The Dance Tree: The BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick

In the historical novel "The Dance Tree," set in a superstitious and hysterical era, a lone woman dances in the city square, inspiring hundreds of others to join her. When the authorities declare an emergency, musicians are brought in to play the Devil out of the women. Meanwhile, pregnant Lisbet tends to her bees and her sister-in-law Nethe returns from seven years of penance in the mountains. Lisbet finds herself caught up in a dangerous web of deceit and clandestine passion as the city buckles under the beat of a thousand feet. The novel is inspired by true events and has been shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 27 April 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Set in an era of superstition and hysteria, and inspired by the true events of a doomed summer, The Dance Tree is a story of family secrets, forbidden love, and women pushed to the edge. The gripping, historical novel from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, as seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers, follows the lives of three women in Strasbourg, 1518, as they navigate the treacherous waters of a city gripped by a dancing plague.

The lone woman who begins to dance in the city square in the midst of a blisteringly hot summer is Lisbet, a pregnant beekeeper who tends to her hives as her livelihood. As the dancing plague gathers momentum, Lisbet's sister-in-law, Nethe, returns from seven years of penance in the mountains for a crime no one will name.

As the city buckles under the beat of a thousand feet, Lisbet finds herself thrust into a dangerous web of deceit and clandestine passion. She is dancing to a dangerous tune, one that could cost her everything she has ever known and loved.

The Dance Tree is a haunting and beautiful tale of resilience, sacrifice, and the power of love to overcome even the darkest of times. It is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and anyone who is fascinated by the complexities of human nature and the lengths we will go to in order to survive.

Weight: 220g
Dimension: 130 x 198 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529005189