Dance!
A hauntingly beautiful novel about the consequences of the war and burdens too heavy to bear, that are unconsciously transmitted from generation to generation.
Out of Elisabet’s seven uncles six died during the war, but at home they are still present. Six times a year, on the day of their birthdays, Elisabet and her family put a silk tablecloth on the table, around which her mother gathers people who share as painful memories and sorrows. When the guests arrive in the living room, a drop of clear liquor is served to their coffee cups and the crystal chandelier is lifted higher. It is time for dancing. Elisabet also dances. But deep inside the memory of her uncles does not fade, even when the ballroom shoes furiously beat the floor to the rhythm of the music.
Dance! is told from two perspectives: the young Elisabet in the 1950s and the adult Elisabet in the present who tries to face her memories and feelings, especially towards her mother.
info
Year of publication
2019
Original title
Tanssikaa!
Page count
204
Original publisher
Tammi
Original language of publication
Finnish
Reviews
Helsingin Sanomat
“It is striking in Jalonen’s prose that nobody gets blamed. [...] On the contrary, both the narrator of Dance! and Janet Frame in Brightness learn to listen to the dead, learn not to be afraid and to give them a clear, living voice.”
Suomen Kuvalehti
"Riitta Jalonen writes short, atmospheric chapters that catch moments and wisdoms of life. The small moments are more important than the plot or the big story.”
Turun Sanomat
“Riitta Jalonen’s Dance! is a shaking novel and a wonderful prose”
Kirjavinkit
“Dance! is a delicate novel, in a way impressionistic: in front of the reader’s eyes, it paints pictures of important moments in Elisabet’s life.”
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