Falling for a Dancer

by Deirdre Purcell

If the bus hadn't broken down that August afternoon on the road between Dublin and Cork, Elizabeth Sullivan would never have met George Gallaher, a travelling actor of infinite charm and fatal weakness. She would not have been forced to marry, nor found herself trapped in an alien landscape.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Deirdre Purcell (1945–2023) was an Irish author, actress, and journalist.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

What prompted me to read this book, is that I saw the movie first. And it left me with questions.

I think what hooked me in, was that there was a relatively strong female character, who gets pregnant out of wedlock, and then suddenly submits to her parents wishes to marry an available man, with four children of his own, in the middle of a bleak and distant countryside. And then, this city girl, commences to raise kids, look after various livestock, and bed down with the always unfulfilling Neeley.

How did she bear it? That's what I wanted to know, what strong stuff is this woman made of, that she toughened up to make a go with this life. I thought the book would offer up the heart and soul answer. But the answer that I got was....she didn't really think about it, she just went along placidly with the flow. And that is not an answer that one wants from a heroine.

This book is a little low on heart. It describes what the characters did, to a small degree what they felt, but it offered none of the things that make a novel great - breaking open insights into the emotions of ourselves or others. Or to present a person on paper that you become deeply attached to and reread again and again just to visit them.

Perhaps this book was meant to show the strength of woman in their passions and in their loves. But Elizabeth still persisted in being a very uninteresting character, no matter who was trying to hike her skirt up in the cemetery.

Also....there wasn't any Dancers. I repeat NO DANCERS. The title is a lie.

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite earlier books of Deirdre Purcells, This is a great story and this book was also made into a movie.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly long family saga set in wartime Ireland, reminded me of a Maeve Binchey story but grittier!

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favourite book of all time, i found this book romantic,thrilling,heartwrenching and joyous by turn. this book portrays elizabeth trapped in a loveless marriage in the wilds of cork,and i found the story absolutely drew me in, ive read this book so often that i'll soon have to but another copy!

[Elaine Howlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread my favourite book to start the decade :)

[Karin A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a keeper. Convoluted relationships. Full of heartbreak, gossip, scandal, passion, and kindly neighbors. Set in old Ireland- 1936 onwards. Deirdre did an excellent job on atmosphere and keeping the reader on edge for the next twist. Great ending. Saw the movie years ago but most was forgotten. The book was a page turner that held my interest.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The TV movie, Falling for a Dancer, is one of my sister’s favorites, and is now one of mine, too. She gave me the movie for my birthday, and I gave her the book for hers. She lent me the book and attached a note: “Be prepared for surprises.” And surprised I was—both pleasantly and not so pleasantly! I was upset about one difference because I didn’t want the story to go where I thought it might. Thankfully, the ending was satisfying. When I finished the book, I went back and read the last few chapters without a sense of dread.

My sister and I discussed what had surprised us in the book and the timing of when Purcell introduced certain characters. We asked each other questions like, “ Did the movie casting director chose actors to your liking?” And, “What are your favorite scenes and dialogue?”

We finally got around to the inevitable: “Which do you like better, the movie or the book?”

Normally we choose the book. However, in this case, we both chose the movie.

Deirdre Purcell did a bang-up job with both the book and the screenplay.

Purcell has written other books, including several sequels to Falling for a Dancer. I can’t wait to read more of her writing and hopefully see another of her books turned into a movie.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I thought at moments I did not like it, but actually at those moments I was sucked in so much that what I did not like were the actions of the main character. It is a perfect description of 1930s and 1940s West Cork society and it is so romantic it sucks you in. It has the right pace. Surprisingly for such a big book, it did not take me long to get into it, just one chapter. Will definitely read more from Deirdre Purcell now.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A romance set in late 1930s Ireland when a 19 year old girl becomes pregnant after a brief affair. Shamed, her parents force her to marry a widower with a large family, but when a carefree moment at a village dance leads to a violent death, a chain of events is unleashed that will change her life forever."

Loved this book.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our young and horny heroine in 1930s-40s Ireland (Cork/Beara Peninsula) falls pregnant by a rogue from a travelling troupe and is subsequently married off to an older widower with five children of his own. I thought it was about 100 pages too long, but it inspired the iconic TV series. A fun summer read.

[Bethann Mccarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in the area in Ireland that my family comes from, so that was a real draw. But even without that connection, I found this to be a good read. 1940s, maybe, Ireland. My cousin who still lives in the area was an extra in the movie!

[Ann Pedlow]

A bit Mills and Boon - would be a good book for a holiday. Not as well written as another of her books. Lovely description of Irish countryside. Elizabeth, the heroine, is a strong woman who survives a lot of tragedy in her life. A good depiction of life in rural Ireland while Britain is at war.

[Joni T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story about a young city girl forced to marry an older widowed farmer in rural Ireland in the 1930s. Lots of plot twists. Sad and sweet in equal measures.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!!!! One of my favourite books..

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional rollercoaster! Not normally the type of book I would read but it's extremely well written & you are kept on your toes from start, I really enjoyed it

[Lynn Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not terribly believable.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Now I want to see the movie.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

The miniseries based on this book is continually recommended to me at Netflix (if you loved Pride and Prejudice...you'll love "Falling for Dancer". And it gets very good reviews. And I'm a sucker for British miniseries ESPECIALLY romantic ones. But I didn't want to watch the mini-series without reading the book first. So, I was compelled to read it.
It's not Jane Austen - but the characters were interesting, and the romance compelling enough to keep my interest. While it is set in a remote part of Ireland during WW2 - the war and what's going on in the broader world are hardly mentioned - so I wouldn't endorse this book for lovers of historical fiction.
But if you enjoy well-written, complicated romance, involving interesting characters (something along the lines of Maeve Binchy)- I commend this book to you.

[Patsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but not great. I only read it because it's the last book I remember my mother reading. She would sit in my sunroom and read the same pages over and over again and it made her happy. So, I thought, what the heck...I'll read it. It's an interesting slice of life type story set in WWII Ireland rife with conflicts of changing times, overbearing church morality, marital struggles, and one woman's attempt to deal with it all. I laughed and cried and liked all the main players but I'll probably forget it in a week or two.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, have read over and over!

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this book over Christmas it has always been a favourite and one which shall remain on my bookshelf, Could have sworn it was longer though!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot wait to re-read this book. I loved it a lot when I first read it, I can barely remember it now, but we shall see.

[Gretchen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is why I avoid genre fiction. Disappointed every time. Tried this only because the mini-series had some redemptive qualities. The book has none.

[Lee Clarke schwarz]

This was an EXCELLENT book......

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the miniseries and the book is equally good.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it, I could relate & it gave me some source of strength.

[Andrew Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with great detaill to It . I Love The book .
THe movie is good too .