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Learning to Dance Again
Julia Robertson is devastated after the sudden death of her husband Duncan. Her friends rally to support her, but with her sons away at Edinburgh University she still feels isolated in her grief. She is unemployed but has no wish to return to her old job as the manager of a care home; but she cannot decide what to do instead. With the approach of her fiftieth birthday that she has no desire to celebrate, together with the gloominess of her mood which will only get worse when winter arrives, Julia knows she needs to take drastic action to heal her broken heart.
It was Duncan’s last wish to take her on a second honeymoon to Sicily. So Julia books herself a holiday for the whole of October; much to the surprise of her friends and to the horror of her sons, who are convinced she will be kidnapped by the Mafia. Julia ignores their warnings and rents a villa in the coastal town of Cefalu. The villa is owned by the charming Tony Hugo, a widowed English crime writer; who wastes no time in helping Julia feel at home.
Sicily is everything Julia expected it to be – hot, sunny and exotic; but her holiday turns out to be far more of a life changing adventure than she could ever have imagined.
It was Duncan’s last wish to take her on a second honeymoon to Sicily. So Julia books herself a holiday for the whole of October; much to the surprise of her friends and to the horror of her sons, who are convinced she will be kidnapped by the Mafia. Julia ignores their warnings and rents a villa in the coastal town of Cefalu. The villa is owned by the charming Tony Hugo, a widowed English crime writer; who wastes no time in helping Julia feel at home.
Sicily is everything Julia expected it to be – hot, sunny and exotic; but her holiday turns out to be far more of a life changing adventure than she could ever have imagined.
- GenresRomance
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2013
25 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 17, 2022
What a beautiful book. This is an author who knows about grief. Julia's loving husband dies suddenly one morning after he leaves to go back to teaching at the local school after having had cancer treatment, he dies suddenly in class and she is grief stricken. The last thing they were doing was making plans to go away over the October half term to Sicily. She takes a decision to go alone.
She books for a month in a little villa just outside a small town in Sicily and it is an annexe to the house next door, where a widowed writer lives. He is lovely and Julia becomes friends with him, however her husband's best man and best friend comes over to stay for a week in Julia's villa and they tumble into bed together, unplanned, leaving Julia confused.
She has a really good time in Sicily and it seemed a shame for her to leave, she was making changes in her head, heart and life. She returns to the cold wet windy Shetland and settles down for the winter. Duncan, her husband's best friend becomes a frequent visitor, but he's undergoing changes in his life too, his wife had ran off with his brother and taken their 5yr old daughter with her.
It gets a bit hectic in the book from here on, Julia is trying to find something to do with the rest of her life as her sons have moved on in their lives too. Then she gets a visitor, Tony the writer from Sicily comes to stay and see Up helly Aa as he is writing another book, but at the event he collapses on the floor and Julia has to do cpr but unlike her husband he does recover from his heart attack, and flies back to Sicily to be with his son and daughter and her new baby. She has a falling out with Duncan and then a making up, they look as if they will have some sort of future together!
I did like this book and I did read and listen to all the moments where Tony helped Julia to come to terms with her grief, and the strategies he used when his wife died. There will be people out there who read this and it will resonate with them too. A very well written and thoughtful book.
She books for a month in a little villa just outside a small town in Sicily and it is an annexe to the house next door, where a widowed writer lives. He is lovely and Julia becomes friends with him, however her husband's best man and best friend comes over to stay for a week in Julia's villa and they tumble into bed together, unplanned, leaving Julia confused.
She has a really good time in Sicily and it seemed a shame for her to leave, she was making changes in her head, heart and life. She returns to the cold wet windy Shetland and settles down for the winter. Duncan, her husband's best friend becomes a frequent visitor, but he's undergoing changes in his life too, his wife had ran off with his brother and taken their 5yr old daughter with her.
It gets a bit hectic in the book from here on, Julia is trying to find something to do with the rest of her life as her sons have moved on in their lives too. Then she gets a visitor, Tony the writer from Sicily comes to stay and see Up helly Aa as he is writing another book, but at the event he collapses on the floor and Julia has to do cpr but unlike her husband he does recover from his heart attack, and flies back to Sicily to be with his son and daughter and her new baby. She has a falling out with Duncan and then a making up, they look as if they will have some sort of future together!
I did like this book and I did read and listen to all the moments where Tony helped Julia to come to terms with her grief, and the strategies he used when his wife died. There will be people out there who read this and it will resonate with them too. A very well written and thoughtful book.
June 22, 2024
When Julia’s husband returns to his teaching job after battling cancer, he persuades her not to apply for a job, as he wants them to go on a long holiday during the summer - only weeks away. But then the unthinkable happens and Julia must learn to adapt. Deciding to take herself off for a months break, she starts the long process of coming to terms with what has happened & what the future holds. I’m not always a fan of romantic novels, but the title caught my attention. It’s a truly charming book. I didn’t want it to end if I’m honest.
May 20, 2022
This was a thoroughly enjoyable story although sad in places.
I did not like some of the characters, particularly the sons who seemed to be selfish and more concerned about themselves at times.
Switching on and off like a light switch.
Overall though enjoyable with a lovely ending.
I did not like some of the characters, particularly the sons who seemed to be selfish and more concerned about themselves at times.
Switching on and off like a light switch.
Overall though enjoyable with a lovely ending.
June 30, 2015
Learning to Dance Again is a lovely story. The plot deals with some heart breaking issues but is sensitively written allowing the reader to experience all the emotions of the main character.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it as a serious read. I’m not going to say anymore as I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I will be looking out for more books by this author.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it as a serious read. I’m not going to say anymore as I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I will be looking out for more books by this author.
November 1, 2013
Absolutely loved this book and the authors style of writing makes you fall in love with all the characters
December 26, 2013
I loved it great story set in the Shetlands
November 22, 2013
I quite enjoyed reading this book. It made me think about visiting Sicily. Light predictable story but well written.
October 3, 2014
Awful.
January 10, 2015
read this on my kindle, set in Shetland and a very good read.
April 7, 2016
Beautiful
A beautiful story of how one woman struggles after the death of her husband. Loved the plot, the characters and the ending 5 stars *****
A beautiful story of how one woman struggles after the death of her husband. Loved the plot, the characters and the ending 5 stars *****
July 26, 2015
3.6 stars. good but a bit slow
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews