A review by electricjuicebox
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

challenging emotional hopeful informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Loved it! 
Some scattered thoughts:
  • This is excellent historical fiction, it immersed me in an unfamiliar world and while I kept noting words I didn't recognize, I was able to pick up on their meanings through the general context of the story (I read the novel on a plane and wasn't able to look up any of the old-timey vocab). I wouldn't have expected to like a book set in 1518 Strasbourg as much as I did, but I was absolutely sucked in by KMH's writing. 
  • Speaking of the writing, it was beautiful and evocative. 
  • This book has some similar themes to The Mercies, the author's first book and one that I really loved. I think I prefer The Mercies between the two if I were forced choose, but I was glad that this was similarly excellent. There's the tragedy of womanhood and women struggling to find agency in a world controlled by men and by the Church (more often some combination of the two), a beautiful focus on complex relationships between women and an exploration of queer relationships in an early modern setting. There's also a really strong sense of place in the vivid descriptions of the oppressive summer heat. 
  • I thought the characters were relatable and well fleshed out - I wanted to know more about everyone. Lisbet's struggle to conceive and the guilt she carries for each of her failed pregnancies, as well as the guilt she feels over her mother's death and every bad omen she's ever drawn a connection to, is poignant. 
  • I really appreciated the little vignettes between chapters that lent purpose and context to the hundreds of women who fell under the Dancing Plague during this time. 
  • I think my main critique of this book is that the plot sped up a lot towards the end in a way that felt less realistic than the first half. It was a more exciting read, but began to feel less believable as a result. I personally still enjoyed it enough to give it such a high rating. 
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