Now Let's Dance

I didn't know anything about Now Let's Dance prior to winning a copy in a Weidenfeld and Nicolson book bundle giveaway last year. Romance isn't one of my favourite genres so I wasn't sure how I would get on with the novel, but as it turned out, I was utterly charmed! This is just as much a story about aging as about finding love, and I appreciated how Lambert's understanding of her elderly characters affected their sense of priorities throughout the story. Marguerite reminded me a little of Fru Bagge in A Change Of Heart by Ida Jessen. Both are women who spent their lives overshadowed by their husbands and who, when they finally find themselves independent in old age, might just as easily fade as blossom.

Now Let's Dance is set in France, mostly in a town near Paris, and this novel has a lovely French vibe to it. We also see glimpses of mid-century Algeria as Marcel immigrated from there as a child. There's a sense of nostalgia and yearning from Marguerite and Marcel - for what they have lost, for what never was and, now, for what might be. I loved Marcel's enthusiasm for life and his determination not to give in to other people's opinions of what he should do or feel. Alongside the wistful moments, this story has laughs and plenty of joyful moments. It's a tender romance and ultimately I felt this was a beautiful life affirming read.