The Dance of the Dolls

Starred review from July 3, 2023
Former ballerina Ashe’s insights into the world of professional dance elevate this unsettling debut thriller about identical twin sisters and the toxic male attention they attract. In prewar 1930s London, Olivia and Clara Marionetta are both dedicated to their budding ballet careers, though their goals are different. Studious Olivia wants to be a star ballerina, diligently saves her paltry salary for a rainy day, and prefers rest to late nights out. Clara, on the other hand, just wants to dance, spend money, and party. Clara is dating the bohemian Nathan, a former child prodigy who plays piano at the newly opened Sadler’s Wells Theater, where the sisters are rehearsing Coppélia, a ballet about a dancing doll that begins comically before taking a sinister turn. Shy Samuel, an apprentice ballet shoemaker, is infatuated with Olivia, but afraid to even talk to her, and expresses his love instead through a series of exquisite handmade slippers. As the sisters’ suitors start to treat them with more than innocent infatuation, their lives begin to imitate art a little too closely. Ashe’s persuasive behind-the-scenes ballet sections lend heft and authenticity to what could otherwise be mere window dressing, and she transitions her narrative from charming slice of historical fiction to pulse-pounding suspense at an expert pace. It’s a fiercely memorable debut from a writer to watch.

July 28, 2023
Clara and Olivia Marionetta are identical twin sisters studying at the new Vic-Wells ballet company in London in 1933. Nathan Howe, the company pianist, was a child prodigy raised by doting parents who abandoned him, but his brilliant career is a thing of the past. Young Samuel, an apprentice shoemaker and aspiring designer, makes pointe shoes for the company dancers. He has a crush on Olivia, while Nathan is obsessed with Clara. As the company prepares a new production of Coppelia, the sisters struggle with their ambitions: Clara wants fame, but Olivia strives for perfection. Then Clara's relationship with Nathan takes a sinister turn, while Samuel learns about true love. The author, who trained at the Royal Ballet and studied English at Oxford, places historical figures such as Ninette de Valois, Constant Lambert, and Lydia Lopokova alongside her fictional characters. She also provides an introduction to basic ballet technique and historical notes to help readers appreciate the atmosphere in her story. Historical-novel fans as well as those who enjoy a bit of gothic intrigue will appreciate this story.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2023

DEBUT Ashe, a former ballet dancer, eloquently describes the world of ballet and presents memorable, well-rounded characters in her first novel. Identical twins Olivia and Clara Marionetta are ballerinas for the Vic-Wells Ballet in London, 1933. They are rehearsing for a performance of Copp�lia, a story in which a young man becomes obsessed with a life-sized dancing doll. Olivia, the more serious of the sisters, has caught the eye of shy ballet shoe-maker Samuel, who attempts to connect with her by leaving anonymous gifts and notes. Olivia's affections, however, are turned toward pianist Nathan, Clara's beau and a former child prodigy who seeks to reclaim his former fame and prestige with Clara at his side. But free-spirited Clara feels stifled by Nathan's quest for perfection, and she longs to live a life of adventure and change. With the performance drawing nearer, life begins to imitate art, as each person's obsession reveals underlying tensions. VERDICT Based on the real ballet scene in prewar London, this immersive tale will be a delight for historical-fiction fans who like a touch of suspense.--Anitra Gates

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.