October 17, 2022
A dancer in Depression-era Chicago slowly becomes aware of dark secrets surrounding her ballet company’s newest patron in Wees’s enchanting if slow-burning adult debut (after YA The Waking Forest). Grace Dragotta, 20, has spent the last seven years focused solely on her dancing with the Near North Ballet. When she is promoted to prima ballerina, she believes her hard work and perseverance through family tragedies have finally paid off—until she learns that her promotion came at the behest of Near North’s mysterious new patron, Master La Rosa. Grace is increasingly unsettled by the Master’s behavior, especially when he uses his influence to compel her to move into his house with him. When he finally reveals his mystical secret, Grace learns there’s much more at stake in this performance season than just the success of the ballet. Wees cleverly evokes Beauty and the Beast folklore, drawing especially on the eerie beauty of Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film adaptation. Despite the elegant prose, however, it takes so long to reach the Master’s home that readers less interested in the more mundane dramas of Grace’s life may lose interest. Luckily, the magical elements, once they are revealed, are enthralling. Patient readers will be rewarded with a lush, impressive fantasy from a promising new voice. Agent: Penelope Burns, Gelfman Schneider Literary.
June 1, 2023
Wees's (The Waking Forest) adult debut follows the trials of Grace Dragotta, a young woman making a life for herself as a ballerina in Depression-era Chicago who has endured much death in her short life. Orphaned and homeless, Grace works her way into the Near North Ballet Company, where, at the request of Master LaRosa, the company's mysterious benefactor, she becomes a prima ballerina. However, this coveted position comes with a price, as Grace must reside permanently in LaRosa's creepy house, wear the clothes he provides, and waltz with him every Sunday at midnight. Though Grace tries to escape, she is continually drawn back to this secret world. Wees's lyrical prose, enchantingly narrated by Zura Johnson, is enhanced in audio, as Johnson brings out the dreamlike atmosphere of Master LaRosa's otherworldly kingdom. VERDICT A lush and romantic story made all the more compelling by Wees's evocative prose and Johnson's graceful narration. Recommended for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus or Constance Sayers's The Ladies of the Secret Circus.--Angel Caranna
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