Doreen Weppler-Grogan

I recently had the opportunity to re-read The Hidden Dance by Susan Wooldridge when my readers group chose the title for one of its discussions. It's the story of Lily Sutton as she escapes from a violent marriage and boards a ship with her young son, incognito, on her way to the US and a new life. The crossing is filled with unexpected encounters, fearful as well as humourous. On the second reading I was again struck by how smoothly the narrative develops as numerous characters and events are introduced both on the ship and in the back story. But it was the way that the tumultuous times of the 1930s were integrated into the narrative that I found was so skilfully achieved. If you like a good read, historical fiction and a well crafted story, this book is for you.