Shadow Dancing [Paperback]

Louise Meriwether (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2000

Acclaimed author of Daddy Was a Numbers Runner and the historical novel Fragments of the Ark, Louise Meriwether now gives us this resonant and revealing contemporary story about the struggle to love in the shadow of our fears. . .

A successful writer for BlackSpeak magazine, Glenda Jackson is gifted, dynamic, and respected in her field. She's determined to take control of her emotional life. While reviewing a new play at Harlem's innovative Aldridge Ensemble, she meets the enigmatic director, Mark Abbitt, the driving force behind a renaissance in black theater.

The charismatic director proves to be as complex as one of his dramas. Haunted by memories of Vietnam, blind to the manipulations of his ex-wife, Mark is determined to be a good father to his four-year-old son. If Glenda's not to be eclipsed by Mark's powerful presence, she must confront her own deep fear of intimacy to find out if love is enough to heal a damaged soul. Yet against all the odds, these two remarkable people step into each other's shadow . . .and begin to dance.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lusty and gutsy and sexy and true. Louise Meriwether has written a woman's book which will knock men's socks off. We will all enjoy Shadow Dancing."
--MAYA ANGELOU

From the Inside Flap

Acclaimed author of Daddy Was a Numbers Runner and the historical novel Fragments of the Ark, Louise Meriwether now gives us this resonant and revealing contemporary story about the struggle to love in the shadow of our fears. . .

A successful writer for BlackSpeak magazine, Glenda Jackson is gifted, dynamic, and respected in her field. She's determined to take control of her emotional life. While reviewing a new play at Harlem's innovative Aldridge Ensemble, she meets the enigmatic director, Mark Abbitt, the driving force behind a renaissance in black theater.

The charismatic director proves to be as complex as one of his dramas. Haunted by memories of Vietnam, blind to the manipulations of his ex-wife, Mark is determined to be a good father to his four-year-old son. If Glenda's not to be eclipsed by Mark's powerful presence, she must confront her own deep fear of intimacy to find out if love is enough to heal a damaged soul. Yet against all the odds, these two remarkable people step into each other's shadow . . .and begin to dance.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine; 1st edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345425952
• ISBN-13: 978-0345425959
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,933,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Culturally Stimulating, August 3, 2000

By 

D. Germaine Bell (Harlem, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Dancing (Paperback)

This book was a long awaited follow up to her debut, Daddy was a Number Runner. Shadow Dancing tells the story of Glenda, a writer with a magazine and Mark, the Director of a Theater, and how they were able to overcome obstacles and adversities, primarily Mark's ex. I believe the story started out strong, but towards the middle and end, it started to lose me. The main characters were not as well developed as I would have like -- I didn't feel an intimate relationship with them, so when we experienced the climaxes, I wasn't deeply involved enough with the characters to really feel anything. I found the book entertaining and enjoyed the history of black theater and culture that the author supplied, but the book wasn't memorable enough that I would choose to read it a second time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth your time, July 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Shadow Dancing (Paperback)

I picked up this book because according to the display in my local library, it's a great new African-American women's novel. I actually forced myself to finish it because I wanted to make sure I wasn't judging it unfairly. Basically, I wouldn't suggest anyone waste his/her time on this book--it was not particularly well-written (the dialogue was stilted, the narration constantly said explicitly what could have been implied or shown to the reader in a more interesting way); the plot was incredibly contrived (drama after drama happens--to reveal here that there's a car crash, a near-mugging, a death in a gunshot robbery, a meningitis scare, and lots of post-traumatic stress syndrome doesn't spoil any of the pleasure of the book), and the characters were never three-dimensional enough for me to care about them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-So, April 5, 2001

By 

Martha (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Dancing (Paperback)

This book was like a soup that was under seasoned- bland. Don't get me wrong, the writer is very talented, that's clear by her lyrical, concise prose. But overall, Shadow Dancing is filled with mundane people having mundane experiences. The most interesting person is Darlene, but unfortunately, she's just a secondary character who's given a sketchy life. Come to think of it, where were all of the strong, lasting subplots? It seems the writer killed of a major character when there wasn't anything else to do. This book lacked depth and substanstiality, but on a positive note, it wasn't torture.