*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the The Paris Dancer blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.
Title: The Paris Dancer
Author: Nicola Rayner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
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.
The Paris Dancer is the latest novel from author Nicola Rayner and her debut venture into the wonderful genre that is historical fiction. This is a beautiful story of sisterhood, love and loss, set between Nazi-occupied Paris and New York in 2012.
Nicola Rayner has crafted a fantastic multi-layered story through a dual-timeline narrative. The parallels between the two timelines were well written and really added to the story. I really enjoyed joining Mim in her journey to discover more about her great aunt’s life during the war, gradually piecing together the clues we’re given through her chapters.
There’s a powerful exploration of grief throughout the book, in both timelines. Mim’s grief was particularly well written and I loved following her story of life after loss, as she navigates both her grief and the guilt she feels regarding it.
A passion for dance permeates through the story and this was truly beautiful, really setting The Paris Dancer apart from other stories set in occupied France. I really enjoyed getting to explore a range of beautiful dance styles through Mim’s story as Lucky introduces her to them to find the one which resonates with her.
Overall this is a fantastic piece of World War Two historical fiction and perfect for those with a love of dance.