raise themselves in a grand London house that is slowly falling apart around them.

Each of them is determined to one day restore their fortunes and their family name and make a promise to do just that.

Clementine dreams of being a star on stage, a celebrated ballerina who will tour the world, earning fame and fortune. She is adamant she won't put her fate into a man's hands, but take charge of it herself.

Grace, in contrast, sees security in a good marriage. Their eligible new American neighbour, with wealth, charm and looks, seems like the perfect match.

But when Clementine falls unexpectedly in love, it throws both sisters' lives into turmoil and forces each of them to ask if they are prepared to break their promise for a chance at true love...

A beautifully imagined historical novel about the bond between sisters and a changing world. Perfect for fans of Tracy Rees, Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton.

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London, 1936. Since the death of their father, sisters Grace and Clementine have been struggling to keep their family together. While their mother confines herself and her perpetual black moods to her bedroom, their state of genteel poverty is becoming unsustainable, despite Grace's best efforts to keep their heads above water through her job at the London Library.

Clementine dreams of becoming a ballet star, and touring the world. She hopes to win a coveted place at the Vic-Wells troupe with her dance partner and close friend, Rudi, who she has been dancing with since she was a child. She has the talent, but her stern mother's disapproval threatens to dash her hopes before they can become reality. Grace's hopes are simpler, but just as dear to her. She yearns for the contentment of marriage and motherhood, with the man she has secretly given her heart to, even though she knows her mother will never approve of her choice.

When a wealthy, charming American, August Draper, becomes their neighbour, he brings turmoil to Grace and Clementine's lives. Their mother is determined that Grace will become his wife and save the family fortunes - a situation that Grace becomes resigned to, even though she loves another. Single-minded Clementine finds herself caught between her hopes and her heart too, forced to make difficult choices she was not expecting. What does the future hold for these sisters?

The Dancer's Promise is a  story of love, loss, family, and fighting for your dreams, set in the 1930s. The mainstay of the story is the relationship between sisters Grace and Clementine, and their courage in dealing with the twists of fate that threaten to shatter the dreams each of them hold so dear.

This a slow-burn, coming-of-age story, told from the point of view of younger sister Clementine, who feels the greater burden of her mother's wrath, for reasons which become clear as the story unfurls. This allows Horrox to immerse the reader in the world of the ballet dancer through Clementine's ambitions, which will thrill fans of the classic terpsichorean art. There is so much detail from behind the scenes of dance, and about the glamour of the performances on stage - especially when it comes to the fierce rivalries and the sacrifices which must be made to be a prima ballerina, and the chemistry between dance partners.

In contrast, Grace's story happens mostly off stage (if you will pardon the pun). The knowledge you glean of the emotional twists and turns that befall her, as she is caught between her dreams and her duty, mostly comes through Clementine's eyes . Much of what happens to Grace feeds into Clementine's tale, and yet we never really see into her heart and mind, which I thought was a shame. There were some really interesting social history elements of Grace's storyline that Horrox could have explored to broaden the appeal of the novel for readers less engaged with ballet too.

My favourite parts of this story are those which delve into the bond between the sisters; and into the historical setting, which Horrox does a nice job to brings alive with her evocative writing. This was a time of great change for women, and I enjoyed how she touches on shifting attitudes through her female characters, although this is essentially a historical romance rather than a feminist story. In many ways, the feel of this book reminds me of a grown-up version of Noel Streatfeild's ballet stories, which I found quite nostalgic - definitely worth your time if you grew up reading that series, and enjoy a well- woven, gentle historical romance.

The Dancer's Promise is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Embla Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Olivia Horrox studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, and wrote her dissertation on post-WW1 societal changes in The Great Gatsby which has inspired her own writing.

 She lives in London with her husband and a very cantankerous cat called Coco.