The Hidden Dance

by Susan Wooldridge

March 1933. The luxury liner SS Etoile sets sail from Southampton for New York and on board is Lily Sutton – a fragile but determined woman who is seeking to escape the brutality of her failed marriage, and begin life anew in the glittering American city.

During the five days at sea, Lily is caught between the world she leaves behind, with its attendant riches and position in society, and her newfound love which has given her the strength and courage to be herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

351 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

Susan Wooldridge was born in 1952 to the composer John Wooldridge and the actress Margaretta Scott. Susan's many film, television and theatrical roles have included Daphne Manners in The Jewel in the Crown, and key parts in Kavanagh QC and Poirot to name just a few. Susan lives in London.

Reviews

[Mary Durrant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really felt for Lily who escapes to America with her lover and son.
Some wonderful characters.
The story weaves from past to present.
A lovely story which does have a happy ending.
Lily who starts out as a timid abused wife of the 1930's to become fearless ,strong and wise!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good debut novel. Well written, and obviously well researched. It is clear that the writer has spent a lot of time perfecting the story, with the references to historical facts dotted here and there throughout the novel. It reminded me of the first half of Kate Morton's 'The House at Riverton', as it was very slow moving and the characters were very 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. There isn't really anything original in this book, nothing that hasn't been written before and better, but there is a hint on the very last page that this author may well have something, and may be worth looking out for in the future. Debut novels are notoriously hit or miss. This was a bit of a miss in my opinion. I think the pace could have been picked up a bit, especially in the dramatic scenes.
In this novel, we follow Lily Sutton in her journey to escape her violent husband. It is set in the early 20th Century. Her journey takes her from England to New York. There are a few memorable scenes, but nothing special. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone as I was left unsure whether I liked it or not.
The author seemed to have difficulty making up her mind whether she was going to refer to the characters formally e.g. Mrs Webb, Mrs. Sutton, or informally, e.g. Nellie or Lily. The references to the character names was quite confusing at times because she would refer to Lily as 'Lily' on one page and then on the next 'Mrs Sutton'. The effect was to give the prose a disjointed feel, as if the author should really have been writing in the first person, rather than the third person, because it seemed that in some cases she was trying to 'show' the action from the viewpoint of a particular character.
On the whole, the author has made a good start, and I would definitely be interested in reading her next book. I liked one line on the last page very much, the reference to the title of the book, and from that I got the feeling that if the author would open up a bit and try to be more creative rather than trying to imitate writers that have come before, she would be very successful.

[Marina Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much of the action takes place on a liner sailing from England to New York in 1933. Using an alias and hiding in third class with her lover Johnnie is Lily, the wife of a brutal aristocrat, Charles Sutton. Complications arise when a sneaky maid recognises her and betrays Lily to her nasty mistress, Lavinia, travelling in first class. A fair bit of subterfuge ensues in which dressing up or disguises are involved, as well as complications including false accusations, before there is a resolution.

On the plus side, most of the historical aspects are well-researched - life on board an ocean liner during this era, fashions, social etiquette, etc. - but the novel is too fractured with its constant switches back and forth in time-frame from the early 1900s to the 1930s, back to the 1920s, to the point where it becomes tiresome. A linear narrative with the back story slowly revealed over time would have served this novel far better. There are also non-essential characters who have little bearing on the main plot. The romance between Lily and Johnnie is lukewarm at best and after all the trials Lily endures a certain aspect of the ending is tragic and downbeat that leaves one flat.

I am always a little wary of novels that feature domestic violence or timid, victimised or downtrodden female characters, but some authors do manage to tackle them much better than others and know how to give the women renewed dignity or end on an optimistic note. Thus, I came to this with low expectations. I wasn't disappointed. The two stars are just for its historical aspects.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long hot afternoon on a lounger in the garden and this was the perfect read. A little lighter than I expected, but an engrossing read about a woman running away from an abusive marriage in a Titanic-esque setting. Wonderful boo-hiss baddies and a salt-of-the-earth set of goodies. Enough to-ing and fro-ing in time to make it interesting. A lovely read, with an endearing heroine and a very touching ending.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bittersweet novel that seemed well-researched and more realistic than other novels set in the same period.

The meandering timeline and points of view were a little annoying at some times, since it broke up the action, but it was a neat way to introduce backstories and other characters thoughts on the scenes.