Dance a Little Longer (Lucinda Richards Trilogy) [Paperback]

Jane Roberts Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | Series: Lucinda Richards Trilogy

Teacher Lucy Richards Arnold and her husband, Josh, the local school principal, struggle with parenting, family tragedy, farming, and small-town life in rural West Texas during the Great Depression. 30,000 first printing. $30,000 ad/promo.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wood has a rare gift for transcending the ordinary and this heartwarming continuation of her earlier novels, A Place Called Sweet Shrub and The Train to Estelline , is no exception. The year is 1931 and the Arnolds have moved to Deere County in West Texas from East Texas; Josh is to be principal of the local school and Lucy will teach first grade. The Arnolds are not given a universal welcome; there is an element in town hostile to all educators and Josh's predecessor met with an unfortunate accident which resulted in his precipitous departure. But secure in their commitment to each other, to their son and to education, Josh and Lucy are determined to make a success of their new lives. Then a summer of grueling work clearing fields and preparing a new home gives way to unforeseen trials during the school year and a tragedy that threatens both their solid marriage and Lucy's sanity. Wood's narration is seamless, and she is especially masterful in creating believable characters, whether they're her protagonists or secondary figures like the befuddled athletic coach torn between two women or the illiterate curmudgeon who becomes Lucy's advocate. This is a touching, often humorous novel and a vivid portrait of the scorching solitude of West Texas.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Written in 1993, 1990, and 1987, respectively, these novels are known as the Lucy Richards trilogy in honor of their central character. Spanning the years from 1911 to 1931, the story follows Lucy's life as a young school teacher in west Texas through marriage, childbirth, and the Great Depression. Through all the hardships, her indomitable spirit wins out. Good stories with a strong woman in the lead.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: University of North Texas Press; 3 edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574410806
• ISBN-13: 978-1574410808
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking and Heartwarming, May 4, 2000

By 

Mamalinde "mamalinde" (Dallas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance a Little Longer (Lucinda Richards Trilogy) (Paperback)

The best book of the series, this story follows The Train to Estelline and A Place called Sweet Shrub. Set during the Great Depression in the bleak, gnarled landscape and drought of West Texas, the characters Josh & Lucy, now with a 4 year old son, settle into their jobs in a troubled school. The deprivation and desperation of the depression sweep over the reader on almost every page, but the high spirited, high minded scholars meet each challenge as it tumbles into the schoolyard. The characters are sketched with a light and usually loving hand, and the situations are not sugar-coated but realistic and often harsh. The "West Texas-isms" are accurate and amusing. The book moves quickly to a ending that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. And completely true to this reader's experience.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard times, April 29, 2001

By 

Mary G. Longorio "Texasbookgirl" (Eagle Mountain, UT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dance a Little Longer (Lucinda Richards Trilogy) (Paperback)

The final book in Jane Roberts Woods' trilogy finds Lucy Richards Arnold in rural West Texas, during the depression. The harsh and arid landscape of the land is barely relieved by the people who populate the area,and the nearest town, Blue Bonnet. Lucy and her husband Josh are working for the area school, she is once again teaching and he is the principal....and neither are made welcomed by the populace. They do make friends within the community and are able to undersatnd the dermands on those around them,but nothing is heard from characters at home, except for a brief appearance by Jeremiah. Their son, John Patrick is a continuous light in their lives, but hard times and very little hope for relief have made the entire area weary and unwelcoming. Once again Woods has been able to capture a time and place in Teaxs history and populate it with believable and complex characters.The realities of small town life, especially in hard times,ring true. The whole book is suffused with the feel of the times, and is a wonderful look at characters we have come to care for.

4.0 out of 5 stars Dance A Little Longer by Jane Roberts Wood, January 15, 2011

By 

HollisBookShelf "Connie" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance a Little Longer (Lucinda Richards Trilogy) (Paperback)

Once again I picked up a book and read it, not knowing it was actually the last book in a trilogy. But the book was still very good even not reading the other 2. Lucy and her husband Josh have just bought a new farm and are going to start work in a West Texas school. While Josh works hard getting the farm in shape, Lucy spends every minute she can with their 4-year-old son John Patrick. Even tho times are tough, they help many others who are down on their luck. Some of the people in town do not want the school in town and try to run them off. But when tragedy strikes the Richards' family, the town pulls together to comfort them.

Even tho I know how this trilogy ends, I'm gonna see if I can find the other 2 in the series.

This review was written for Connie's Book Reviews and More on Facebook.

FTC disclosure: I bought my copy of this book.