Dance of the heart

by James L. Therrian

James Therrian (2007)

ISBN 9780615135007

“Dance of the Heart” is a speed-read novel of only 118 pages, yet there is much more to this story than you might expect. First of all, Therrian does a fantastic job setting up the scenes, the characters, and the opening. It was very clear to me who the characters were and what role they played.

Michael Baldwin is successful and flourishing. He is well balanced in his career as a successful professional dancer and in home life with a longtime partner, David. And they just built a beautiful house on Lake Michigan. Everything is going well until his main partner, who is morbidly disliked, accidentally dies.

Michael has mixed emotions about his death, but even more, mixed emotions when a new dance partner, Elizabeth, replaces Margo, the dead protagonist. Michael, who has recognized being gay for as long as he can remember, is extremely attracted to Elizabeth. The drama continues as Michael struggles with his emotions and finally reveals his feelings to his partner David.

Of course, David, like any partner, is crushed and reacts accordingly. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who is only a temporary replacement for Margo, returns home. Michael, with all intentions in place, was going to tell Elizabeth how he felt, yet she left before he could. This results in more mixed emotions for Michael.

“Dance of the heart” has an appropriate name, because there is certainly a lot of dance of the heart in the book. Does Michael ever tell Elizabeth how he feels? Can a gay man really fall in love with a woman? Was Michael’s crush on Elizabeth real or a fantasy? Does David pass on other lovers?

What a wonderful story! “Dance of the Heart” is a story that shows how complicated love can be. Therrian’s story shows how we as human beings can get into a hole of confusion when we don’t follow our true feelings. Michael’s mother, Sally, summed it up best by saying, “You can’t choose who you fall in love with, but you can choose what you do with him. In the end, it’s all up to you.”