Pretending to Dance - by Diane Chamberlain (Paperback)

About the Book

A new novel from perennial bestseller Diane Chamberlain, who's coming fresh off the bestseller, The Silent Sister, which landed on Publishers Weekly's and USA Today's bestselling books lists

Book Synopsis

Molly Arnette is very good at keeping secrets. She and her husband live in San Diego, where they hope to soon adopt a baby. But the process terrifies her.

As the questions and background checks come one after another, Molly worries that the truth she's kept hidden about her North Carolina childhood will rise to the surface and destroy not only her chance at adoption, but also her marriage. She ran away from her family twenty years ago after a shocking event left her devastated and distrustful of those she loved: her mother, the woman who raised her and who Molly says is dead but is very much alive; her birth mother, whose mysterious presence raised so many issues; and the father she adored, whose troubling death sent her running from the small community of Morrison Ridge.

Now, as she tries to find a way to make peace with her past and embrace a future filled with promise, she discovers that even she doesn't know the truth of what happened in her family of pretenders.

Told with Diane Chamberlain's compelling prose and gift for deft exploration of the human heart, Pretending to Dance is an exploration of family, lies, and the complexities of both.

Review Quotes

Praise for Pretending to Dance

"The author of The Silent Sister delivers another emotionally riveting page...A book rich in relatable characters and moving scenes, this stunning tale will linger with readers long after the last page." --RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars, Top Pick)

"A multilayered, poignant novel...Reminiscent of a Sarah Dessen or Sharon Creech novel, Pretending to Dance proves that a coming-of-age story can happen at any time in your life." --Booklist

"While the family argues and Molly's hormones run wild, something else is going on that will make for the explosive revelation at novel's end." --Kirkus Reviews on Pretending to Dance

"Chamberlain writes a page turned that sneaks up on you, so that you don't realize you're turning page after page long after it's time to set the book down and do something else, even go to sleep at night...It's compelling and wonderfully suspenseful." -Durham Herald-Sun

"A page turner...Chamberlain's poignant, well-rounded character sketches lift Pretending to Dance well above the norm." --Wilmington Star News

About the Author

DIANE CHAMBERLAIN is the international bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including The First Lie, Her Mother's Shadow, and The Good Father. She lives in North Carolina with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Cole.