Customer Reviews

To Dance in the Desert: A Novel

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To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa is the beautiful story of Dara Brogan Murphy as she struggles to recover from the horror of losing her husband and father in one horrible day. She retreats to the desert to hole up and hide from the world. Instead she meets Jane who introduces Dara to a world she never knew. I am completely amazed at the depth and scope of Popa's writing. Her descriptions of the desert let me breathless. The story starts out in short disconnected sentences as Dara hides within herself. As she opens up to Jane, the writing becomes more fluid until by the end when Dara has rediscovered herself, the words fairly flow across the page. The way the words are kept tight at the beginning and then loosen kept me reading and helped give new insight into Dara. So many different themes are touched on in this story: works vs faith, judgment against other forms of worship, abuse, and each one is handled with delicacy and grace. Even the harshest critics of Dara and Jane are viewed through God's loving eyes. I had to struggle to put this book down, because I didn't want to leave the characters or the lovely stark desert setting behind. It's a story with many truths to tell.

Kathleen Popa's debut novel blends a heart-twistingly beautiful tale of human frailties and ugliness with the love of God working through broken characters.

From the rigid Bible professor who has God all figured out and bullet-pointed directions for anyone else who might need help, to the inner whisper that tells Dara that she is sought by God -- this story is full of forgiveness and renewal.

Love blows through the narrative like a wind across a desert, lifting, shifting and rearranging thoughts and raising questions.

Grace abounds and amazing reconciliations and understandings bloom into joy.

The characters reached in and grabbed my heart, leaving shadows of subtle influence behind.

After an initial struggle to ease into Kathleen's rhythm and voice, I caught the nuances and rode it to the solid conclusion.

A sensitivity alert -- this novel contains grittiness that may be too intense for those looking for a simple escapist read.

Kathleen Popa's debut novel is a beautifully-written, moving story of loss and redemption. To Dance in the Desert draws you in from the opening page and holds you to the final line. Popa's characters, from Dara Brogan to little Clemmie, are masterfully created. They each have their own struggles. You feel as if you know them well. She's created a world in Brittlebush where you'd just like to stop in at the Studmuffin Cafe and have a cup of coffee with the gang. It's an exceptional read.

This story is amazing. Strange in some ways, yet incredibly insightful in others. Have you ever met someone who was very guarded and stand-offish, almost skittish? The main character, Dara, is this type of person. As you delve into her life you begin to understand the complexity of her issues and her need for a savior. Dara is so lost. Then she meets Jane, the wacky earth-mother who is not as crazy as she seems at first. I loved experiencing Dara's quest for her biological mother. Her deep pain and misplaced guilt shows how truly devastating abandonment can be to a child, especially if the person who left is the mom. Dara learned a lot about herself and grew through the course of the story. She set aside her own needs to help others, yet still had this wall around her heart. But a nagging voice in the wind would call to her, especially when her pain seemed the most out of control. That still small voice is one we all need to tune into. It just might turn our lives around if we do.

Am reading this book now and I have to say It is wonderful. Not sure but I think it parallels with Dance in the Desert by Madeleine l'Engle. I can't wait to finish it to see if it does, and i get shivers realizing who is calling out to her spirit. It's magical...i wonder how it will end!

Dara Murphy Brogan leaves her hometown because her father is killed by her husband. Also her husband is killed and she is left alone. She feels everyone in town is pointing at her and accusing her of their deaths. She moves to the desert to find herself. She wants to be alone but God doesn't allow that as Jane comes into her life. She sees Jane dancing in the desert. She begins a pursuit to locate her Mother along the way and discovers things about her life.
I found this book so inspiring and laughed, cried, and could not put it down until I got toward the end. The end left me a little down for a short while. But to read this book makes you realize serving God is more than a set of rules and regulations. You can learn to dance and know the freedom that knowing God can bring into your life. This book arrived at a time when I could use some encouragement. Not many people would admit there are times in their lives when they wonder if they can go on but then someone cares and reaches out and their lives are changed forever.
As one who has lived in Arizona, I could very much relate to the desert scenes. Inspirational uplifting and encouraging to know we all struggle with problems during our lives but what happens does not have to shape us for eternity.
Forgiveness, starting over, and forging forward when we don't understand are some of the things one learns from this book.
Also people need people and know someone cares and loves them

This is good reading with lots of layers and characters who seem very real--I have read it twice because I needed to see how each character was necessary to one of the others in the plot--heavy reading.

Kathleen Popa has written an insightful book called "To Dance in the Desert". It is a wonderful tale of loss and a quest for identity and God. It made me want to dance.

What a fine debut from this writer. Popa speaks to the contemporary woman reader like few do and this is an enchanting read. Much like the desert setting, the writer depicts the wonder and mystery of faith as seen through these characters. Like Dara, you too may be re-awakened by reading this treasured novel.

This is one of my very favorite books of 2007! It's lyrical yet intense, moving yet realistic. A must read for everyone.