Blood Dance

by James William Brown

The insular, inbred country life on her Greek island home oppresses Amalia, who imagines herself possessed by gods, but her encounter with a Scandanavian tourist leads to a conflict that is expressed through five incantatory voices. A first novel.

258 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sidney אוֹר · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting is a Greek island in the 1930s, and the story is told by a young archeologist, hired for her scholarship, and drawing skills. Originally a refugee from Smyrna in Turkey, narrowly escaping the bestial Turks. (History repeating itself?) I'm on my 2nd read, and the storytelling and characterization is incandescent. There are many flashes of Lawrence Durrell's poetic sense of place. Loving it!

The author, James Brown, who lived in these Greek island locales for a decade or more, takes on the personae and voices of several of the characters, female and male, in this very simpatico writing, and embraces the Greek village and island milieux as well as anyone ever has. Great storytelling, informed by a deep understanding of the culture/rituals/language/Mediterranean history. A most satisfying reading experience

[Eliza Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written story of a Greek island from different perspectives.