Waltzing A Two-Step: Reckoning Family, Faith, And Self

by Dan Juday

Waltzing a Two-Step is the first-person account of a boy born into the rural Midwest in the middle of the 20th Century. A bright, timid boy, he is enthralled with the grandeur of his local library and his Catholic church. One of five children in an upwardly mobile family, he struggles with being gay. Contemplating the paradoxes that life presents him, he looks for his proper place in an enticing but unwelcoming world, a search that takes him overseas–chasing lost happiness and struggling to fit in. His search ultimately reveals that he has been looking for himself all along. It is a cautionary tale told late in life out of the comfort and regret that come with memory and with the bittersweetness of time and opportunity gone by without addressing things that should have been said earlier. The story has many parallels to the world in the 21st Century and is a must-read for those searching for life’s answers. The story takes place during the pivotal era of the ’60s and '70s. He shares stories from his youth that echo many of the issues facing the United States currently making headlines around the world. His writing shows the depth of his compassion, through tough times as well as good times.

382 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir shared the inspiring, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking reality of the author's adolescence in rural Indiana while being seen as 'different' in terms of his interests, family religion, and sexuality. The beautifully written prose and detailed stories allow the reader to accompany the author as he remembers his experiences and reflects on belonging and reckoning with family, friends and a community that wasn't always ready to embrace differences. It was an amazing journey through the life of someone who has sought out rich experiences, moving across the United States and to several European countries, while maintaining an amazing level of integrity and always doing the right thing, even under difficult circumstances. Some of the sentiments that Juday describes are universal, while others provide insight into how far we have come in the fight for equality. This is the type of book I could read again at a different stage of my life and get a completely new take-away. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever struggled with their identity, family, or growing into their truth.

[James Gardiner]

Most coming-of-age books are so self-referential that, halfway through, the reader is trapped in an unwelcome hagiography. "Waltzing A Two-Step" is different: it's at times poignant, at other times funny but always engrossing and never, it seems to me, in need of a reality check. I hope that Dan Juday is busy writing a helpful sequel.

[Jessica Rinaldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a very absorbing and poignant reading of a grandmother’s affect on their grandchild!
Having recently become one, and having read Dan’s book, I am reminded of the rich relationship with my grandmother, and acutely aware of how our grandchild will remember us when we’re gone. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book!

[John Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early on in this beautifully written partial memoir by Dan Juday you encounter this exquisite paragraph. It sets up the tenor of the remainder of the book and acts as a emotional guide as you journey with Dan through Europe and the States, through relationships, both intimate and professional, and get a glimpse into the complicated triangulation he had with his reserved and at times distant parents.

"The fear I felt in my fevered talks with the devil was real and intense. The pleading and supplication that accompanied the rosary in the muddy construction site were heartfelt as well. They were a natural extension of the piety in which I had been raised and schooled. But the belittling at my mother’s hand on Vera Drive told me that I could not give free expression to the emotions roiling within me. I determined that, from there on in, I would need to maintain a calm and confident demeanor. This would be the wall between my interior self and the others. A new geography was mapped. I lived in a place of personal turmoil. I was surrounded by the vast sea of an uncaring world. My defense against its churlishness and ridicule would be an air of carefully groomed indifference."

So why do we like to read memoirs? As a rule I only like to read ones written by people I really like and admire and feel compelled to learn more about them. It was especially delightful to start in on this book by someone I do not know and feel immediately drawn into his small rural mid western world with all the familial detail and local provincial goings on presented in full color. His emerging struggle with his sexual identity is keenly observed and many will identify with the very painful experience of lying to ones self and others to cover the shame he was made feel by been "queer". His story is compelling and as I said earlier the writing is beautiful. Well worth reading and I want him to write a second memoir to cover his life from the 1980's to the present. I sincerely hope it is in the works

[Chad Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story of a man's journey and self discovery. I found so many similarities to my own life - with family, friends, situations and the ordeals of moving locations and starting over. The way the book is divided and the way characters' history are presented, made the story so interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and already want to re-read it. I hope there is another follow up which will continue the story in Ireland. I can recommend this book on so many levels for so many different readers. It was like taking a trip with a very good friend.