The dancing days

[JAYNE-BFB]

I so love this book! So much so I fell in love with before I finished reading the preface! The book is based on the late teens early adulthood of the author's (Maggie Craig) mother in Scotland in the 20s. Maggie charts her mother's life through the young, innocent but orphaned, Jean. Jean meets a dashing, charasmatic young man, Andy. Andy is confident and wise. He is a labourer who is soon laid off and unable to find work. Jean is a servant in the household of a strict minister. Soon Jean and Andy are in love and that soon turns into something else..The story charts their experiences not in love, but their dancing days; both are competent dancers and find their fortune dancing as a couple in an exclusive hotel in Glasgow - which is experiencing its own economy crisis. The couple break up after it is discovered that Jean was unfaith to a loyal guest. When she tries to explain to Andy that it was to get money to send him to a santorium to recover from TB, it falls on deaf ears and Andy banishes her from his life. It is really that the story develops as we then follow Jean who grows in strength. The story ends after the second world war.. I feel I have gone on too long, sorry . But I was so excited when I found this forum that I thought Wow I have people to share things with now!

 

I suppose what I am trying to ask is, have any of you read the Dancing Days or any of Maggie Craig's books? If so, what do you think? I would really like to chat with others about this? Look forward to hearing from you!

[JAYNE-BFB]

Sorry, in my excitement, I forgot to say that I love this book because of the strong nature of Jean, who is able to survive whatever life throws at her. To me, the strength is shown through Jean's determination not to give into Andy or indeed any 'male' figure (she challenged the minister when he attempted to forbid her from continuing her relationship). She had a high position in the RAF counselling young female recruits and advising them on how to conduct themselves.