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To Dance Again
Elliott is still mourning the deaths of his parents and his brother when his brother’s widow and her small daughter arrive to stay for a while. The foul-mouthed, exhibitionist mother he can do without, but Gee, the five-year-old girl, is a charmer.
But Gee tells stories, stories that no child her age could make up. In the stories she’s a grown woman, a dancer, and she meets a tragic end. Elliott doesn’t know what to make of it. Could Gee have lived before?
His feelings are a conflicting mix of disbelief and curiosity, needing resolution, so the pair sets out for the place where the murdered woman lived. There Elliott meets a woman he knows, even though he’s never met her, and there he and Gee come to the attention of a man who has killed many times over the centuries. And who is not about to stop.
But Gee tells stories, stories that no child her age could make up. In the stories she’s a grown woman, a dancer, and she meets a tragic end. Elliott doesn’t know what to make of it. Could Gee have lived before?
His feelings are a conflicting mix of disbelief and curiosity, needing resolution, so the pair sets out for the place where the murdered woman lived. There Elliott meets a woman he knows, even though he’s never met her, and there he and Gee come to the attention of a man who has killed many times over the centuries. And who is not about to stop.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2011
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 6, 2012
I won this book from the Member Giveaways on LibraryThing.
What a great book this was! This book deals with reincarnation and how lives are intertwined through the ages.
The story begins with Elliot, a graphic designer, who recently lost his parents and brother to an accident. His brother's wife, Rhonda, and their 5 year old daughter, Gee, comes to live with Elliot, as she has run out of money and needed a place to stay. Gee bonds with Elliot immediately. Eventually, Gee starts talking about places and people as though she had been there herself. Elliot determines that she is remembering past lives and delves into the subject with Gee. It turns out that Gee is the reincarnated Sherri Williams, who was murdered 8 years earlier. Sherri's best friend, Mirra, is eventually contacted and Elliot and Mirra have an instant attraction. Meanwhile, they are trying to solve the case of Sherri's murder. It seems that the murderer is still very much alive and happens to be a police detective.
This is a great story with action, romance and the paranormal. I would recommend this book to those with an interest in the paranormal and an open mind. I will be looking for more books from this author!
What a great book this was! This book deals with reincarnation and how lives are intertwined through the ages.
The story begins with Elliot, a graphic designer, who recently lost his parents and brother to an accident. His brother's wife, Rhonda, and their 5 year old daughter, Gee, comes to live with Elliot, as she has run out of money and needed a place to stay. Gee bonds with Elliot immediately. Eventually, Gee starts talking about places and people as though she had been there herself. Elliot determines that she is remembering past lives and delves into the subject with Gee. It turns out that Gee is the reincarnated Sherri Williams, who was murdered 8 years earlier. Sherri's best friend, Mirra, is eventually contacted and Elliot and Mirra have an instant attraction. Meanwhile, they are trying to solve the case of Sherri's murder. It seems that the murderer is still very much alive and happens to be a police detective.
This is a great story with action, romance and the paranormal. I would recommend this book to those with an interest in the paranormal and an open mind. I will be looking for more books from this author!
February 20, 2012
I won this book from Librarything in exchange for an honest review.
There are many wonderful things about this novel. I thought that Gee and Elliot were amazing characters and had multiple layers to them, with strong supporting characters Aunt Marian and Mirra. The overall plot was fascinating and I enjoyed the exploration of people living multiple lives and carrying some of those experiences with them. The tension kept me reading quickly to the end to see what would happen. It was also well written with only a rare spelling/grammar mistake (hard to find these days!)
Spoilers ahead. The one thing I had issue with, was the evil character's reasoning for being a serial killer through multiple lives. I thought it was a little rushed and could have been explored more. I was also interested to see more facets to the character-- what if he realized what he had done in the past? How come he is so separated with "multiple personalities" and blackouts whereas other people merely remember or dream? So many interesting questions that could have been examined.
That said, I really enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting!
There are many wonderful things about this novel. I thought that Gee and Elliot were amazing characters and had multiple layers to them, with strong supporting characters Aunt Marian and Mirra. The overall plot was fascinating and I enjoyed the exploration of people living multiple lives and carrying some of those experiences with them. The tension kept me reading quickly to the end to see what would happen. It was also well written with only a rare spelling/grammar mistake (hard to find these days!)
Spoilers ahead. The one thing I had issue with, was the evil character's reasoning for being a serial killer through multiple lives. I thought it was a little rushed and could have been explored more. I was also interested to see more facets to the character-- what if he realized what he had done in the past? How come he is so separated with "multiple personalities" and blackouts whereas other people merely remember or dream? So many interesting questions that could have been examined.
That said, I really enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting!
April 10, 2014
I was gifted this novel by the author in early 2012. At that time I had no idea that a tragedy would befall me (the very unexpected loss of my beloved husband). I was in shock for a long time and have been piecing my life together ever since. Ironically, and very much unintentionally and unbeknownst to me, the last 3 novels I have read (including this one) have included topics that have very much helped me in my grief and coming to grips with life and death. This novel most especially! Because my life has been in turmoil I have not had a chance to read all the novels I have been gifted prior to his death which includes this one. Anyway, to see what I really think about this novel read on:
I don't think I have ever read such a great novel by an excellent writer and I am an avid reader where by I have read so many more books than I have been able to add to Goodreads. I am surprised this author is not on bookshelves yet across the country and beyond. I sit on the fence re: belief systems, reincarnation and so on and so forth. Having said that, one has to have an open mind is considering to read this novel because it is a novel about reincarnation. My beloved husband was a man who is very much described as another individual in this novel (main character) but because this description is at the end of this novel that I cannot reveal it here because it would be a spoiler. That very description and so many other ideas and concepts have really resonated with me in this novel and I am one of the biggest skeptics in the world! I will say that my beloved, late husband had some belief in reincarnation based on the fact that we are made of energy and energy cannot be destroyed ... it has to go somewhere. This novel is about a woman who was killed 7 years prior (Sherri) and was reincarnated as a 5 -year-old (name Gee). Gee moves in with her uncle (Elliott) after they both experienced their own family tragedy of losing lost family members. Together Elliott and Gee (and eventually a few more characters) go to find out who the killer was when Gee was the person she was seven years prior (Sherri). But it involves so much more that I cannot even begin to describe here. The author certainly has a way with words and a great talent for writing. Right up there with so many other prolific authors over recent times and over the ages (King, Koontz, Patterson, Sanford, Saul, Greg Isles, etc. etc.).
I don't think I have ever read such a great novel by an excellent writer and I am an avid reader where by I have read so many more books than I have been able to add to Goodreads. I am surprised this author is not on bookshelves yet across the country and beyond. I sit on the fence re: belief systems, reincarnation and so on and so forth. Having said that, one has to have an open mind is considering to read this novel because it is a novel about reincarnation. My beloved husband was a man who is very much described as another individual in this novel (main character) but because this description is at the end of this novel that I cannot reveal it here because it would be a spoiler. That very description and so many other ideas and concepts have really resonated with me in this novel and I am one of the biggest skeptics in the world! I will say that my beloved, late husband had some belief in reincarnation based on the fact that we are made of energy and energy cannot be destroyed ... it has to go somewhere. This novel is about a woman who was killed 7 years prior (Sherri) and was reincarnated as a 5 -year-old (name Gee). Gee moves in with her uncle (Elliott) after they both experienced their own family tragedy of losing lost family members. Together Elliott and Gee (and eventually a few more characters) go to find out who the killer was when Gee was the person she was seven years prior (Sherri). But it involves so much more that I cannot even begin to describe here. The author certainly has a way with words and a great talent for writing. Right up there with so many other prolific authors over recent times and over the ages (King, Koontz, Patterson, Sanford, Saul, Greg Isles, etc. etc.).
May 12, 2012
I received a free copy of this e-book in exchange for reading and reviewing it.
Generally, reincarnation is not a topic that I read much about, especially not fiction. However, when I saw the blurb for James Thomas’ To Dance Again, it caught my attention; enough that I wanted to give it a try.
Elliott Shields has lost his parents and brother in an accident, and now his sister-in-law Rhonda and five year old niece Gee have come to live with him. Gee initially seems precocious, but the more Elliott talks to her, he realizes that she is referring to experiences and memories that she simply could not have. Together, their exploration of reincarnation and past lives leads them on a fascinating journey into Gee’s history – and Elliott’s love life.
Thomas’ main characters, Gee and Elliott were quite well drawn, and were both charming and engaging. Most of the supporting cast is solid as well, with the exception of Rhonda, who I could have done without. Her role was necessary but her personality was just annoying.
The premise of the story requires some suspension of belief, because even with the reincarnation theme, Gee’s history is a little hard to believe. I did like, however, that the author did not quite take the easy way out with the ending of the story. The history of raqs sharqi (belly dance) was well researched and exciting to read, particularly because it did not rely on the typical stereotypes.
Overall, this was a quick, fairly easy read that kept me interested throughout. While I doubt I’ll seek out anything more with a similar theme, I would read more from this author.
Generally, reincarnation is not a topic that I read much about, especially not fiction. However, when I saw the blurb for James Thomas’ To Dance Again, it caught my attention; enough that I wanted to give it a try.
Elliott Shields has lost his parents and brother in an accident, and now his sister-in-law Rhonda and five year old niece Gee have come to live with him. Gee initially seems precocious, but the more Elliott talks to her, he realizes that she is referring to experiences and memories that she simply could not have. Together, their exploration of reincarnation and past lives leads them on a fascinating journey into Gee’s history – and Elliott’s love life.
Thomas’ main characters, Gee and Elliott were quite well drawn, and were both charming and engaging. Most of the supporting cast is solid as well, with the exception of Rhonda, who I could have done without. Her role was necessary but her personality was just annoying.
The premise of the story requires some suspension of belief, because even with the reincarnation theme, Gee’s history is a little hard to believe. I did like, however, that the author did not quite take the easy way out with the ending of the story. The history of raqs sharqi (belly dance) was well researched and exciting to read, particularly because it did not rely on the typical stereotypes.
Overall, this was a quick, fairly easy read that kept me interested throughout. While I doubt I’ll seek out anything more with a similar theme, I would read more from this author.
February 27, 2012
I was sent a copy of To Dance Again for review, unfortunately it took me a little longer than planned to get it read but it was well worth it. James Thomas has weaved an insightful tale of reincarnation, loss, love and revenge into a story full of twists and turns.
The main character, Gee, is just a wee girl of 5 with the experiences of past lives resurfacing after she moves in with her uncle. Thomas has done a wonderful job of keeping the little girl Gee real, while mixing in the mannerisms, knowledge and dialogue of a much older person. This little girl was a raqs sharqi (aka belly dancing) dancer in her most recent past life and is now haunted by the knowledge that she was murdered.
The author has included some interesting information about the raqs sharqi dance and it origins, something I would never have known if I hadn’t read this book. Thomas obviously did some research and kept the originality of the dance intact instead of reverting to what is commonly known about belly dancing, which isn’t much and is mostly based on movies.
With believable characters, colourful scenes, some mystery, romance and intrigue all rolled into one, this story keeps the reader’s interest right from page one through to the very end. Anyone with an interest in reincarnation, past lives and intrigue should give this book a try, they won’t regret it.
The main character, Gee, is just a wee girl of 5 with the experiences of past lives resurfacing after she moves in with her uncle. Thomas has done a wonderful job of keeping the little girl Gee real, while mixing in the mannerisms, knowledge and dialogue of a much older person. This little girl was a raqs sharqi (aka belly dancing) dancer in her most recent past life and is now haunted by the knowledge that she was murdered.
The author has included some interesting information about the raqs sharqi dance and it origins, something I would never have known if I hadn’t read this book. Thomas obviously did some research and kept the originality of the dance intact instead of reverting to what is commonly known about belly dancing, which isn’t much and is mostly based on movies.
With believable characters, colourful scenes, some mystery, romance and intrigue all rolled into one, this story keeps the reader’s interest right from page one through to the very end. Anyone with an interest in reincarnation, past lives and intrigue should give this book a try, they won’t regret it.
June 5, 2012
Received a free copy of book, and was pleasantly surprised by the how the story unfolds, but creates a wonderfully spun story of loss, love, mystery and pain.
Sherri, a dancer who gets killed on night after work.
Elliot, a guy who lives in the country and recently lost his parents and brother in a car accident.
Rhonda & Gee, wife of Elliot's deceased brother and neice (5 years old).
Throw in a little karma and mystery and this story gets you hooked as you get to know the little girl and her stories, as well as, Elliot who is trying to relate to his neice and work around his new situation with his sister-in-law. A quick read with enjoyable characters.
Sherri, a dancer who gets killed on night after work.
Elliot, a guy who lives in the country and recently lost his parents and brother in a car accident.
Rhonda & Gee, wife of Elliot's deceased brother and neice (5 years old).
Throw in a little karma and mystery and this story gets you hooked as you get to know the little girl and her stories, as well as, Elliot who is trying to relate to his neice and work around his new situation with his sister-in-law. A quick read with enjoyable characters.
January 21, 2021
The story starts with the murder of a belly dancer. Her life, the reason for the murder, and the killer are all a mystery to the reader.
Then we come to Elliot Shields and his 5 and a half year old niece, Gee. Gee remembers things that no child could have lived or even know about. Elliot soon learns about past lives experience and reincarnation.
Though Gee's memories and Elliot's help in the investigation, we learn about Sherri Williams. The belly dancer who Gee used to be. Her life, her killer, and the reason for the murder are all revealed to us.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Well written, few typos, and interesting characters. The storyline is thoughtful and gripping.
Then we come to Elliot Shields and his 5 and a half year old niece, Gee. Gee remembers things that no child could have lived or even know about. Elliot soon learns about past lives experience and reincarnation.
Though Gee's memories and Elliot's help in the investigation, we learn about Sherri Williams. The belly dancer who Gee used to be. Her life, her killer, and the reason for the murder are all revealed to us.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Well written, few typos, and interesting characters. The storyline is thoughtful and gripping.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews