4 out of 4 stars
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The Dancing Barber by AC Michael is a complex book.A suspense novel based in England, with characters dragging their past on a terrible Stalin's Soviet Union. The plot is built from a web sewed with the lives of all of them. Tara and his ballerinas mark the base of the plot, introducing Sofia, who gives all of herself at the scenario for their master. Their struggles open the book.
Helyna is a non-appreciated housewife who works out herself to please his husband, who is completely blind towards her. Klem is our beloved character, who seems to be clean but soon enough the reader finds out he has some secrets to hide as he tries to escape from his past. He finds out how betray twirls his life and he needs to adapt to his new conditions, without showing off his true intentions. A shy romance mixed with fear of their past marks the entire story.
The cat is the glue between the events in the story, which is shaded with Ukrainian's history and dictatorship.
This book is dense and full of information about Soviets, the Ukrainian people and the horror of escaping from your homeland. Characters interact with each other in a very intimate way, they are intense and sensitive. Michael's writing is pleasurable and easy to read. Chapters are short and abundant, which makes the story quick and agile. Characters evolve naturally and they are all complex and very well worked. Descriptions are short and accurate, you can perfectly draw in your mind the scenes.
The reader cannot guess the main story, and at first might be a bit confusing, you are blind along most part of the story, which keeps you intrigued and stuck to the book. The end is developed in the same sad atmosphere although it's difficult to predict.
Personally, I loved realizing how the author slowly pours the little details on every scene, so you find yourself drown on his words and you don't even realize how much time is going by. It's a rainy day book, to get grey and enjoy all the knowledge Michael is willing to bring. Definitely, a very different book worth investing your time in.
This book is for history lovers. It's a different piece because the eastern Europe's conflict is not a habitual subject for writers. A. C. Michael is warm and sharp at the same time, always surrounding the reader with sadness. A very special story that I would sincerely recommend to suspense lovers. I give it 4 out of 4 stars. Congratulations to the author.
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The Dancing Barber
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