The Dance Tree
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- Create Date：2022-05-17 09:52:00
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kiran Millwood Hargrave
- ISBN：1529005213
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Summary
In Strasbourg， in the boiling hot summer of 1518， a plague strikes the women of the city。 First it is just one – a lone figure， dancing in the main square – but she is joined by more and more and the city authorities declare an emergency。 Musicians will be brought in。 The devil will be danced out of these women。
Just beyond the city’s limits， pregnant Lisbet lives with her mother-in-law and husband， tending the bees that are their livelihood。 Her best friend Ida visits regularly and Lisbet is so looking forward to sharing life and motherhood with her。 And then， just as the first woman begins to dance in the city， Lisbet’s sister-in-law Nethe returns from six years’ penance in the mountains for an unknown crime。 No one – not even Ida – will tell Lisbet what Nethe did all those years ago， and Nethe herself will not speak a word about it。
It is the beginning of a few weeks that will change everything for Lisbet – her understanding of what it is to love and be loved， and her determination to survive at all costs for the baby she is carrying。 Lisbet and Nethe and Ida soon find themselves pushing at the boundaries of their existence – but they’re dancing to a dangerous tune 。 。 。
Just beyond the city’s limits， pregnant Lisbet lives with her mother-in-law and husband， tending the bees that are their livelihood。 Her best friend Ida visits regularly and Lisbet is so looking forward to sharing life and motherhood with her。 And then， just as the first woman begins to dance in the city， Lisbet’s sister-in-law Nethe returns from six years’ penance in the mountains for an unknown crime。 No one – not even Ida – will tell Lisbet what Nethe did all those years ago， and Nethe herself will not speak a word about it。
It is the beginning of a few weeks that will change everything for Lisbet – her understanding of what it is to love and be loved， and her determination to survive at all costs for the baby she is carrying。 Lisbet and Nethe and Ida soon find themselves pushing at the boundaries of their existence – but they’re dancing to a dangerous tune 。 。 。
Reviews
Annarella
，
This is an exceptional book， historical fiction at its best。 It's the first time I heard about choreomania and I loved how this book represented the women who dance till death and the world they lived in。There's a lot to love in this book: great characters， a well researched and vivid historical background， great storytelling。I loved the style of writing and the character development。 There's something magic and there's a lot of emotions。I loved these women and loved the plot。Highly recommended。 This is an exceptional book， historical fiction at its best。 It's the first time I heard about choreomania and I loved how this book represented the women who dance till death and the world they lived in。There's a lot to love in this book: great characters， a well researched and vivid historical background， great storytelling。I loved the style of writing and the character development。 There's something magic and there's a lot of emotions。I loved these women and loved the plot。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Kim
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The Dance Tree， much like Kiran Millwood Hargrave's previous effort， The Mercies， focuses on strong women of historical periods being oppressed and subjugated by men who believe religion and power allow them to treat women so badly。 In The Dance Tree we are in Strasbourg in the sweltering summer of 1518。 A plague has broken out of women dancing until they drop。 Yes， this really happened。 Our main character is pregnant Lisbet who is a master beekeeper and struggling to keep her current child afte The Dance Tree， much like Kiran Millwood Hargrave's previous effort， The Mercies， focuses on strong women of historical periods being oppressed and subjugated by men who believe religion and power allow them to treat women so badly。 In The Dance Tree we are in Strasbourg in the sweltering summer of 1518。 A plague has broken out of women dancing until they drop。 Yes， this really happened。 Our main character is pregnant Lisbet who is a master beekeeper and struggling to keep her current child after suffering many miscarriages。 Her husband is called away to answer charges related to their bees' honey and wax leaving her with her overbearing mother-in-law and newly returned sister-in-law， Agnethe。 Agnethe has been away for seven years serving penance for a mysterious happening Lisbet knows nothing about。 The only joy Lisbet has in life are working with her bees and the visits with her best friend， Ida。 Once things settle into a new normal for Lisbet， sans husband， life deals her a new challange as two musicians are foisted upon them to house so that they might play music to the dancer thus hastening an end to the plague。I absolutely loved The Mercies and felt the evil injustice of it keenly。 I didn't connect to The Dance Tree in the same way。 It is equally eloquent and poetic but didn't draw me in。 The emotions of love， need and longing are so well written but I found the dwelling on Lisbet's previous loses， complaints of navigating the world with a bulky pregnant frame and thoughts of her dead mother to be so constant as to irritate me mildly。 It's not a criticism but it did wear thin with repetition。 Descriptions of the dance tree， forest， common life chores and standards were exceptional。 This was not a clean time period as betrayed by the smell of human filth， bad breath and excrement which were the norm for city dwellers。 I loved the idea of the dance tree as a shrine。 I can picture it so clearly in my mind and think this place alone would have provided Lisbet with all the mental health space she might need to endure her life as was。I did enjoy reading The Dance Tree but perhaps not to the same level as The Mercies。 It is well written and researched and good glimpse into a different time and place。 。。。more
Erin
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I recommend reading this book， but I especially recommend reading it while listening to Florence + the Machine's Dance Fever。 You want dancing plague with often-times angry women？ This book and that album have got you。 👌And both are really fucking good。 I recommend reading this book， but I especially recommend reading it while listening to Florence + the Machine's Dance Fever。 You want dancing plague with often-times angry women？ This book and that album have got you。 👌And both are really fucking good。 。。。more
thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books）
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This book is stunning， incredible and I have found it hard to get out of my head since I read it。 The Dance Tree is based on the dancing plague that struck Strasbourg in 1518， where dozens of women danced - literally - to their deaths。 I mean if that topic doesn’t vaguely catch your interest then I’m not sure I can help you ！ I mean this is a part of time that’s fascinating， grim at times， but thoroughly addictive as always Hargrave’s’ writing is beautiful， enthralling， heartbreaking and devasta This book is stunning， incredible and I have found it hard to get out of my head since I read it。 The Dance Tree is based on the dancing plague that struck Strasbourg in 1518， where dozens of women danced - literally - to their deaths。 I mean if that topic doesn’t vaguely catch your interest then I’m not sure I can help you ！ I mean this is a part of time that’s fascinating， grim at times， but thoroughly addictive as always Hargrave’s’ writing is beautiful， enthralling， heartbreaking and devastating all at once， she really has such a talent。 As usual this features complex and interesting， amazing women and the patriarchy， added to it that you include religious fanaticism and you have a book that will definitely stir your emotions。 The characters in this are still with me and I have a feeling will be for a long time。I definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and interested in women/feminism and the patriarchy Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion 。。。more
Victoria
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I'm not sure you can ever be disappointed by this author， and this book is certainly more evidence of that she tells a story that shines a light on the lives of four different women in a captivating and intriguing story that leaves you thinking about it for days。 How this author brings scenes to life in this book， painting the scene of Strasbourg as soon as you open this book is incredible， you can practically smell it （I'm glad you can't going by her description） and it makes for such incredibl I'm not sure you can ever be disappointed by this author， and this book is certainly more evidence of that she tells a story that shines a light on the lives of four different women in a captivating and intriguing story that leaves you thinking about it for days。 How this author brings scenes to life in this book， painting the scene of Strasbourg as soon as you open this book is incredible， you can practically smell it （I'm glad you can't going by her description） and it makes for such incredible reading and pulls you in via every sense you own as soon as you begin to read。 The story can leave you feeling a little on edge as the story unfurls and half way through you begin to se the story coming together。 The writing is beautifully done （something of a hallmark when it comes to this author's writing for me） and builds a tension and a cast of chracters that make you empathise and connect to so easily。 Just beautifully written， every word feels like a demand for attention and it deserves it， as this story shines a light on relationships， sexuality， domestic abuse， pregnancy and childbirth and the lives of women in historic Europe。 （Thanks to Netgalley/Pan MacMillan for the ARC for honest review）。 。。。more
Lucy
，
Wow I have loved this book！ I was a huge fan of The Mercies， so was looking forward to this and it has not disappointed。In the early 16th century in Strasbourg， a dancing mania is occurring。 As more and more women join the dancing feet， society struggles to understand or solve what is going on， and things get more and more scary。Lisbet is a young wife， pregnant for the thirteenth time， her previous twelve pregnancies not having reached full term （this is a significant theme in this book， so be a Wow I have loved this book！ I was a huge fan of The Mercies， so was looking forward to this and it has not disappointed。In the early 16th century in Strasbourg， a dancing mania is occurring。 As more and more women join the dancing feet， society struggles to understand or solve what is going on， and things get more and more scary。Lisbet is a young wife， pregnant for the thirteenth time， her previous twelve pregnancies not having reached full term （this is a significant theme in this book， so be aware if it's an issue that affects you）; although the dancing is initially something she can just observe， she soon becomes caught up in the events going on。At the same time， Lisbet's sister in law Nethe returns from 7 years penance， and Lisbet's best friend Ida starts to reveal some startling secrets。The characters in this book are interesting， colourful and detailed， their relationships complicated。 The explanatory notes at the end of the story fill out the context of the true events that are the story's setting - and these are also fascinating。 。。。more
Pamela Usai
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CW/TW: miscarriage， graphic violence， homophobia， domestic violence， misogyny， torture， deathI'll try to keep this one short， as many have already espoused the exquisiteness of this novel。 An incredible work on historical （feminist） fiction， Millwood Hargrave anchors The Dance Tree in the events of The Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg。 Our protagonist， Lisbet， is a housewife-beekeeper who is struggling to carry a child to term， and heartbreakingly lays the children she loses under a pagan Da CW/TW: miscarriage， graphic violence， homophobia， domestic violence， misogyny， torture， deathI'll try to keep this one short， as many have already espoused the exquisiteness of this novel。 An incredible work on historical （feminist） fiction， Millwood Hargrave anchors The Dance Tree in the events of The Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg。 Our protagonist， Lisbet， is a housewife-beekeeper who is struggling to carry a child to term， and heartbreakingly lays the children she loses under a pagan Dance Tree。 She is swept up in the mania of the dancing plague， which consumes more and more （predominantly） female members of the community， to the point of hysteria， exhaustion and even death。 Surrounding this are deeply embedded themes of misogyny and homophobia （usual for the time） and the overwhelming discomfort of an increasingly warmer season。 （ I could feel the baking heat while reading）。Millwood Hargrave's storytelling is beautiful。 From complex characters， to well-timed pacing of plot events， to unexpected reveals， The Dance Tree was un-put-downable。 I am a huge fan of The Mercies - another work of historical fiction inspired by the infamous Norwegian witch trials of 1662-1663 - and The Dance Tree follows in a similar vein， shining a light on historically disenfranchised women。 Highly， highly， recommended。 Thank you Book Break UK， Picador Books and Kiran Millwood Hargrave for a review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lottie
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If you enjoyed The Mercies then you will love Hargrave’s second adult novel - a story of ordinary women， suppressed and ignored， finding life through extraordinary moments in history。 Men once again play a very important role in this feminist fiction novel but unlike The Mercies we actually get to know these men and they feel a lot more nuanced which makes what they do and don’t do all the more significant。 Poetic and melodic， we are never too far from the same atmospheric flourish that The Merc If you enjoyed The Mercies then you will love Hargrave’s second adult novel - a story of ordinary women， suppressed and ignored， finding life through extraordinary moments in history。 Men once again play a very important role in this feminist fiction novel but unlike The Mercies we actually get to know these men and they feel a lot more nuanced which makes what they do and don’t do all the more significant。 Poetic and melodic， we are never too far from the same atmospheric flourish that The Mercies brought us。 Any one who， like myself， is obsessed with the weird and wonderful side of history will already know about the well documented Dance Plague - but if you don’t then get ready for a ride。 Four women centre this novel as we discover the strange and tragic lives of the women in 16th century Strasbourg who are suddenly entrapped in this supernatural dance plague。 Misogyny， infertility and mental health are explored through this mystical story and the characters feel well rounded and grounded in reality。 As Nature and the supernatural find balance， once again we are treated to Hargrave’s nuanced prose and powerful dialogue as she builds these relationships from the elements of the setting。 The heat and the dirt， the bees and the sky become building blocks in her pitch perfect style and pace。 Although I preferred the central relationships in The Mercies， there is the same careful consideration and understanding - Hargrave has found her niche in feminist historical retellings。 。。。more
PigginDani
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Drawn to this book by the evocative description and gorgeous cover， I predicted this would become a new firm favourite， and I was not wrong。 Honestly， It captivated me from the very first word。 I’m sure there will be many reviews talking about the resilience， beauty， and raw power of the women in this book， and so they should， but for me， I was most mesmerised by the prose。 It isn’t like anything I’ve ever read before。 It is the first book that I truly got lost in the language。 It transported me Drawn to this book by the evocative description and gorgeous cover， I predicted this would become a new firm favourite， and I was not wrong。 Honestly， It captivated me from the very first word。 I’m sure there will be many reviews talking about the resilience， beauty， and raw power of the women in this book， and so they should， but for me， I was most mesmerised by the prose。 It isn’t like anything I’ve ever read before。 It is the first book that I truly got lost in the language。 It transported me to Strasbourg with Lisbet， her bees， the newly returned Nethe， and the hysteria of the Dancing Plague。 I am sitting here wishing I was a wordsmith or， at least， had a better command/understanding of the English language， so I could fully express how much I am in love with the writing style。 A modern-day classic。 Pure and simple。 Now， I don’t usually leave a review without mentioning the characters， but the lyrical prose has left me bereft of words。 Just know they are as exquisite as the writing。 Thank you， NetGalley and Pan MacMillan， for the gift of the ebook arc。 As you can tell， I love this book。 。。。more
Mel Pretorius
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Who knew there was a dance plague in the 1500s？ I certainly didn't until I read "The Dance Tree" by Kiran Milwood Hargrave。 Certainly an interesting period of history to write about coupled with the personal narrative of Lisbet and her tragic miscarriages， remembered by tying ribbons of fabric to a dance tree。 Who knew there was a dance plague in the 1500s？ I certainly didn't until I read "The Dance Tree" by Kiran Milwood Hargrave。 Certainly an interesting period of history to write about coupled with the personal narrative of Lisbet and her tragic miscarriages， remembered by tying ribbons of fabric to a dance tree。 。。。more
Anne Goodwin
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A beautifully written story about loss， misogyny， racism and superstition。 https://annegoodwin。weebly。com/annecd。。。 A beautifully written story about loss， misogyny， racism and superstition。 https://annegoodwin。weebly。com/annecd。。。 。。。more
Naomi J
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“Frau Troffea tilts her head back， looks at the sun until her eyes filled with white。 The lights swirls about her like a cloud， buffeting her gentle as wind-knocked sail。 She picks up her foot， then the other。 Her hips away。 She parts her lips in ecstasy。 Beneath the blue and burning sky， Frau Troffea lifts up her hands， and begins to dance。”Strasbourg 1518On the outskirts of Strasbourg， pregnant Lisbet， finds an affinity and vocation bee-keeping on her husband’s farm where she lives with her hu “Frau Troffea tilts her head back， looks at the sun until her eyes filled with white。 The lights swirls about her like a cloud， buffeting her gentle as wind-knocked sail。 She picks up her foot， then the other。 Her hips away。 She parts her lips in ecstasy。 Beneath the blue and burning sky， Frau Troffea lifts up her hands， and begins to dance。”Strasbourg 1518On the outskirts of Strasbourg， pregnant Lisbet， finds an affinity and vocation bee-keeping on her husband’s farm where she lives with her husband， Henne， and mother in law， Sophey。 Life has been harsh cruel to Lisbet who was born as a comet ruined her parents’ farmland， lost her mother to mental illness and has suffered multiple pregnancy losses。 Lisbet finds friendship and hope caring for the bees and with her friend， local wife and mother， Ida， who lives at a nearby mill and is married to local law-enforcer， Plater。After seven years， Henne’s sister， Agnethe， is due to return to the family farm， following her penance served amongst nuns in the mountains for a crime that no-one will speak of。 As the summer heat blazes and a dancing plague takes hold in the city， past secrets and the suffering of women， the poor and those on the fringes of society， rise to the surface。 Lisbet comes into contact with a Turk musician who changes her life and she begins to see the world in less simplistic， more empathetic， multi-faceted ways。 As always， Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s writing is beautiful and affecting in this kind， sensitive and feminist novel。 I was particularly intrigued by the dancing plague which actually occurred in Strasbourg in 1518。 As KMH explains in her author’s note at the end of the book， this incident was the biggest outbreak of choreomania recorded。 It lasted for two months， up to four hundred people danced and it is claimed that up to fifteen people a day died。 This novel offers an insight into why such plagues occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries when the Church aimed to control society by interpreting the Bible literally and imposing strict religious law on a world which was rocked by poverty， war and many environmental calamities。 。。。more
Sifa Poulton
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THE DANCE TREE is a stunning historical novel set in early sixteenth-century Strasbourg， but did we expect anything else from Kiran Millwood Hargrave？Like THE MERCIES， THE DANCE TREE is a story about ordinary medieval women caught up in sweeping events that start seemingly naturally （or unnaturally/supernaturally） but are then used by men to control， punish， and "put women in their place。" It is a feminist look at power and abuse and the lives of people often overlooked by history。After hating A THE DANCE TREE is a stunning historical novel set in early sixteenth-century Strasbourg， but did we expect anything else from Kiran Millwood Hargrave？Like THE MERCIES， THE DANCE TREE is a story about ordinary medieval women caught up in sweeping events that start seemingly naturally （or unnaturally/supernaturally） but are then used by men to control， punish， and "put women in their place。" It is a feminist look at power and abuse and the lives of people often overlooked by history。After hating Absalom Cornet in THE MERCIES， we have another despicable man with too much power - and I thought Kiran Millwood Hargrave was going to struggle to get a more slimy-toad-of-a-villain who had frustratingly too much power。 But no， enter Plater， who I wanted to be bumped off from his first introduction。 KMH writes such human villains， which makes them all the more powerful and terrible powers in the books。I should mention， not all the men are awful in this book。 The male characters are as nuanced as the women， with all shades of "yes， I like you， you are a nice person" through to "plain awful，" but she does seem to craft really effective male villains。 The book also features prominent queer characters and isn't all-white。It is also a book about grief and hope and pain。 Lisbet is pregnant - has been before many times， but has miscarried each。 The book explores the pain she feels for that， the painful hope and unwillingness to hope over the current pregnancy， and also the stigma attached to miscarriage。All this is gorgeously written， the prose feeling like it has a melody of its own。 Care has really been taken over getting the book to flow， mimicking the dancing - and it does get more frenetic as the story goes on and the danger increases。The majority of the book is written from the perspective of Lisbet， but there are short chapters scattered throughout from a variety of dancers' perspectives。 They are tiny little glances into the lives of those caught up in the dancing from all walks of life and experiences。 I really liked how it showed another glimpse into the lives of ordinary women who are so often forgotten from the histories。Two more adult books by Kiran Millwood Hargrave have been announced， which is very exciting - and both sound incredible。 。。。more
Shannon （ridiculusreads）
，
4。5 stars - rounded up to 5I was gifted a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Strasbourg， 1518。 A dancing plague has begun。Kiran Millwood Hargrave has a way of writing historical fiction that just ✨speaks✨ to me。 I think any mark of a good historical fiction is if you leave the book with the restless urge to research the history。 It happened for me with The Mercies and it’s happened again with The Dance Tree。I wasn’t as excited for this book as I was with The Merc 4。5 stars - rounded up to 5I was gifted a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Strasbourg， 1518。 A dancing plague has begun。Kiran Millwood Hargrave has a way of writing historical fiction that just ✨speaks✨ to me。 I think any mark of a good historical fiction is if you leave the book with the restless urge to research the history。 It happened for me with The Mercies and it’s happened again with The Dance Tree。I wasn’t as excited for this book as I was with The Mercies because anything witch trial related has me completely entranced， but Millwood Hargraves penchant for feminist historical retellings and her dedication to honouring the history and the women will have me preordering anything she writes and I’m immensely glad I read The Dance Tree。While eloquent and considerate， this book is also gritty and visceral。 It delves into tough subject matter that were taboo in the 1500s and Millwood Hargrave weaves them in such a way to leave the reader shocked that parallels exist in the modern day and the strength of our lead， Lisbet， hopefully serves as a reminder that such prejudices shouldn’t be overlooked。 Pregnancy loss， racism and homophobia are a few of the topics touched upon。The females in this novel， much like with The Mercies， will stay with me for a long time。 Their strength， resilience， their friendships and the grace with which they suffer their hardships are nothing short of remarkable。I’m off to spend the next 12 hours researching this dancing plague！ 。。。more
Danni
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And we women， we bear the brunt。 We are bred or banished， and always， always damned。"This novel is phenomenally good。 It focuses on Lisbet， a farmers wife on the outskirts of Strasbourg。 Amid the dancing beginning in the city square — hundreds of people abandoning their lives and dancing， without pause， or rest — Lisbet’s sister in law returns from a nunnery where she was serving penance。 She begins to question why Nethe was locked away， and why neither her husband nor mother in law will talk ab And we women， we bear the brunt。 We are bred or banished， and always， always damned。"This novel is phenomenally good。 It focuses on Lisbet， a farmers wife on the outskirts of Strasbourg。 Amid the dancing beginning in the city square — hundreds of people abandoning their lives and dancing， without pause， or rest — Lisbet’s sister in law returns from a nunnery where she was serving penance。 She begins to question why Nethe was locked away， and why neither her husband nor mother in law will talk about it。 I， like so many others was introduced to the dancing plagues through Shane Madej （…I know I’m a little ashamed of myself too） but the phenomenon interested me， and I’ve gone on more than one wikipedia deep dive on the topic。 So， when I saw this book I was OBSESSED。 As she investigates， Lisbet is drawn into another dance， darker and full of death and passion。 This is a beautiful written novel。 Expertly capturing the fervour and panic of the people at the time。 The tension is palpable throughout and Hargrave doesn’t shy away from challenging themes。 An excellent example of historical fiction that is brimming with humanity。 Thanks to PanMacmillan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gemma
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I loved The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and was excited to pick up this new book from her。 Hargrave is a fantastic writer and her prose is rich and beautiful。 However， in this book I found the overly descriptive writing quite a hindrance to the pacing of the story。 It took a long time for the plot to get going and I felt my interest waning before the story had even really begun。 I found the central premise intriguing as it gives an account of a phenomenon where hundreds of women congregat I loved The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and was excited to pick up this new book from her。 Hargrave is a fantastic writer and her prose is rich and beautiful。 However， in this book I found the overly descriptive writing quite a hindrance to the pacing of the story。 It took a long time for the plot to get going and I felt my interest waning before the story had even really begun。 I found the central premise intriguing as it gives an account of a phenomenon where hundreds of women congregated on the streets and danced for days without stopping。 This mystery provides the backdrop to the story of Lisbet who finds her family's livelihood of bee keeping to be under threat and is navigating the many secrets held by the family。There is a lot going on in the plot but at times it felt quite tedious getting to the core elements of the story and the connection with the characters was lacking for me。 Sadly this didn't have the same impact that The Mercies had on me and won't be as memorable。 Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC。 。。。more
Theresa Smith
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I was captivated by Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first novel， The Mercies， and again， she has held me spellbound with this one， The Dance Tree。‘She’d recognised it instantly for what it was: a dance tree。 A doom tree。 A relic of the pagans who had their churches open under God。’The Dance Tree is a novel based on history， specifically this:‘Between the fourteenth and the seventeenth centuries， dancing plagues， or choreomania， occurred regularly。…one of the most popular explanations， both now and the I was captivated by Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first novel， The Mercies， and again， she has held me spellbound with this one， The Dance Tree。‘She’d recognised it instantly for what it was: a dance tree。 A doom tree。 A relic of the pagans who had their churches open under God。’The Dance Tree is a novel based on history， specifically this:‘Between the fourteenth and the seventeenth centuries， dancing plagues， or choreomania， occurred regularly。…one of the most popular explanations， both now and then， was a religious mania。’ – Author note。The author goes into more detail of course in her author note， even providing the name of the first woman that started the dancing plague upon which this story is based， but suffice to say， once again， I have been introduced， through fiction， to a history that I previously knew nothing about。‘Why do you think those women dance？ Because there is no earthly way to be saved。 You and Mutter have told me enough times – Strasbourg is sliding Hellwards。 And we women， we bear the brunt。 We are bred or banished， and always， always damned。 Prayers cannot help us， the priests will not help us。 Your babies were never blessed， so they were damned。 It is not right， that is the unnatural act， not this。’The Dance Tree is an empowering story of female agency， female friendship， and enduring love。 There is an urgency to the story that reaches out from the pages。 The mania of the dancing plague， the even stronger fervour of control from the men who considered themselves in charge of stopping it; Lisbet’s own desperation and heartache to finally bring a pregnancy to term and have a live birth; Nethe’s penance and devotion to following her heart; Ida’s devastating sacrifice – all this is entwined and plays out on a personal level for these characters against a background of a community at breaking point。I particularly loved the way the author combined the religious intensity of the era with that of the mysticism that still lingered throughout society。 It was interesting to see how people attempted to understand and control the mystic with religion – now， we can see scientific explanations for the climate issues and even the choreomania， but such knowledge was not available to people in the sixteenth century， hence， religion was all they had to rely upon。I highly recommend The Dance Tree。 I thought it was brilliant， captivating， and deeply moving。Thanks to the publisher for the review copy。 。。。more
Sarah Tebb
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A captivating story from page one。 I thoroughly enjoyed The Dance Tree， the historical detail is second to none and watching the story unfold around Lisbet was cinematic。 There was some serious pace to the plot which helped convey the wider story around religious mania and how communities during this time would get swept away with things with no forward looking。 The decisions made in these moments were life and death and Hargrave really highlights the loss and injustice that could cut through co A captivating story from page one。 I thoroughly enjoyed The Dance Tree， the historical detail is second to none and watching the story unfold around Lisbet was cinematic。 There was some serious pace to the plot which helped convey the wider story around religious mania and how communities during this time would get swept away with things with no forward looking。 The decisions made in these moments were life and death and Hargrave really highlights the loss and injustice that could cut through communities。 Nethe and Ida's story was at the heart of the novel and their treatment a sad but necessary message even in the 21st century。 I really enjoyed Lisbet's evolution as a person and her grit and determination for those she loved was palpable through the pages。 The women are the story。 This is a story is for anyone that enjoys a well executed historical drama。 Great Book。 。。。more
Stephanie H
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I read The Mercies last year and was utterly gripped by the story and the writing and when I heard the author had a new book out I knew I needed to read it！ The Dance Tree was completely spellbinding and I was drawn in from the first page and couldn’t put it down！ It’s such a beautiful book
Chloe
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A beautifully written， rich and evocative historical novel about a fascinating moment in history - the mysterious dancing plague。 The lush prose， the exploration of baby loss and the tender， troubled love stories in this novel - while seeped in tragedy - are its highlights。 I also loved the chapters about those joining the dance plague， both strange and well reasoned。
Julie
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Strasbourg 1518 - a woman starts dancing and can't stop。 Nobody can stop her and ， gradually， others come to join her。Heavily-pregnant Lisbet is confronted with many difficulties: her husband has been summonsed to explain why they should be allowed to keep the meagre income from their bees; her sister-in-law Nethe has returned from confinement in a monastery; and she is desperately hoping that this pregnancy will finally give her a living baby。 With her husband away， Lisbet must rely on the wome Strasbourg 1518 - a woman starts dancing and can't stop。 Nobody can stop her and ， gradually， others come to join her。Heavily-pregnant Lisbet is confronted with many difficulties: her husband has been summonsed to explain why they should be allowed to keep the meagre income from their bees; her sister-in-law Nethe has returned from confinement in a monastery; and she is desperately hoping that this pregnancy will finally give her a living baby。 With her husband away， Lisbet must rely on the women around her for support。 As more women join the dancing， musicians arrive to play for them but bring with them more problems。 This is a story of love and loss， told - as always - thoughtfully and lyrically by Kiran Millwood Hargrave。 Her writing flows across the pages as the story unfolds。Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this advance copy。 。。。more
Kelly （smeets_x）
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Thank you Pan Macmillan for my ebook via Netgalley - I received my preordered my beautiful edition today！ This was my first novel by Millwood Hargrave and it won't be my last。 Set in 1518 Strasbourg， an area of France that because of it's disputed history was under German rule at this time。 It tells the story of Lisbet and her bees， heavily pregnant with her baby， her husband's 'boy' despite their losses that have come before。 The tree is used to symbolise her losses， each baby celebrated and re Thank you Pan Macmillan for my ebook via Netgalley - I received my preordered my beautiful edition today！ This was my first novel by Millwood Hargrave and it won't be my last。 Set in 1518 Strasbourg， an area of France that because of it's disputed history was under German rule at this time。 It tells the story of Lisbet and her bees， heavily pregnant with her baby， her husband's 'boy' despite their losses that have come before。 The tree is used to symbolise her losses， each baby celebrated and recognised with their ribbons。 This element of the story is heartbreaking and would be triggering for some。 Millwood Hargrave handles this beautifully though， and I felt every ounce of Lisbet's pain。We also find out the reason Lisbet's sister in law has been in enforced religious imprisonment for seven years， as she returns， head shaved and apparently remorseful。 The village is run by the Twenty One， people like Ida's husband Plater， who thrive on power。Underpinning this personal striving is the historical events that shaped that area at the time。 In July 1518， in the midst of the hottest summer Central Europe had ever known， a woman whose name is recorded as Frau Troffea began to dance in the streets of Strasbourg。 This was unrelenting， scooping up many others and was considered religious mania for good or evil。These four women in the novel are swept up in this but they are finding their own ways to resist men's attempts to suppress， confine or crush their spirits， as the Twenty One are seeking to nullify the dancing women。I loved this novel。 Such an amazing， beautiful story of women at the time， heartbreak and power， tragedy and love that cannot be named。 For fans of historical fiction， feminist novels， beautiful fiction， everyone should read this novel。 。。。more
Anita
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I don’t quite have words for this book， it’s completely unlike anything else I’ve read in a long time。 This author has captured the spirit of the time the book is set in so well and so completely。 I was completely absorbed in this book and I’m not sure what to do with myself now that it’s over。
Verity Halliday
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I was excited to read The Dance Tree， because I had read and thoroughly enjoyed Kiran Milwood。Hargrave’s previous book for adults， The Mercies，The Dance Tree is set in a quite different time and place from The Mercies， but the author again beautifully shows the realities of women’s lives during times of great stress in their community。 I really felt like I lived alongside the protagonist Lisbet and felt her love and heartbreak as the story developed。A five star recommended read， for lovers of hi I was excited to read The Dance Tree， because I had read and thoroughly enjoyed Kiran Milwood。Hargrave’s previous book for adults， The Mercies，The Dance Tree is set in a quite different time and place from The Mercies， but the author again beautifully shows the realities of women’s lives during times of great stress in their community。 I really felt like I lived alongside the protagonist Lisbet and felt her love and heartbreak as the story developed。A five star recommended read， for lovers of historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a well-told story。 。。。more
sumayyah
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I received this copy for a review so you know I’m being 100% honest here。 This story is so promising and has all the makings of a perfect story but it falls incredibly flat。 I struggled finishing it。 The characters just felt very boring and the long descriptions of everything that happened made me disinterested in the story。 Idk because Lisbets struggle and the way she described her motherhood and pregnancies WERE interested and I loved reading it。 Agenthe’s story was also interesting and I expe I received this copy for a review so you know I’m being 100% honest here。 This story is so promising and has all the makings of a perfect story but it falls incredibly flat。 I struggled finishing it。 The characters just felt very boring and the long descriptions of everything that happened made me disinterested in the story。 Idk because Lisbets struggle and the way she described her motherhood and pregnancies WERE interested and I loved reading it。 Agenthe’s story was also interesting and I expected it to be the best part of the story but the book as a whole just wasn’t great。 I think it was a great idea but the execution just made the book boring。 。。。more
Farrells Bookshop
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Set in Strasbourg in 1518， in the midst of famine and drought， 'The Dance Tree' is a stunning historical fiction that follows Lisbet， who on the brink of motherhood discovers a world of forbidden love and female power。 It's a book about women who seek to transcend the binds of their suffering through dance， divinity， defiance and each other。 Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller！Read by Romy Set in Strasbourg in 1518， in the midst of famine and drought， 'The Dance Tree' is a stunning historical fiction that follows Lisbet， who on the brink of motherhood discovers a world of forbidden love and female power。 It's a book about women who seek to transcend the binds of their suffering through dance， divinity， defiance and each other。 Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller！Read by Romy 。。。more
Sharyn
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Having enjoyed The Mercies I was looking forward to this new adult offering from Kiran Millwood Hargrave but I am not so sure that I actually enjoyed this one。 It's a compelling read and very well written。 But it's a tough story to read as Lisbet， the main character， has a joyless life apart from the bees that she looks after and loves。 Difficult themes abound and most of them affect Lisbet。 Sixteenth century women didn't have much choice about how their lives panned out and this is well describ Having enjoyed The Mercies I was looking forward to this new adult offering from Kiran Millwood Hargrave but I am not so sure that I actually enjoyed this one。 It's a compelling read and very well written。 But it's a tough story to read as Lisbet， the main character， has a joyless life apart from the bees that she looks after and loves。 Difficult themes abound and most of them affect Lisbet。 Sixteenth century women didn't have much choice about how their lives panned out and this is well described， as is the sense of time and place。 Strasbourg's Twenty-One is something I remember from one of the modules for my History degree and they were tough and cruel leaders。 As always， it was interesting to read a novel based around an actual historical event about which I knew nothing。 With thanks to NetGalley， the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title。 。。。more
Gemma Swain
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Early sixteenth century and Strasbourg is in the grip of what feels like a never-ending heatwave。 A woman starts dancing in the town square and is soon joined by scores of others， all spinning and whirling as if in the grip of a religious mania。Lisbet lives on the edge of the city with her husband， mother-in-law， and the memories of the children she’s miscarried。 Her sister-in-law， Agnethe， is due back from her enforced exile and Lisbet is in the dark as to why she was sent away。 When Lisbet’s h Early sixteenth century and Strasbourg is in the grip of what feels like a never-ending heatwave。 A woman starts dancing in the town square and is soon joined by scores of others， all spinning and whirling as if in the grip of a religious mania。Lisbet lives on the edge of the city with her husband， mother-in-law， and the memories of the children she’s miscarried。 Her sister-in-law， Agnethe， is due back from her enforced exile and Lisbet is in the dark as to why she was sent away。 When Lisbet’s husband is called to defend their ‘ownership’ of the bees they keep on monastery land， Lisbet and Agnethe are left to endure the rising political and religious tensions caused by the dancing women。I enjoyed this book very much， and Millwood-Hargrove has a real talent for transporting you to a time and a place。 I’ve recently read ‘The Mercies’ and was looking forward to more from this author。 Despite the entirely different setting I did feel a lot of similarities between both books - strong women， forbidden love， religious persecution - and occasionally it was all a bit too familiar for me。 This is a well written and researched book， and one that I would recommend to someone looking for a great piece of historical fiction。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
BookMadLibrarian
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We women， we bear the brunt。 We are bred or banished， and always， always damned。’In the blistering heat of the summer of 1518， a lone woman begins dancing feverishly in the Strasbourg’s city square。 She dances for days， never taking a rest。 Soon， she is joined by hundreds more and the authorities declare an emergency。Lisbet， a beekeeper who lives just outside Strasbourg with her husband and mother in law， is heavily pregnant。 As the dancing plague gathers momentum， her sister in law Nethe return We women， we bear the brunt。 We are bred or banished， and always， always damned。’In the blistering heat of the summer of 1518， a lone woman begins dancing feverishly in the Strasbourg’s city square。 She dances for days， never taking a rest。 Soon， she is joined by hundreds more and the authorities declare an emergency。Lisbet， a beekeeper who lives just outside Strasbourg with her husband and mother in law， is heavily pregnant。 As the dancing plague gathers momentum， her sister in law Nethe returns after being sentenced to seven years of penance for a crime that no one will tell Lisbet about。 She is determined to uncover the truth， and finds that what lies hidden will have her dancing a very perilous tune。The Dance Tree is another beautifully written story by Hargrave。 She expertly captures the mass hysteria and superstitious nature of people at this time， a result of her impeccable research into this time period。 The lyrical quality of Hargrave’s writing reminds me of another of her novels， The Mercies。 There are a number of connections between these two stories in terms of the subject matter and themes addressed。 Both are character-driven and examine the contemporary attitudes towards the LGBTQI+ community。 The theme of female friendship and kinship is also paramount in both stories。Tension is palpable throughout the story and Hargrave deals with the subjects outlined above as well as other serious themes such as misogyny， homophobia， infertility， miscarriage， religious trauma and domestic abuse to name but a few。 Hargrave doesn’t shy away from looking at poignant themes。As always， Hargrave’s characters are three-dimensional with their flaws， virtues and emotions expertly transcribed onto the page。 Lisbet is my favourite character， a woman who has endured so much loss and heartache trying to being a baby into the world。 Her resilience and that of the other characters to be free to be themselves is one of the standout aspects of this book。 One of my favourite elements in the book is the Dance Tree， her safe harbour， her place of solace and refuge which she extends to others in the ultimate act of human compassion and friendship。Hargrave has breathed humanity into an obscure and little-known historical event， creating a story that is truly beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure。 And I am glad of how Lisbet’s story ends and how Hargrave， even in a time of great personal tragedy， could write something as enthralling and touching as this story。Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Dance Tree will be published on May 12th。 Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Dance Tree
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Dance Tree&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Dance Tree&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0