Wendy Erskine’s Dance Move, adorned with Alice Maher’s captivating Vox Hybrida 3 cover art and Rory Jeffers’ design, is a compelling collection of short stories that delves into the lives of characters navigating pivotal moments and seeking control amidst their past’s lingering influence.
Within these pages, readers encounter Mrs. Dallesandro, seeking solace in a Belfast tanning salon on her anniversary, her mind drifting to memories of a teenage sexual awakening. There’s Max, recounting a memorable car journey to a Christian film festival, and Drew Lord Haig, tasked with performing a forgotten song from his youth at a paramilitary group’s centenary event. Sonya’s desperate search for her missing son’s posters scattered across the city streets adds another layer to Erskine’s rich tapestry of characters.
Dance Move masterfully portrays individuals at turning points, grappling with desires for agency while acknowledging the defining power of past experiences. Erskine’s narrative skillfully blends humor, tenderness, and poignant moments, mirroring the complexities of real life. Her stories resonate with warmth, exploring both the familiar and the peculiar aspects of human existence. They prompt reflection on life’s trajectory, the distances we travel from our origins, and the significance of looking back.
Acclaimed author Adrian Duncan hails Dance Move as “a profound, moving and brilliant collection of short stories.” Caoilinn Hughes praises Erskine’s distinctive style, noting, “Wendy Erskine writes a damn good story… we are permitted in without ID checks; we’re invited to take part in questionable Dance Moves… and cancellably sexy ones.”
David Keenan declares Wendy Erskine “the greatest short story writer of her generation. Dance Move is a masterpiece,” while Rónán Hession highlights her ability to extract “circumstantial heroism from such wonky, off-track lives,” describing the stories as landing “with real weight but ever so softly.”
Chris Power emphasizes his anticipation for Erskine’s work, stating, “There are few short story writers I look forward to reading as much as Wendy Erskine. Humane, funny, surprising, profound; in Dance Move she does it all.” Salena Godden echoes this sentiment, calling Dance Move “a triumph, each story so perfectly formed, each character vividly set and startling.” She lauds Erskine as “a profound and ingenious story teller, a magnificent writer of the highest calibre.”
Benjamin Myers concludes, “The people that inhabit Wendy Erskine’s stories are not merely “characters”, but instead are living, breathing entities whose lives, you feel, continue beyond the page… to read Dance Move is to step into their shadowed worlds. It also cements her status as simply one of the very best short story writers around.”
