Title: The Dance to Remember
Author: Kin Wong
Publisher: XlibrisUS
Pages: 354
ISBN: 978-1-5245-3360-1
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
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Pacific Book Review
The Dance to Remember is a heartwarming story that will make readers both cry and smile. Kin Wong’s novel is a family drama that readers will love. This book tells the story of Evelyn, a dance academy administrator that is coping with the death of her father from Alzheimer’s disease. When her mother, Rosemary, starts showing signs of dementia, Evelyn discovers a study that shows that ballroom dancing can slow the onset of dementia. The discovery leads her to start a dance club with her son that brings the family together in ways they couldn’t have imagined.
The Dance to Remember is a tearjerker novel that will tug at readers’ hearts. Evelyn is a relatable protagonist whose determination to find a treatment for Rosemary’s failing memory is inspiring to readers. Those who have been caregivers to older parents will relate to Evelyn’s concern and love for her mother. Wong expertly captures the anxiety, pressure, and underlying hope of caregivers who are responsible for people with Alzheimer’s. The Dance to Remember also captures the need for the characters to live without regrets and discover the joys that dance can give them.
Wong’s descriptions of the ballroom dances are so vivid that readers can imagine themselves in the ballroom with Evelyn. The mixture of dance and music in The Dance to Remember is so creatively worked into the plot of the novel by Wong. The intergenerational story of how music and dance unite Evelyn, Rosemary, and Evelyn’s son, Nicholas is a moving aspect of the plot. The novel shows the well-rounded qualities of the supporting characters. Rosemary is shown not as a helpless old woman, but as a mature woman coping with the changes of aging without her husband. Nicholas is not a sullen teenager, but a sensitive young man who uses dance to forge his own identity and heal emotional wounds.
This book would be perfect for readers who love emotional novels like The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks that details the effects of Alzheimer’s on a family. The novel would also be great for fans of Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult, a novel that partially shows how music and can help the memories of Alzheimer’s patients. The Dance to Remember by Kin Wong is a book readers will never forget.
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