Pretending to Dance

Pretending to Dance: a novel  by Diane Chamberlain. New York: St. Martin's Press, 339 pages. *****

By her own admission, Molly Arnette, is a good liar. She loves her husband Aidan and they are hopeful they will be approved to adopt a baby since they cannot have one of their own. Aidan's family is the perfect family and it just seemed easier at the time to lie about hers than to try and explain why she is estranged from them. Molly laid that past to rest when she left North Carolina at the age of eighteen. Coming from a close-knit, nontraditional family on Morrison Ridge, Molly grew up with a father who had multiple sclerosis and dies under mysterious circumstances. Twenty years later, Molly now worries that the lies she told and the past she hid has come back to haunt her. 

Chamberlain tackles difficult subjects...adoption, multiple sclerosis, family relationships and secrets in a sensitive, heart-warming story. Told from Molly's point of view, I was immediately engrossed in her story and didn't anticipate the outcome. Chamberlain is a master storyteller and left me wanting more, the characters came to life for me. I recommend anyone who is looking for an engrossing complicated story, consider starting this one and put the rest of your life on hold. You won't be able to stop once started!

I received an advance copy from BookSparks for a review.

Diane Chamberlain is the international bestselling author of twenty-four novels. She lives in North Carolina with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca and her shelties, Keeper and Cole.