Review by L C Gatica -- The Dancing Barber by AC Michael

[L C Gatica]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dancing Barber" by AC Michael.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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AC Michael's The Dancing Barber is a historical fiction novel set in Bradford, England, where a Ukrainian community of survivors of the 1932 - 1933 Great Famine is now living thirty years later. Taras is the community's strict, cane-wielding ballet teacher, and also dancer, choreographer, and daytime barber, who neither appreciates the talent of his ballet-dancing daughter Sofia nor the hard work of his wife Halyna. Taras pushes his students hard in preparation for the Easter ballet performance that he hopes will bring him his long-sought fame.

Taras's old friend Klem, a former Ukrainian Orthodox priest, is temporarily living in his attic. Klem is preparing to release decades of work gathering evidence that the Soviet Union deliberately caused the famine that killed 7 million Ukrainians, including Klem's entire family. Taras's greedy landlord Ivan works for the Soviets and is determined to get Klem in trouble. Likewise, Ivan's daughter Oksana bullies her ballet classmate Sofia. Add to the mix Zena and Lenka, two enormous twin sisters with terribly unhygienic habits, who travel in from Ukraine to visit their sister and who have several surprises in store for her, and for Klem, Ivan, and Oksana.

Meanwhile, Colonel Stanislaw, a mad former Soviet officer, obsessively searches for Voloshin--the "Peaceful Partisan" leader who advocates Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union--and for other Ukrainians disloyal to the Soviets, such as Klem. Klem's friend Gunter is in the Ukrainian mafia, and he offers help to protect him from the Soviets and to rid him of Ivan. The story is told around the celebration of Easter and the Orthodox Christian holy days surrounding it.

AC Michael interweaves the various storylines into a humorous and engaging tale. Readers can relate to the relationships and aspirations of The Dancing Barber's characters. As the story moves along, Michael shapes the main characters into more selfless, caring human beings than the ones to whom the reader is first introduced. Readers become immersed in their world through Michael's vivid imagery and skillful storytelling. The story develops into a suspenseful narrative with a surprising revelation at the climax. Not only does the book have intensity and suspense, but its humor and the interaction between friends and family give it warmth as well.

Each night as I read The Dancing Barber, I was eager to continue the tale of Taras, Klem, Halyna, and Sofia. Michael clearly has great talent for storytelling and drawing the reader in. I most enjoyed how the book periodically reveals just a little more information, often surprising, about one or more of the characters, keeping the reader engaged. The gradually increasing detail also creates suspense building up to the climax.

However, there were a couple of things I didn't like about the book. Many of Michael's extended descriptions were clearly meant to disgust, but their repulsiveness took away from my enjoyment of the story. The book also had many distracting grammatical errors, such as run-on sentences and missing commas. The Dancing Barber is a memorable and engaging novel, definitely worth the read. However, because of frequent grammatical errors, as well as some overly disgusting imagery, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

The Dancing Barber is a captivating tale of political intrigue, Ukrainian Orthodox culture, and the imperfect but strong bonds between family members. The family dynamics and humor in the story complement its serious and suspenseful parts. Because of its crude language and imagery, I do not recommend this book for young readers. However, The Dancing Barber is a satisfying read for adults, particularly those who enjoy historical fiction, because of the book's humor, suspense, and engaging characters.

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The Dancing Barber
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Like L C Gatica's review? Post a comment saying so!

[The Apeman]

Great review. I read this book a few months ago, and I often think that it would have been better without those crude sisters. I can't say I found any grammatical errors though? Not sure there were any missing commas?
Other than that, I agree with you. This was a pretty good book.

[L C Gatica]

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. This was my first review. Maybe I was too strict on grammar. I hadn't thought of eliminating the sisters from the story altogether. I think I agree with you, though. That would have made it a better story, although the author may have had to add comic relief elsewhere. Or maybe he could have just made the sisters more normal. But for some reason, it must have been important to the author to include all the crude images for him to spend so much time on it.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

I love historical fiction and this sounds great! Especially with the good rating you gave it.

[Manang Muyang]

The sisters did it! They stole that star.

Thanks for an engaging and objective review, L C Gatica. You should be writing more.

[readandsmile]

The title made me laugh. I like your review, nice one. I can't imagine a barber will dance during haircut time. But, as I read your review, it gives me an idea about this book.

[LadyClaire]

wow! A historical fiction? This could be good. Thanks for the review, L