Dancing Backwards

Author(s): Salley Vickers

General Fiction

The brilliant new work from the bestselling author of 'Miss Garnet's Angel' and 'The Other Side of You'. Violet Hetherington has taken the rash step of joining a transatlantic cruise ship to New York to visit Edwin, an old friend. As she makes the six day crossing, she relives the traumatic events that led to her losing Edwin's friendship, and abandoning her career as a poet, for the safety of marriage and domesticity. Despite her natural reserve, she meets a rich variety of passengers travelling with her, who affect her understanding of her own past. Most significantly, she meets Dino, the dance host, whose motives in befriending Vi are shady, but who teaches her to ballroom dance - and inadvertently helps her to recover from her past. Moving between the late sixties and the present day, Dancing Backwards is written with the lightness of touch and psychological insight which characterise Salley Vickers' acclaimed work. This bittersweet novel is subtle, poignant and wonderfully entertaining.

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'If you enjoy the work of Marilynne Robinson, Penelope Fitzgerald, James Salter or Anita Brookner, you should be reading Vickers. All these authors reflect, with grace and gravity, on life's moments of sorrowful epiphany.' Michael Dirda, Washington Post Praise for 'Instances of the Number 3': 'Salley Vickers is a remarkable optimist. She shows that happiness can be found even after it seems to have died.' David Sexton, Evening Standard 'Gentleness of perception and sharpness of intellect!sustains you long after the last page.' Bel Mooney, The Times 'Admirable. Salley Vickers has a way with persuasive characters and crisp narrative.' Penelope Lively, Independent 'Vickers writes sympathetically about the bereaved women as they remake their lives.' Margaret Walter, Sunday Times 'Studded with observations and asides that stop you in your tracks.' Julie Wheelwright, Scotland on Sunday 'The reader glides through it effortlessly. The plot is simple, yet has an amazing amount of narrative power. Vickers' second novel confirms that she will have a long and outstanding career.' Martyn Goff, The Times 'Lovely. Distinctive grace.' Murrough O'Brien, Daily Telegraph 'Her voice rings true and strong.' Jane Gardam, Spectator Praise for Miss Garnet's Angel: 'Subtle, unexpected and haunting.' Penelope Fitzgerald 'Very kind, very funny.' John Bayley 'Writes like a haunted angel.' The Times 'Rich, complex and haunting!she makes the ancient story as riveting as Miss Garnet's own adventures.' Sunday Times 'The sort of novel I really enjoy.' John Bayley Reveals itself as a surprising exploration of the mysteries of imagination and faith.' Joanna Trollope, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year 'A refreshing, gentle story.' Anita Brookner, Spectator Books of the Year 'A subtle, witty tale.' John de Falbe, Spectator Books of the Year 'Delightfully affecting.' Julia Neuberger, Independent Books of the Year 'Original and delightful.' Woman's Journal 'It is a triumph.' John Julius Norwich

Salley Vickers divides her time between London and Venice. Previously a university lecturer in English, when not writing she practices as a psychologist and still lectures widely on the connections between literature, psychology and religion.

General Fields

  • : 9780007328642
  • : HarperCollins Publishers Limited
  • : Harper Element
  • : 01 August 2009
  • : United Kingdom
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Modern fiction
  • : 823/.914
  • : Paperback
  • : Salley Vickers