Lead Review (The Paris Dancer)
- Book: The Paris Dancer
- Location: New York City (NYC), Paris
- Author: Nicola Rayner
2012. The novel opens as Mim is on a plane heading for New York. She will be in the city to sort through her Great-Aunt Esther’s affairs. On the plane journey she is sat next to Lucky, a young man who is connected to the world of dance, and this proves to be a significant encounter as the story evolves.
She trawls through her Great-Aunt’s belongings and is soon immersed in a collection of diaries – penned in the late 1930s, detailing her experiences on the sidelines at Bal Tabarin, a real cabaret that existed in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris. Her observations of the comings and goings of dancers and entertainers, and interactions with famous people all form a backdrop to Annie’s story, a young Jewish dancer who helped Jews during the vicelike grip of the Nazi regime in the city, from the Summer of 1940 onwards.
The fact that Mim has been singled out to tackle this task is a bit of a surprise to her, but she is clearly the right person to be on this voyage of discovery about her family’s past.
This is a story of loss and sadness, of stoicism and bravery, and the author really brings to life the era of the Nazi occupation of Paris, with all the fear and trepidation the characterises the period. The author clearly, too, is enamoured by dance and showtime and evocatively brings this colourful world to life.
A well paced and thought-provoking novel.
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