Ballroom - Softcover

Simpson, Alice Sherman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062323040 ISBN 13: 9780062323040

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2015

Synopsis

The Ballroom used to be a place to see and be seen, but the years have taken their toll. By the end of the 1990s, this Manhattan dance hall is a husk of its former self. A small crowd of loyal patrons still makes its way to the worn parquet floor every Sunday evening: although they each have their private reasons for returning again and again to the Ballroom, they all find solace within its walls and in the magic of dance.Nearly forty and still single, Sarah Dreyfus is desperate for love and sure she'll find it with debonair Gabriel Katz, who seduces the women he meets at the Ballroom to distract himself from his crumbling marriage. Lonely bachelor Joseph believes that his yearning for a wife and family will be fulfilled if he can only get Sarah to notice him and see that he is in love with her. Obsessed with his building superintendent's beautiful daughter, Maria Rodriguez, elderly dance instructor Harry Korn is convinced that together they will find the happiness that has eluded him throughout his life. And Maria, who thanks in part to Harry's instruction and encouragement is one of the stars of Sunday nights at the Ballroom along with her partner, Angel Morez, has a dream of her own that her brokenhearted father refuses to accept or understand.In this deeply felt debut, Alice Simpson deftly unfolds the lives of these men and women, entwining their stories into a profoundly human narrative about our instinctual longing to love and to be loved."

About this title

Review:

"A beautifully written novel...filled with complicated (sometimes unlikeable) characters and spectacular imagery that makes any novelist's mouth water."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The vividly drawn characters in this novel, each driven by their own poignant desires, spark in their interactions. Simpson writes in luscious, sensual prose. A completely absorbing read."--Regina McBride, author of The Nature of Water and Air and The Land of Women

"Simpson is a master at creating realistic characters who are flawed...yet sympathetic.... Readers who enjoy seeing inside the hearts and minds of others will relish sharing the lives of Simpson's creations."--Kirkus

"Simpson's lush prose will envelop readers in the sights, sounds, and textures of the dance hall.... Fans of Jennifer Haigh and those welcoming a many-voiced, richly drawn experience will enjoy the poignant and emotional Ballroom."--Booklist

"Well-crafted.... This touching debut captures the intricacies and the unexpected of personal relationships."--Library Journal

About the Author:

Alice Simpson is an accomplished visual artist who has a profound passion for dance. Ballroom is her first novel. She lives in South Pasadena, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062323040
• ISBN 13: 9780062323040
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304