Karren Sandercock 's Reviews > The Dance Teacher of Paris

In 1942, the German’s occupy Paris and Adele and her father Gerard Basset manage to keep their small school open. Adele’s late mother was a ballerina, she taught both her daughters Adele and Lucille how to dance. Adele continues to hold her dance classes after school, it gives the children a chance to forget about the war and their empty bellies. The Germans demand she make a list of all the Jewish students, Adele has no choice and she’s determined to help the children and their mothers. Adele hides as many as she can in a concealed attic, she smuggles in food and tries to figure out a way of getting them safely out of Paris.

Manu Lafon is Adele’s childhood friend, he’s the curator of the art museum next door to the school and Adele has a crush on him. At a time when you can’t trust anyone, can she turn to Manu for help and together they have to take huge risks. They come up with a plan to get the Jewish children out of Paris, everything has to fall perfectly into place and it’s extremely dangerous. Adding to Adele’s worries, her sister Lucille has fallen in love with a German officer, Adele finds him repulsive and she can’t understand why Lucille can’t see that he’s leading her on. With him lurking around in the background, Adele’s feels vulnerable and she worries about him visiting the school.

The Dance Teacher of Paris has a dual timeline, it's set in Paris during the Second World War and later in 2015.

In 2015, Fleur Anders works as a lab technician in London, she was raised by her grandmother Lydia Calvin and her grandmother moved to Sussex after the war. Lydia doesn’t talk about her childhood growing up in France and she visits Paris every year in August. Lydia is in her early eighties, and it’s time for her to share her story and secrets with Fleur before it’s too late. Lydia asks Fleur to travel with her to Paris, she's keen to go and she has no idea what's going to be revealed and the people she will meet.

I received a copy of The Dance Teacher of Paris from NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed two of Suzanne Fortin’s previous books, The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger and Beyond A Broken Sky and her latest book is my favorite. The narrative is outstanding, and Ms. Fortin is the queen of dual timelines and it's easy to follow. A story about having the courage to stand up for what is right and the awful consequences of war, honor, courage, dedication, keeping secrets, loss, and being in love. Five stars from me, never feel guilty about surviving, be happy and keep on dancing for those who can't.