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The Dancer Chronicles #1
The Girl on the Midway Stage
What happens when a nice Victorian girl meets the Egyptian belly dancers? Follow Dora's scandalous adventure at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair...
Young bride Dora Chambers can’t wait to begin her new life in Chicago. It’s an exciting time, with the 1893 World’s Fair putting a kaleidoscope of new inventions, new cultures, and new ideas on display.
Unfortunately, those aren't the only things on display.
The Egyptian belly dancers’ performances are stirring up a scandal, and the distasteful task of enforcing proper conduct on them has fallen to Dora as part of her initiation into the Fair’s prestigious Board of Lady Managers.
But Dora’s sensibilities are not so easily flustered by the dancers. She finds herself captivated by these exotic women, and by their enigmatic manager, Hossam Farouk, who makes his mistrust of her known–although his lingering glances hint at something else.
As Dora’s eyes are opened to the world beyond her own, she finds the courage to break free of social expectations and her self-imposed bondage, and discovers the truth about the desire and passion in her own heart.
THE GIRL ON THE MIDWAY STAGE is a lush historical novel rich with authentic period detail, discovery, and romance that will sweep you up in Dora’s struggle to understand herself, her quickly changing world, and her own unique journey to happiness.
Rating: PG
*** This title was formerly published as THE BELLY DANCER ***
BONUS MATERIAL: The novel includes a preview chapter of THE GIRL ON THE VAUDEVILLE STAGE, the next stand-alone novel in The Dancer Chronicles.
THE DANCER CHRONICLES is a series of stand-alone novels featuring young women destined for passion and fame. Step into their heart-warming stories of love and discovery, where there's never a cliff-hanger ending and always an uplifting happily-ever-after.... (so much better than real-life, right?)
Book 1: The Girl on the Midway Stage (available now)
Book 2: The Girl on the Vaudeville Stage (available now)
More on the way!
Young bride Dora Chambers can’t wait to begin her new life in Chicago. It’s an exciting time, with the 1893 World’s Fair putting a kaleidoscope of new inventions, new cultures, and new ideas on display.
Unfortunately, those aren't the only things on display.
The Egyptian belly dancers’ performances are stirring up a scandal, and the distasteful task of enforcing proper conduct on them has fallen to Dora as part of her initiation into the Fair’s prestigious Board of Lady Managers.
But Dora’s sensibilities are not so easily flustered by the dancers. She finds herself captivated by these exotic women, and by their enigmatic manager, Hossam Farouk, who makes his mistrust of her known–although his lingering glances hint at something else.
As Dora’s eyes are opened to the world beyond her own, she finds the courage to break free of social expectations and her self-imposed bondage, and discovers the truth about the desire and passion in her own heart.
THE GIRL ON THE MIDWAY STAGE is a lush historical novel rich with authentic period detail, discovery, and romance that will sweep you up in Dora’s struggle to understand herself, her quickly changing world, and her own unique journey to happiness.
Rating: PG
*** This title was formerly published as THE BELLY DANCER ***
BONUS MATERIAL: The novel includes a preview chapter of THE GIRL ON THE VAUDEVILLE STAGE, the next stand-alone novel in The Dancer Chronicles.
THE DANCER CHRONICLES is a series of stand-alone novels featuring young women destined for passion and fame. Step into their heart-warming stories of love and discovery, where there's never a cliff-hanger ending and always an uplifting happily-ever-after.... (so much better than real-life, right?)
Book 1: The Girl on the Midway Stage (available now)
Book 2: The Girl on the Vaudeville Stage (available now)
More on the way!
350 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2009
38 people are currently reading
1005 people want to read
About the author
DeAnna Cameron
24 books157 followersDeAnna Cameron writes contemporary romance and historical fiction, including the award-winning California Belly Dance Romance series. She loves compelling heroines who aren't afraid to break the rules, and passionate heroes who respect and cherish them. Her work has been translated into multiple languages and has been praised by RT Book Reviews, Historical Novel Review, and others.
Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked in print journalism, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. She's the founder of O.C. Writers, a thriving community of authors and aspiring authors in Southern California, and an active member of Broad Universe, a national organization of women authors focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
When she isn't writing, she can usually be found making jewelry, obsessing about her Fitbit steps, and counting her lucky stars. She lives with her family in Orange County, Calif.
For more, visit www.DeAnnaCameron.com.
Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked in print journalism, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. She's the founder of O.C. Writers, a thriving community of authors and aspiring authors in Southern California, and an active member of Broad Universe, a national organization of women authors focused on science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
When she isn't writing, she can usually be found making jewelry, obsessing about her Fitbit steps, and counting her lucky stars. She lives with her family in Orange County, Calif.
For more, visit www.DeAnnaCameron.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 12, 2015
This really made me miss dancing. While my being a belly dancer was not the reason I decided to read this, it is the reason I knew of it. (Stupid Facebook you make one belly dance reference and they don't stop showing you ads for some book you wouldn't look twice at.) I guess I should be thankful for that.
I really liked it, especially the characters I think in any other story they might have bugged me but in this they were pretty great. This is the type of book that I really needed to read and didn't even realize til I did.
I really liked it, especially the characters I think in any other story they might have bugged me but in this they were pretty great. This is the type of book that I really needed to read and didn't even realize til I did.
August 3, 2009
Let me be clear: I don't read romances. My past brushes with the genre were torrid, melodramatic affairs, too over-the-top for me. After reading The Belly Dancer, I need to re-think that, because I loved this book. Dora's struggle to fit in where she thinks she belongs, against a world (and a man) she doesn't think she wants, had me so captivated that I read it in one day. OK, I'm a fast reader, but still - I stayed up late just to finish it. It's lush, it's lovely, it's pure enjoyment.
September 22, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! I don't normally read "romance-y" type books, but this one kept me captivated enough to finish. I liked the historical aspect of the plot, especially since I had just finished reading "Looking For Little Egypt" before picking up this book. It really gave the events of the 1893 Fair a bit of extra life for me through the characters and the story.
November 11, 2011
A wonderfully unique story set in the "gilded age".
When reading any historical work, be it HF or HR, I want to feel swept into the era as well as into the characters' lives. This story does not disappoint. I felt an immediate connection and empathy with Dora as she struggled to make her new life work and to find her "place" in upper class society and rooted for her as she came into her own.
The author's prose is lovely, research impeccable, and execution excellent.
When reading any historical work, be it HF or HR, I want to feel swept into the era as well as into the characters' lives. This story does not disappoint. I felt an immediate connection and empathy with Dora as she struggled to make her new life work and to find her "place" in upper class society and rooted for her as she came into her own.
The author's prose is lovely, research impeccable, and execution excellent.
Read
July 13, 2019I'm the author and I've loved the art & history of belly dance for nearly 20 years. It's been a thrill for me to share that with readers.
You can read more about the book here: http://deannacameron.com
And you can read an excerpt here: http://deannacameron.com/TheBellyDanc...
Enjoy!
~DeAnna Cameron
You can read more about the book here: http://deannacameron.com
And you can read an excerpt here: http://deannacameron.com/TheBellyDanc...
Enjoy!
~DeAnna Cameron
January 22, 2010
Dora Chambers has just arrived to the White City, Chicago in 1893 at the time of the great World’s Fair. Newly wed to an up and coming banker, Charles Chambers, Dora finds life in the big city a bit different than that of her homeland back in New Orleans. With a mysterious past that even she was raised unaware of, Dora is accompanied into her new married life by her childhood nanny and servant Bonmarie, who is now their cook and maid, and holder of Dora’s secret heritage.
Setting them up in a fine townhouse and with hopes of a better life, Charles requests that Dora join the society of Lady Managers, a group of wives taking up the task to keep the events and entertainments at the World’s Fair safe and in proper order. Charles feels her participation and approval from the other ladies will boost him up the business ladder of success. Wishing to please her new husband and gain respect from society, her first assignment is to get the Egyptian Belly Dancers at the Cairo exhibit to make changes in their costumes and method of dancing that is reeking havoc with the gentleman of Chicago. The naked bellies and undulating dances, provocative eyes and alluring exotic women, are causing a ruckus all too improper. The Lady Managers insist on taming the show to a dull roar and to bring it within propriety’s guidelines. Fully taking the task in hand Dora makes a deal with Amina Mahomet, the lead dancer, and swaps services to make the necessary changes that will gain the wanted approval from her peers. Amina needs a doctor for another dancer and agrees to alter the performance if Dora finds her medical help. Thus begins a newfound friendship, albeit in secret, of Dora and Amina, two women raised in worlds as different as day and night.
Charles it seems has a wandering eye and soon begins an affair with another man’s wife, leaving Dora alone and feeling rejected. Determined to win her man and attract his eye towards her alone, Dora visits her Egyptian friend daily to learn how to be more of the woman Charles will want. Dora and Amina invent a hilarious scheme when Dora asks Amina’s assistance in learning the ways of love. Teaching her to walk, talk, bat her eyes and dance seductively, Amina proudly takes Dora on as her student of all things sensual.
As each night Charles arrives late or doesn’t come home at all, Dora becomes more determined to show him she can be all he wants her to be. With every charm and seductive glance, Charles continually turns away from Dora leaving her in tears and frustration, and eventually into another man’s arms. This story revolves around two scandalous and licentious secret liaisons set in a time when this would have been an outrage to society. The Belly Dancer, sweet and innocent Dora Chambers, transforms herself from decadent graceful swan to an alluring seductive siren with the help of her new friends from Egypt. Light and easy, silly and entertaining, I loved this debut book and look forward to what the author is writing next.
Setting them up in a fine townhouse and with hopes of a better life, Charles requests that Dora join the society of Lady Managers, a group of wives taking up the task to keep the events and entertainments at the World’s Fair safe and in proper order. Charles feels her participation and approval from the other ladies will boost him up the business ladder of success. Wishing to please her new husband and gain respect from society, her first assignment is to get the Egyptian Belly Dancers at the Cairo exhibit to make changes in their costumes and method of dancing that is reeking havoc with the gentleman of Chicago. The naked bellies and undulating dances, provocative eyes and alluring exotic women, are causing a ruckus all too improper. The Lady Managers insist on taming the show to a dull roar and to bring it within propriety’s guidelines. Fully taking the task in hand Dora makes a deal with Amina Mahomet, the lead dancer, and swaps services to make the necessary changes that will gain the wanted approval from her peers. Amina needs a doctor for another dancer and agrees to alter the performance if Dora finds her medical help. Thus begins a newfound friendship, albeit in secret, of Dora and Amina, two women raised in worlds as different as day and night.
Charles it seems has a wandering eye and soon begins an affair with another man’s wife, leaving Dora alone and feeling rejected. Determined to win her man and attract his eye towards her alone, Dora visits her Egyptian friend daily to learn how to be more of the woman Charles will want. Dora and Amina invent a hilarious scheme when Dora asks Amina’s assistance in learning the ways of love. Teaching her to walk, talk, bat her eyes and dance seductively, Amina proudly takes Dora on as her student of all things sensual.
As each night Charles arrives late or doesn’t come home at all, Dora becomes more determined to show him she can be all he wants her to be. With every charm and seductive glance, Charles continually turns away from Dora leaving her in tears and frustration, and eventually into another man’s arms. This story revolves around two scandalous and licentious secret liaisons set in a time when this would have been an outrage to society. The Belly Dancer, sweet and innocent Dora Chambers, transforms herself from decadent graceful swan to an alluring seductive siren with the help of her new friends from Egypt. Light and easy, silly and entertaining, I loved this debut book and look forward to what the author is writing next.
April 26, 2010
This book started out very interesting and then peetered out with some improbably leaps for the characters. Dora Chambers is a newly married lady, hoping to become a Lady Manager with the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. She's given the task of making the belly dancers acceptable to the proper and prim world of the U.S. The historical details of the World's Fair, Americans' reactions to foreignness are all very interesting.
Dora herself has a hidden past, hidden even from herself. She's the daughter of a boarding house owner. Her husband frequented their house on business and surprised them all with his proposal. Dora's proper behavior will help him achieve a vice presidency in that bastion of conservancy, a bank. Poor Dora is naive and uninitiated in the ways of the world, her ignorance of sex leaves her bewildered and her husband frustrated. He resumes the obsessive affair he was having with a very rich widow.
Dora is a nice creature and some of the characters are pull at the reader's interest. The details about the various kinds of oriental dance are well placed and interesting. The second half of the book hurriedly has Dora discover the secrets of her parentage, the secret passions of her body and the wonders of dance. Outside the norms of society. Well intentioned but hurriedly done it became implausible, a happy ending you longed for but somehow you don't believe the journey.
I liked the characters and the writing and I even liked hte ending, I just thing way to much was skipped along the way. How does Dora suddenly leap from ignorance to acceptance of her biracial heritage in a matter of pages. How does she overcome her well schooled primness and ignorance into a passionate lover with a man not her husband. How does she overcome the foreignness of it all, so ingrained in her and her society. The first half was well set up so that the second half didn't necessarily follow.
Dora herself has a hidden past, hidden even from herself. She's the daughter of a boarding house owner. Her husband frequented their house on business and surprised them all with his proposal. Dora's proper behavior will help him achieve a vice presidency in that bastion of conservancy, a bank. Poor Dora is naive and uninitiated in the ways of the world, her ignorance of sex leaves her bewildered and her husband frustrated. He resumes the obsessive affair he was having with a very rich widow.
Dora is a nice creature and some of the characters are pull at the reader's interest. The details about the various kinds of oriental dance are well placed and interesting. The second half of the book hurriedly has Dora discover the secrets of her parentage, the secret passions of her body and the wonders of dance. Outside the norms of society. Well intentioned but hurriedly done it became implausible, a happy ending you longed for but somehow you don't believe the journey.
I liked the characters and the writing and I even liked hte ending, I just thing way to much was skipped along the way. How does Dora suddenly leap from ignorance to acceptance of her biracial heritage in a matter of pages. How does she overcome her well schooled primness and ignorance into a passionate lover with a man not her husband. How does she overcome the foreignness of it all, so ingrained in her and her society. The first half was well set up so that the second half didn't necessarily follow.
January 2, 2010
I've enjoyed reading the book and liked the way belly dancing was weaved into the story.
I read this book during a roadtrip with the family, and annoyed them with my looks because I just wanted to shake the main character, Dora in the first half of the book. She was really naive and stupid; it was irritating. She wanted to change herself to fit in with the ladies of her husband's acquaintance, and to not shy away from intimacy with her husband after seeing him cheat with a former lover. If I was her, I would've divorced him from the moment I knew. I was also very irritated by the husband. He married Dora for all the wrong reasons.
In the second half of the book, my family liked me again because I was smiling again. Dora learned how to not change herself to fit in a group, and how really loving someone feels like.
I read this book during a roadtrip with the family, and annoyed them with my looks because I just wanted to shake the main character, Dora in the first half of the book. She was really naive and stupid; it was irritating. She wanted to change herself to fit in with the ladies of her husband's acquaintance, and to not shy away from intimacy with her husband after seeing him cheat with a former lover. If I was her, I would've divorced him from the moment I knew. I was also very irritated by the husband. He married Dora for all the wrong reasons.
In the second half of the book, my family liked me again because I was smiling again. Dora learned how to not change herself to fit in a group, and how really loving someone feels like.
December 14, 2009
While reading the first half of this novel, I almost chucked it. The heroine, Dora is so dumb and naive at first, it is frustrating. She acts like a child, is treated like a child, and struggles most fruitlessly to please her new husband and every high society matron she crosses paths with. Not understanding the ways of the bedroom, she shies away from her husband when it comes to her wifely duties, sending him into the arms of a former paramour. Upon witnessing his indiscretion with her own eyes, she decides to gain the knowledge to win him back. WHY?? Why would anyone want him back?
BUT, I am glad I stuck with this. Dora's desire to attract her husband back to her leads her to the Chicago World's Fair (where she is already working as a Lady Manager) to the Egyptian Theater and its belly dancers. It is here that Dora makes friends, learns the ways of love, and begins to dance. Dora, having been shunned by society all her life, finally finds solace with a group of people that have been shunned themselves.
Will Dora use her newfound sexual charms on her husband, Charles? Or will she choose to use them on the myterious Arab man she is secretly attracted to?
Meanwhile, Dora has made an enemy of one of society's richest matrons. There may be some stuff hitting the fan.
Had Dora been just a bit less naive and blind in the first half, this would have hit the five star mark. It certainly redeemed itself with a great ending.
BUT, I am glad I stuck with this. Dora's desire to attract her husband back to her leads her to the Chicago World's Fair (where she is already working as a Lady Manager) to the Egyptian Theater and its belly dancers. It is here that Dora makes friends, learns the ways of love, and begins to dance. Dora, having been shunned by society all her life, finally finds solace with a group of people that have been shunned themselves.
Will Dora use her newfound sexual charms on her husband, Charles? Or will she choose to use them on the myterious Arab man she is secretly attracted to?
Meanwhile, Dora has made an enemy of one of society's richest matrons. There may be some stuff hitting the fan.
Had Dora been just a bit less naive and blind in the first half, this would have hit the five star mark. It certainly redeemed itself with a great ending.
December 21, 2011
DeAnna Cameron's The Belly Dancer is an interesting read on several levels. The plot is simple enough: a New Orleans girl marries up and has trouble fitting into her husband's set in Chicago. Complicating matters is her husband's lingering affair with one of the most powerful women in the ladies' club. The new bride's struggles are both funny and heartbreaking - anyone who's ever felt shut out by a clique will relate to Dora's situation. However, the novel gets really interesting when Dora begins to seek out help from the Egyptian dancers she's been sent to monitor by the ladies' club. The dancers help Dora awaken to the fact that she is stifled emotionally by her husband's inattention and physically by the restrictive Victorian clothing fashionable among the upper classes. Anyone interested in Victorian social mores, Victorian clothing, and Chicago's first World Fair in 1893 will love Cameron's historical detail.
November 29, 2009
Being in the field of agriculture, I am very aware of the things I eat, and most of the time prefer my homegrown vegetables and a balanced diet. However, every once in a while it's fun to go to a fair and eat cotton candy and funnel cakes.
That's what "The Belly Dancer" was like for me: not for everyday fare, but completely enjoyable while I was reading it.
A couple of years ago I really enjoyed the non-fiction book, "The Devil in the White City," so was interested in reading more about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
While something of a romance, "The Belly Dancer" is not a bodice-ripper. Instead it has more fully drawn characters, and Dora goes through some real growth.
A fun read!
That's what "The Belly Dancer" was like for me: not for everyday fare, but completely enjoyable while I was reading it.
A couple of years ago I really enjoyed the non-fiction book, "The Devil in the White City," so was interested in reading more about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
While something of a romance, "The Belly Dancer" is not a bodice-ripper. Instead it has more fully drawn characters, and Dora goes through some real growth.
A fun read!
June 25, 2010
I really liked it! Perhaps because the girl was from New Orleans, or perhaps because I love belly dancing, who knows :) And I enjoyed the setting of the Chicago World Fair. Very interesting, I would love to see pictures of it, it sounds larger than life. I enjoyed reading about the fair, the societal pressures the heroine of the book had to try and conform to, and the contrasting culture of the Egyptians she got to know.
I really enjoyed the 'awakening', so to speak, that she had through the dancing because it really can be powerful and liberating. And I miss belly dancing, it made me want to start again. Good read.
I really enjoyed the 'awakening', so to speak, that she had through the dancing because it really can be powerful and liberating. And I miss belly dancing, it made me want to start again. Good read.
September 20, 2010
A young bride from New Orleans arrives in Chicago. She must be a prestigious lady now but she feels she doesn't belong. To make things worse, her husband is never home. At the Chicago World Fair, she finds the Egyptian Theater. Here, she makes friends, learns to belly dance, falls in love and--- I won't spoil the end! I enjoyed this tremendously and read it in two days!
The central character is a girl with low esteem who isn't quite sure how to please her husband, her only goal is to fit in.
She grows in this book in both self esteem and ideals.
The central character is a girl with low esteem who isn't quite sure how to please her husband, her only goal is to fit in.
She grows in this book in both self esteem and ideals.
August 8, 2009
I read half of this novel waiting out a storm in a bookstore yesterday. I bought it at the in-store Starbucks on my Kindle/iPhone and finished it last night. A very good read, I just wish that the story had been fuller. It seemed very rushed, a short manuscript just long enough to hold its own as a novel. The characters had a beautiful chemistry and the subplots flowed well, but I am disappointed that certain nuances were not explored, and the book was not made more well-rounded.
August 26, 2012
A wonderfully unique story set in the "gilded age".
When reading any historical work, be it HF or HR, I want to feel swept into the era as well as into the characters' lives. This story does not disappoint. I felt an immediate connection and empathy with Dora as she struggled to make her new life work and to find her "place" in upper class society and rooted for her as she came into her own.
The author's prose is lovely, research impeccable, and execution excellent.
When reading any historical work, be it HF or HR, I want to feel swept into the era as well as into the characters' lives. This story does not disappoint. I felt an immediate connection and empathy with Dora as she struggled to make her new life work and to find her "place" in upper class society and rooted for her as she came into her own.
The author's prose is lovely, research impeccable, and execution excellent.
November 14, 2009
I truly enjoyed this book and feel that any women who has ever belly danced will savor the way it engulfs your emotions and takes you back to the first time your body found the beat in tune to the music..What a beautiful historical novel. I only wish we could produce something as grand as the World Fair was in it's time:)
July 23, 2009
What charmed me the most about "The Belly Dancer" was the description of how the girl felt during and after her first lessons, the practicing at home and the first time feeling of being on the stage. It's something that every belly dancer can relate to and remember.
August 26, 2009
An interesting take on historical fiction mixed with modern passions.
As someone who has studied both the dance and the history of it, I enjoyed the tale woven by Cameron, even if it was a bit unbelievable at times.
As someone who has studied both the dance and the history of it, I enjoyed the tale woven by Cameron, even if it was a bit unbelievable at times.
September 4, 2009
Great book about belly dancing and dancer that takes place during the Chicago World's Fair in the late 1800's. DeAnna Cameron's writing reminds me of Barbara Cartland, one of the writers I grew up reading. The Belly Dancer is an enjoyable, quick read about being truthful and true to yourself.
November 5, 2009
Wow! What a well crafted book! I really enjoyed this one. I thought that the characters were well developed and thought provoking. Reading this book at a different time of my life may have inspired me to follow my heart. Reading it now made me reflect on when I did. Thank you DeAnna.
December 14, 2009
Fictional account of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the appearance of Little Egypt. A little slow but OK.
August 23, 2010
I found this book through Yahoo's Historical Fiction Lovers Group, and I really enjoyed it...
April 4, 2018
I read this under the title 'The Belly Dancer' digitally and there were formatting problems as well as lost pages at the end of several chapters, which was very annoying. Dora has been transplanted from New Orleans, the daughter of a hotelier, after she marries a banker from Chicago. Her husband is a world class jerk and she strives to please him, to become the perfect wife and is doomed to failure. She joins the 'Lady Managers' and assists them with the World Fair making sure the Egyptian Theater changes their act to be less indecent. Dora seeks out the belly dancers in an effort to regain her husbands affections after discovering him with another woman, only to end up sleeping with Hossam. I don't care for adultery in my love stories by my lead couple and how certain things unfold just didn't seem realistic. Very disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! The author did a great job of bringing the main character to life and showing how she comes to realize that she wants different things for her future than she thought she did. You get a feel for how the lives of women (even wealthy ones) were very much out of their control, catering to their husbands and society’s expectations. I’m proud of the main character in the end for her decisions.
Side note: The front cover image has nothing to do with the book. No one dresses like that in this book. Why was it chosen?
Side note: The front cover image has nothing to do with the book. No one dresses like that in this book. Why was it chosen?
March 13, 2018
Tandetne, przewidywalne romansidło. Jednowymiarowe postacie bez wyrazu. Schematyczne stereotypy o egzotycznych tancerkach, wymieszane z wiktoriańskimi przesądami na temat dobrze ułożonych dam z wyższych sfer. Banał, kicz i strata czasu.
October 7, 2022
Interesting take on the times and the society. The interaction between Chicago "society" and the "others" of the World's Fair is handled sensitively and deftly. Characters' evolution, well done, was not what I expected, leading to a welcome "aha" at the end.
While I'm not certain I was sufficiently entranced to go grab the next installment, I am glad I picked up this volume and read it.
While I'm not certain I was sufficiently entranced to go grab the next installment, I am glad I picked up this volume and read it.
November 14, 2014
I initially picked up this book because I am a belly dancer and I collect all things belly dance. But the story sounded interesting and it seemed like it was written by a dancer. I read it in one day. Although the story doesn't revolve around belly dance, it does play an important part in the plot. The main character is a Victorian woman at odds with the culture shock of the belly dancers at the Chicago World's Fair. This was a time when the very word "belly" was scandalous and every detail of life was strictly regulated. The main character finds herself living in both Victorian high society and mixing with the scandalous fair performers.
When it came to the Victorian world I felt like the author did a good job of portraying the rigidness of Victorian society. She mentions different social expectations, manners, prudishness, and all those things we've come to expect from a story set in this time period. The main character and her new husband hardly know each other and sleep in separate rooms. Something unheard of today, but very common at this time period and an interesting relationship to write about. I also really liked how she described the women's clothing. I know it sounds silly, but it really does add to the story. These were high society women and fashion was a tool. It signified their social status, wealth and cunning. It also showed how important appearances and something as simple as what to wear to dinner was among the many stringent expectations imposed by society.
When it came to the fair and the belly dancers I got the impression that the writer is a dancer herself. The way she described the dancing, the music, and the costumes told me she was familiar with our dance in some way. As much as I enjoyed reading about what it may have been like for those infamous dancers, something about this part of the story felt too much like a fantasy. Perhaps it is because I know about the dance and the culture that it seems unrealistic to me. The Arabic characters are very open minded. Granted, they are dancers and musicians and why would they look down on what they do even if their own society does? But they don't seem to have any faults. They aren't racist at all, just apprehensive about foreigners and yet somehow quick to make friends. The lead dancer takes a liking to the main character and next thing you know she is openly speaking to her about how to seduce a man and how she herself has open relationships with men and plans to never marry. And the lead Arabic male character doesn't harbor any sexist thoughts whatsoever. All of this despite the fact that Egyptian culture could be just as strict about gender roles and relationships as Victorian era Americans were. I realize that the Egyptians are playing the contrast to the main character's Victorian life, but this was the most jarring for me in the story because it seemed a bit forced. It didn't ruin the story, but it made it feel less real for me.
And although I would say this is a romance story, I wouldn't really call it a typical "romance novel". It's a bit steamier than the average story, but the writing doesn't linger on those topics long. It's more like they are there because they are a genuine part of the story, but not the driving force behind it.
Overall it was an entertaining and quick read and worth the buy.
When it came to the Victorian world I felt like the author did a good job of portraying the rigidness of Victorian society. She mentions different social expectations, manners, prudishness, and all those things we've come to expect from a story set in this time period. The main character and her new husband hardly know each other and sleep in separate rooms. Something unheard of today, but very common at this time period and an interesting relationship to write about. I also really liked how she described the women's clothing. I know it sounds silly, but it really does add to the story. These were high society women and fashion was a tool. It signified their social status, wealth and cunning. It also showed how important appearances and something as simple as what to wear to dinner was among the many stringent expectations imposed by society.
When it came to the fair and the belly dancers I got the impression that the writer is a dancer herself. The way she described the dancing, the music, and the costumes told me she was familiar with our dance in some way. As much as I enjoyed reading about what it may have been like for those infamous dancers, something about this part of the story felt too much like a fantasy. Perhaps it is because I know about the dance and the culture that it seems unrealistic to me. The Arabic characters are very open minded. Granted, they are dancers and musicians and why would they look down on what they do even if their own society does? But they don't seem to have any faults. They aren't racist at all, just apprehensive about foreigners and yet somehow quick to make friends. The lead dancer takes a liking to the main character and next thing you know she is openly speaking to her about how to seduce a man and how she herself has open relationships with men and plans to never marry. And the lead Arabic male character doesn't harbor any sexist thoughts whatsoever. All of this despite the fact that Egyptian culture could be just as strict about gender roles and relationships as Victorian era Americans were. I realize that the Egyptians are playing the contrast to the main character's Victorian life, but this was the most jarring for me in the story because it seemed a bit forced. It didn't ruin the story, but it made it feel less real for me.
And although I would say this is a romance story, I wouldn't really call it a typical "romance novel". It's a bit steamier than the average story, but the writing doesn't linger on those topics long. It's more like they are there because they are a genuine part of the story, but not the driving force behind it.
Overall it was an entertaining and quick read and worth the buy.
September 1, 2013
The premise of this book drew my attention to it. I had just signed up for belly dancing classes and was instantly intrigued. My love of historical fiction just added to its allure. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its anticipation levels for me. I enjoyed parts of it but now as much as I really wanted to.
The belly dancing world fascinated me throughout this book. Knowing that some of this might have actually happened as well made for even more enjoyment. The author portrayed Dora's transformation from restrained Victorian housewife to free-feeling belly dancer with skill and nice pacing. It wasn't wham-bam instant belly dancer; Dora showed real progression with intervals of restraint, slowly working towards public exhibition. I loved visualizing this foreign world of silks, Egyptian food and characters, and beautiful dancing. Dora seemed to blossom in this world of free-er expression and start to find a place for herself.
The romance with Hossam was also wonderfully handled, once the author actually got to it. I could feel the passion they felt for each other just leap off the page. Compared to the constraint that Dora felt with her husband, I really enjoyed the freedom she was able to express with Hossam. It almost felt like a vehicle to illustrate her new place in life, from the rigid Victorian world of high society to the more free-flowing current of dance. And yet, that vehicle didn't detract from the real romance I could feel between these two.
Now that being said, I would have liked it far more if the author had actually gotten to the romance a bit faster. I mean, they didn't get together until 81% through the book?! The book was almost over before we even got them expressing any feeling for each other besides staid politeness.
It's just one example, really, of the horrible pacing in this book. The first half of the book seemed to drrrraaaaggggg.... Dora stayed the same placid housewife trying oh so hard to please everyone. Her character didn't shift at all for this first half. It's almost enough to make a reader scream. The only thing that kept me reading was the belly dancing part of the book, the interesting setting, and the anticipation of a forbidden romance, my fav kind. Then, the romance almost seemed chucked in last minute. It seems like the author remembered that oh yeah, there was supposed to be romance in this. Better add it in before sending it in the publishers. While what was there was very enjoyable and sweet, seeing it paced better would have added to my enjoyment of this title a lot more.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It entertained with the belly dancing and the world it shed light on. Once Dora started to develop into the dancer we all know she could be and started on her romance with Hossam, the book picked up pace quickly. If only that part of the book had been spread throughout it and not all crammed into the last half, this book would have gotten more stars from me. But still an enjoyable read.
The belly dancing world fascinated me throughout this book. Knowing that some of this might have actually happened as well made for even more enjoyment. The author portrayed Dora's transformation from restrained Victorian housewife to free-feeling belly dancer with skill and nice pacing. It wasn't wham-bam instant belly dancer; Dora showed real progression with intervals of restraint, slowly working towards public exhibition. I loved visualizing this foreign world of silks, Egyptian food and characters, and beautiful dancing. Dora seemed to blossom in this world of free-er expression and start to find a place for herself.
The romance with Hossam was also wonderfully handled, once the author actually got to it. I could feel the passion they felt for each other just leap off the page. Compared to the constraint that Dora felt with her husband, I really enjoyed the freedom she was able to express with Hossam. It almost felt like a vehicle to illustrate her new place in life, from the rigid Victorian world of high society to the more free-flowing current of dance. And yet, that vehicle didn't detract from the real romance I could feel between these two.
Now that being said, I would have liked it far more if the author had actually gotten to the romance a bit faster. I mean, they didn't get together until 81% through the book?! The book was almost over before we even got them expressing any feeling for each other besides staid politeness.
It's just one example, really, of the horrible pacing in this book. The first half of the book seemed to drrrraaaaggggg.... Dora stayed the same placid housewife trying oh so hard to please everyone. Her character didn't shift at all for this first half. It's almost enough to make a reader scream. The only thing that kept me reading was the belly dancing part of the book, the interesting setting, and the anticipation of a forbidden romance, my fav kind. Then, the romance almost seemed chucked in last minute. It seems like the author remembered that oh yeah, there was supposed to be romance in this. Better add it in before sending it in the publishers. While what was there was very enjoyable and sweet, seeing it paced better would have added to my enjoyment of this title a lot more.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It entertained with the belly dancing and the world it shed light on. Once Dora started to develop into the dancer we all know she could be and started on her romance with Hossam, the book picked up pace quickly. If only that part of the book had been spread throughout it and not all crammed into the last half, this book would have gotten more stars from me. But still an enjoyable read.
April 2, 2012
This is a light read that attempts to explore a young woman coming to self awareness in 1890's Chicago. Dora has just married an older man and moved to Chicago with him from New Orleans, her home. Her social class is far less than the couple aspires to, but she has learned to be somewhat chameleon-like and show others what they expect to see in order to "pass". She is chosen by the Lady Managers' committee to rein in the scandalous Egyptian belly dancers at the World's Fair who titillate, shock or enrage the good citizens of Chicago, depending on their bent.
Dora is totally sexually inexperienced and does not know how to please her husband. The situation is made worse by the fact that her husband has no idea what he wants- a madonna or a whore- and in fact just married her for the appearance of respectability after an affair which hindered his career advancement.
I felt for Dora, who was making her way in a world that she didn't understand without the information or cultural background to equip her with perspective. The belly dancers become a safe haven for her.
I wasn't really thrilled with a secondary story of the exotic Egyptian man's passion for Dora- it felt like a magically perfect man (there are a lot of cultural issues that she would have encountered with him) for her to run to, which the book didn't need and would have been stronger without. The Egyptians all played a sort of "magic exotic non-white" role for Dora, and their culture was idealized. I'm not saying that Egyptian culture is horrible, but neither is it perfect. Exploring and contrasting the strong and weak points between the two cultures would have made a more thoughtful novel and would have made Dora's choice more interesting.
But as I said, this is a light read. If you'd like to read about the beautiful people and sniping social scene of Chicago in the 1890's without too much introspection, this book will be fine.
Dora is totally sexually inexperienced and does not know how to please her husband. The situation is made worse by the fact that her husband has no idea what he wants- a madonna or a whore- and in fact just married her for the appearance of respectability after an affair which hindered his career advancement.
I felt for Dora, who was making her way in a world that she didn't understand without the information or cultural background to equip her with perspective. The belly dancers become a safe haven for her.
I wasn't really thrilled with a secondary story of the exotic Egyptian man's passion for Dora- it felt like a magically perfect man (there are a lot of cultural issues that she would have encountered with him) for her to run to, which the book didn't need and would have been stronger without. The Egyptians all played a sort of "magic exotic non-white" role for Dora, and their culture was idealized. I'm not saying that Egyptian culture is horrible, but neither is it perfect. Exploring and contrasting the strong and weak points between the two cultures would have made a more thoughtful novel and would have made Dora's choice more interesting.
But as I said, this is a light read. If you'd like to read about the beautiful people and sniping social scene of Chicago in the 1890's without too much introspection, this book will be fine.
July 12, 2012
A light read and an interesting take on a young woman with a dubious background who became known as "Little Egypt". I liked the tidbits of the Chicago World's Fair, and the history - I didn't know about the Lady Managers. I knew about the different "villages". As for the story, her hubby - Charles - is such a prick! It was hard to fathom why Dora would stay and try to do things to please him, especially after she found out about his affair with Mrs. Forrest. Charles and Geraldine were great for each other - two peas in a pod. The epilogue should not have been in there, with Charles making the motions to ask Dora to come back to him, but still had the divorce papers in hand for her to sign. I guess he wanted to be the one to initiate instead of her to save face.
As a bellydancer enthusiast, I also found myself questioning the costuming of the Egyptian dancers in the story. The Ghawazee dancers of that time, I thought, did not look like the Egyptian dancer on the cover of this book. The cover shows a slightly modern view of the Egyptian dancer. But, then I may be mistaken because I haven't done extensive research. I did find that the movement descriptions were familiar to how I was taught - that the dancing is best when you let the music move you. And most women who come to learn this art form usually are shy about it when first trying to move. I did like that Dora finally found her inner strength, and that dancing helped guide the way.
I also really liked Amina's description of why they dance - "dancing is how we express our happiness, our joy; it is how we celebrate life."
As a bellydancer enthusiast, I also found myself questioning the costuming of the Egyptian dancers in the story. The Ghawazee dancers of that time, I thought, did not look like the Egyptian dancer on the cover of this book. The cover shows a slightly modern view of the Egyptian dancer. But, then I may be mistaken because I haven't done extensive research. I did find that the movement descriptions were familiar to how I was taught - that the dancing is best when you let the music move you. And most women who come to learn this art form usually are shy about it when first trying to move. I did like that Dora finally found her inner strength, and that dancing helped guide the way.
I also really liked Amina's description of why they dance - "dancing is how we express our happiness, our joy; it is how we celebrate life."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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