Friday, April 15, 2022

"The kiss of an Englishwoman is nothing to sneeze at."

 Just discovered this in-depth review for my WWII novel, Dancing with Air:

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022

Dancing With Air: A WWII Love Story is the sequel to The Music of Us, another Lenny and Natasha story mainly narrated by Lenny. I had the privilege of reading The Music of Us last month and was very excited to continue exploring this couple’s journey going forward.

I find the premise of exploring the honest human condition fascinating, and Ms. Poznansky achieves this with skillful prose and intelligent dialect. When we first begin reading, Lenny is getting ready to take Natasha for an X-ray of her brain, as her doctor suspects she is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer’s. Their son, Ben has left home, and Lenny is troubled about how he will manage Natasha’s care if she has this disease, while exploring his inner honesty to the extent of worrying who will care for him. I completely understood his 'predicament' having cared for a seriously ill spouse in real life.

The vivid narration, as Lenny reminisces about the past while living in the present, allows the reader to physically and emotionally absorb exactly how he is feeling. For example, while Natasha is getting dressed for the day in the present, she becomes agitated while looking through the gowns she wore during her piano concerts - the descriptive scene gave me the chills.

This particular event also coincides with the day the couple will find out for certain…

Okay, I’m zipping it, as I don’t do spoilers. Suffice to share a quote from Lenny’s military days, “It’s wrong when you have regrets for something that hasn’t happened yet.” Getting into Lenny’s head during WWII while serving in the UK was a jolting experience for this reader: Natasha’s leaving her home, the spy games, the unspeakable. This is a sequel worthy of your consideration, and I promise you won’t be disappointed – it’s a thriller, romance, and espionage read all in one, plus the historical accounting of two precious souls is paramount.

One more thing: Although I empathized with the present-day Lenny’s concerns and values, I found the dry humor and naivety of the younger Lenny endearing.

Five golden stars were awarded for a gripping read with so much to offer I was sad when it ended. Bravo, Ms. Poznansky. I enjoyed the story’s many surprises that made this tale truly compelling.

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