Review: The Cranes Dance by Meg Howry

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Pages: 384

Received: Received from publisher through Netgalley

Release Date: May 15, 2012
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Goodreads Synopsis:

I threw my neck out in the middle of Swan Lake last night.

So begins the tale of Kate Crane, a soloist in a celebrated New York City ballet company who is struggling to keep her place in a very demanding world. At every turn she is haunted by her close relationship with her younger sister, Gwen, a fellow company dancer whose career quickly surpassed Kate’s, but who has recently suffered a breakdown and returned home.

Alone for the first time in her life, Kate is anxious and full of guilt about the role she may have played in her sister’s collapse.  As we follow her on an insider tour of rehearsals, performances, and partners onstage and off, she confronts the tangle of love, jealousy, pride, and obsession that are beginning to fracture her own sanity. Funny, dark, intimate, and unflinchingly honest, The Cranes Dance is a book that pulls back the curtains to reveal the private lives of dancers and explores the complicated bond between sisters.

My Review:

I was instantly attracted to this book when I read the synopsis. I haven't seen many books out there that have a background story dealing with dance and this one seemed like it was going to be amazing. And I was definitely not disappointed in the slightest!

In a way I kind of feel like Meg wrote this book to make the story feel like a dance itself. This book has those dramatic moments that keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as those light moments that it feels like you're gliding along. As I was reading this book I could imagine the different music that would go along with each scene.

The writing of this story was very interesting, Meg delves deep into the lives of professional dancers and the issues they deal with day to day. It was nice to see a book that really understands dancers and the hardships they go through. I also enjoyed how the narrator of Kate explains each dance performance and what the story is for those who don't know or understand, Meg is trying to get readers interested in other things as well. It shows that this book is more than just about dance. This is a book about friendships and family as well.

This story also touches on mental illness as well, showing how Gwen breaks down from the pressures and slowly we see Kate go through the same thing. I really connected with Kate more so than Gwen just because she is the voice of the story and you really begin to sympathize with everything she has gone through and how she has been the one who has taken care of Gwen which becomes a hardship for her. I definitely felt emotional through this book, always wondering what would come up next.

I connected with this story in ways I don't often connect with books because I am a dancer myself (obviously not a professional one like these characters). I understand how difficult it is to do a lot of things because you don't want to hurt yourself right before a performance, and how much harder it is to take care of things. Dance takes up a lot of your time, especially when you need to remember steps to so many different dances. For me I absolutely loved this book, I felt a connection with it.

This book was a lot of fun, but still got to your emotions as well. I recommend this book for those a little interested in the dance world.