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Arabesque
Arabesque is a step in classic ballet, an appropriate title for a novel narrating the beauty of ballet and the artistry and athleticism involved; with the dancers’ stories depicting everything a romantic ballet should love, passion, obsession, deception, courage, determination, happiness, drama, fun. And sadness.
A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?
A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?
In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.
Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people and their stories?
You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.
A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?
A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?
In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.
Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people and their stories?
You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2024
About the author
M G da Mota
7 books91 followersM G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 29, 2026
Ballet is an art form characterized by distinct grace and beauty. Behind the scenes, though, attaining that level of artistry comes at a cost. The grandeur of the balletic performance sometimes conceals a darker side. The consummate dedication required to attain that level of almost supernatural elegance isn’t far from an obsession. The contrast between public beauty and hidden angst makes for a potent literary device. M G da Mota’s psychologically complex novel, "Arabesque," employs the symbolic beauty of ballet in service of a story replete with passion, intrigue, tragedy, and endurance.
"Arabesque" features intersecting narratives from two different timelines. The predominant story from the present begins when Karsten-Erch von Stein, a dancer performing at the London Royal Ballet, pulls a woman, Grace, to safety after she’s fallen into the path of an oncoming bus. His fortuitous courage leaves Grace, who has a turbulent history with men, severely smitten. Despite her growing conviction that destiny intended for her and Karsten to be together, he is reluctant to become involved for two main reasons—first, as a widower with two young children, he is still grieving and, second, he begins to have romantic feelings toward Ivone, his dance partner. Furthermore, he simply isn't that attracted to Grace.
As Grace’s pursuit of Karsten becomes more desperate, she concludes that, but for Ivone, they’d be together. After watching him and Ivone perform together, she can bear it no more:
"The ballet was worth it but I should have gone home afterwards. Still, what was done was done and there was no point in dwelling further on my misery. Ivone, the Bitch, was guilty of robbing me of Karsten. My desire for revenge was as strong, or perhaps stronger, than my yearning for Karsten. I just didn’t know then how to accomplish my vengeance and win Karsten in the process."
The second plot is set in the East German Republic, in the 1960s, where Amadeus and Margarete are married ballet dancers with a young daughter, Maja. Amadeus is vaguely aware that his wife harbors strong, pro-government beliefs, but it isn’t until she is offered a position at the Bolshoi in Moscow that he discovers the depth of her involvement. After being forced to sign loyalty papers to the Communist regime, he undertakes a dangerous, middle of the night nautical defection to the West, with his daughter.
In the prologue, da Mota writes: “First and foremost, however, this novel is a tribute to ballet…” That artistic vision comes through in how vividly she depicts the dancers’ commitment and the passages describing the ardor of their performances.
However, the author’s zeal for ballet does not always best serve the narrative. The novel’s somewhat confusing structure mirrors a ballet performance, with three acts, several scenes, and a number of variations, along with occasional, first-person accounts from Grace’s personal journal. The characters of Karsten and Ivone, as well as Amadeus to a lesser degree, conduct themselves with such predictable poise and dignity that they come off as one-dimensional. On the other hand, readers will be mesmerized following the distorted tracks of Grace’s thoughts and she descends into violent obsession.
Overall, Arabesque is a gorgeous tribute to ballet, but in a work of fiction, I think readers wouldn’t mind watching the dancers occasionally trip and fall.
"Arabesque" features intersecting narratives from two different timelines. The predominant story from the present begins when Karsten-Erch von Stein, a dancer performing at the London Royal Ballet, pulls a woman, Grace, to safety after she’s fallen into the path of an oncoming bus. His fortuitous courage leaves Grace, who has a turbulent history with men, severely smitten. Despite her growing conviction that destiny intended for her and Karsten to be together, he is reluctant to become involved for two main reasons—first, as a widower with two young children, he is still grieving and, second, he begins to have romantic feelings toward Ivone, his dance partner. Furthermore, he simply isn't that attracted to Grace.
As Grace’s pursuit of Karsten becomes more desperate, she concludes that, but for Ivone, they’d be together. After watching him and Ivone perform together, she can bear it no more:
"The ballet was worth it but I should have gone home afterwards. Still, what was done was done and there was no point in dwelling further on my misery. Ivone, the Bitch, was guilty of robbing me of Karsten. My desire for revenge was as strong, or perhaps stronger, than my yearning for Karsten. I just didn’t know then how to accomplish my vengeance and win Karsten in the process."
The second plot is set in the East German Republic, in the 1960s, where Amadeus and Margarete are married ballet dancers with a young daughter, Maja. Amadeus is vaguely aware that his wife harbors strong, pro-government beliefs, but it isn’t until she is offered a position at the Bolshoi in Moscow that he discovers the depth of her involvement. After being forced to sign loyalty papers to the Communist regime, he undertakes a dangerous, middle of the night nautical defection to the West, with his daughter.
In the prologue, da Mota writes: “First and foremost, however, this novel is a tribute to ballet…” That artistic vision comes through in how vividly she depicts the dancers’ commitment and the passages describing the ardor of their performances.
However, the author’s zeal for ballet does not always best serve the narrative. The novel’s somewhat confusing structure mirrors a ballet performance, with three acts, several scenes, and a number of variations, along with occasional, first-person accounts from Grace’s personal journal. The characters of Karsten and Ivone, as well as Amadeus to a lesser degree, conduct themselves with such predictable poise and dignity that they come off as one-dimensional. On the other hand, readers will be mesmerized following the distorted tracks of Grace’s thoughts and she descends into violent obsession.
Overall, Arabesque is a gorgeous tribute to ballet, but in a work of fiction, I think readers wouldn’t mind watching the dancers occasionally trip and fall.
February 7, 2025
Read my review on NovelsAlive.com by clicking the link below. It is also posted in full.
https://novelsalive.com/2025/02/07/4-...
I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.
Arabesque by author M G da Mota is historical fiction with multiple storylines spanning many years. The story takes the readers from the past to the present and back again.
The story begins with Amadeus and his wife residing in East Germany, with the Berlin Wall in place. When Amadeus finds out years later his wife was an informant for the government, he is heartbroken and angry, knowing that she gave out information about friends and family, causing them pain and suffering. He secretly vows he will take him and his young daughter away from East Germany so they can be free and make their own choices. When he does so, none of their lives are the same. Amadeus and his young daughter, Maja, reap the rewards when they leave to live in the free world with his aunt and uncle.
In the present, the main character, Grace, is difficult to like since her needs always come first. Her friend Lacey, a wealthy widow after her much older husband died, always stood by her and bestowed kindness upon her. But Lacey often seemed to enable Grace instead of actually helping her. Karsten, whom Grace becomes fixated on, is a principal ballet dancer. Karsten and Grace’s paths cross unexpectedly several times, and though they had few interactions, in Grace’s eyes, he became the love of her life. Her actions to be around Karsten were often over the top and mind-boggling. The acts then turned hurtful, delusional, and scary, and Grace showed her true self.
While the story goes from Germany to London and some of its suburbs, the ballet is always front and center. The story was sometimes choppy only because we went from past to present and to different locations, with the characters of various ages throughout. The story has many layers, and it was interesting it came full circle. However, while much of the plot seemed obvious to me, it didn’t become evident to most of the characters. Besides Grace, the other characters are likable and help add another dimension to the story.
There is closure and an unexpected happily ever after, but to me, it only scratched the surface.
I hope to read more of the author’s books since she made me feel a part of the story from the beginning to its end.
Before reading the book, I read the Author’s Notes and Bibliography, and they provided some key insights to understand the story better. Ballet is at the forefront and I could visualize the dances even with my limited knowledge and hear and feel the music pulsing through my soul. The Brief Glossary of Ballet Words was extremely useful and increased my understanding and enjoyment.
Arabesque will be enjoyed by all who enjoy ballet and historical fiction, with a dash of intrigue, mystery, and stories set in different locales. Enjoy this rich story as families and their lives play out over many years.
I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.
https://novelsalive.com/2025/02/07/4-...
I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.
Arabesque by author M G da Mota is historical fiction with multiple storylines spanning many years. The story takes the readers from the past to the present and back again.
The story begins with Amadeus and his wife residing in East Germany, with the Berlin Wall in place. When Amadeus finds out years later his wife was an informant for the government, he is heartbroken and angry, knowing that she gave out information about friends and family, causing them pain and suffering. He secretly vows he will take him and his young daughter away from East Germany so they can be free and make their own choices. When he does so, none of their lives are the same. Amadeus and his young daughter, Maja, reap the rewards when they leave to live in the free world with his aunt and uncle.
In the present, the main character, Grace, is difficult to like since her needs always come first. Her friend Lacey, a wealthy widow after her much older husband died, always stood by her and bestowed kindness upon her. But Lacey often seemed to enable Grace instead of actually helping her. Karsten, whom Grace becomes fixated on, is a principal ballet dancer. Karsten and Grace’s paths cross unexpectedly several times, and though they had few interactions, in Grace’s eyes, he became the love of her life. Her actions to be around Karsten were often over the top and mind-boggling. The acts then turned hurtful, delusional, and scary, and Grace showed her true self.
While the story goes from Germany to London and some of its suburbs, the ballet is always front and center. The story was sometimes choppy only because we went from past to present and to different locations, with the characters of various ages throughout. The story has many layers, and it was interesting it came full circle. However, while much of the plot seemed obvious to me, it didn’t become evident to most of the characters. Besides Grace, the other characters are likable and help add another dimension to the story.
There is closure and an unexpected happily ever after, but to me, it only scratched the surface.
I hope to read more of the author’s books since she made me feel a part of the story from the beginning to its end.
Before reading the book, I read the Author’s Notes and Bibliography, and they provided some key insights to understand the story better. Ballet is at the forefront and I could visualize the dances even with my limited knowledge and hear and feel the music pulsing through my soul. The Brief Glossary of Ballet Words was extremely useful and increased my understanding and enjoyment.
Arabesque will be enjoyed by all who enjoy ballet and historical fiction, with a dash of intrigue, mystery, and stories set in different locales. Enjoy this rich story as families and their lives play out over many years.
I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.
February 17, 2025
I found myself conflicted by this book - on the one hand, it has a great premise, an interesting structure and the promise of something fantastic. On the other, although in many ways it does live up to the promise, for me, it just falls a little short on brilliance.
What I enjoyed:
- The characters were clearly defined and interesting and the writing style was easy to read.
- The aspects of the story which were set in the post war East Germany were very well described and detailed just enough for the essence of the situation to seep through to affect the characters behaviour in a believable way.
- I love the ballet (there's just not enough books where it's the subject and I can't think of any where it follows the structure too), and the author's passion and knowledge shines through.
What I struggled with:
- There were several instances where a character's past was told both by them and then repeated from another character's point of view (often not that different!). This came over as repetition rather than a different perspective. I felt irritated as I was reading it that their voices were not distinctive enough to really change/affect how we felt about the person being described.
- The mystery is slow to unfold.
- On reflection, while I applaud the effort, the somewhat longwinded way of telling this story (to others, it may be simply a more 'relaxed' read) doesn't have the pace of a piece of theatre. There are redundant scenes which fall short of the emotional punch which, if it were a ballet, would be the purpose of the scenes.
Of course, all reviews are subjective - what appeals to me as a reader and what doesn't are different from the next person. I think the author deserves a pat on the back for trying something unique, and in many ways, delivering it well.
What I enjoyed:
- The characters were clearly defined and interesting and the writing style was easy to read.
- The aspects of the story which were set in the post war East Germany were very well described and detailed just enough for the essence of the situation to seep through to affect the characters behaviour in a believable way.
- I love the ballet (there's just not enough books where it's the subject and I can't think of any where it follows the structure too), and the author's passion and knowledge shines through.
What I struggled with:
- There were several instances where a character's past was told both by them and then repeated from another character's point of view (often not that different!). This came over as repetition rather than a different perspective. I felt irritated as I was reading it that their voices were not distinctive enough to really change/affect how we felt about the person being described.
- The mystery is slow to unfold.
- On reflection, while I applaud the effort, the somewhat longwinded way of telling this story (to others, it may be simply a more 'relaxed' read) doesn't have the pace of a piece of theatre. There are redundant scenes which fall short of the emotional punch which, if it were a ballet, would be the purpose of the scenes.
Of course, all reviews are subjective - what appeals to me as a reader and what doesn't are different from the next person. I think the author deserves a pat on the back for trying something unique, and in many ways, delivering it well.
September 2, 2025
Sometimes we become fixated on something and we have to have it or them. In Grace’s case it was Karsten, the graceful beautiful danseur or male ballet dancer. Sometimes we also find out things about our loved ones we never ever thought possible. That is what Amadeus, also a talented danseur, has had to endure.
The above characters are decades apart. They have quite different lives and yet they also share much in common. I must say, the switching from one decade and character to another chapter after chapter is not always my favorite format. M G da Mota seems to manage these two stories quite well as they twist and turn and merge. That’s not an easy thing for an author to do.
I have read another of this author’s books and there can be no question her main talent is character development. The reason she doesn’t lose her reader with her decade swings is because she makes us know exactly who is who, so to speak. The characters are so well-defined you know where you are, which story you are in. That along with a story of intrigue, mystery, love, and beautiful ballet keeps you reading right to the end. 5 stars in my book for M G da Mota
The above characters are decades apart. They have quite different lives and yet they also share much in common. I must say, the switching from one decade and character to another chapter after chapter is not always my favorite format. M G da Mota seems to manage these two stories quite well as they twist and turn and merge. That’s not an easy thing for an author to do.
I have read another of this author’s books and there can be no question her main talent is character development. The reason she doesn’t lose her reader with her decade swings is because she makes us know exactly who is who, so to speak. The characters are so well-defined you know where you are, which story you are in. That along with a story of intrigue, mystery, love, and beautiful ballet keeps you reading right to the end. 5 stars in my book for M G da Mota
August 29, 2025
Arabasque by MG da Mota is a book involving ballet and a historical psychological drama genre by the author. The story takes place in the past, in Germany when the Berlin Wall is still in place in Germany.
The characters are well written overall and the past characters in Germany are Amadeus and his wife along with a young daughter. Amadeus finds out his wife worked for the government as a spy and he is upset and rightly so that his wife sold information to others on himself and his family. He makes a tough choice to leave Germany with his daughter and then they try to leave Germany. The story also takes place in present day with characters involving Ballet and in different locations around Europe. There is so much story that sometimes it gets a little confusing but the story is super interesting overall and makes you want to read to the end to see if the happily ever after happens for the characters. I recommend the read to fans of historical fiction,ballet, drama you will love this book!
The characters are well written overall and the past characters in Germany are Amadeus and his wife along with a young daughter. Amadeus finds out his wife worked for the government as a spy and he is upset and rightly so that his wife sold information to others on himself and his family. He makes a tough choice to leave Germany with his daughter and then they try to leave Germany. The story also takes place in present day with characters involving Ballet and in different locations around Europe. There is so much story that sometimes it gets a little confusing but the story is super interesting overall and makes you want to read to the end to see if the happily ever after happens for the characters. I recommend the read to fans of historical fiction,ballet, drama you will love this book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews