LibraryThing reader SAMANTHA100 has this to say about Dancing in the Shadows of Love
The three different [women's] stories are each filled with the same things: sadness, longing, unfulfilled desires and misplaced priorities. The women learned that things are not always what they appear to be. Eventually their lives intersected with surprising results. I found this to be an unusual and fascinating book. The author skillfully gives voice to the characters and in doing so the reader becomes enthralled with their lives. She leaves the reader with much to think about." Read the full review here 06/2012
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Book review blog ROMANCING THE BOOK gives Dancing in the Shadows of Love a "lovely rose" award and says:
The three different [women's] stories are each filled with the same things: sadness, longing, unfulfilled desires and misplaced priorities. The women learned that things are not always what they appear to be. Eventually their lives intersected with surprising results. I found this to be an unusual and fascinating book. The author skillfully gives voice to the characters and in doing so the reader becomes enthralled with their lives. She leaves the reader with much to think about." Read the full review here 06/2012
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Book review blog ROMANCING THE BOOK gives Dancing in the Shadows of Love a "lovely rose" award and says:
"I
loved this well written story, rich with strong characters. The strength as
they deal with raw emotions, survival of brutality, poverty, betrayal and so
much more only to survive. I was able to feel the depth of the hurt and pain in
each one of their stories, triumphing along with their quest for love and
friendship. Ms. Croome proves to be a magical story teller ... [of] a
powerfully uplifting story that offers hope, peace and love." 06/2012
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Goodreads
member VIVIAN gives Dancing in the Shadows of Love 5* and says:
"Some readers might be
put off by the spiritual elements, but this book does not proselytize. Peeling
back those superficial layers, there are so many nuggets of wisdom to be found
in this book. Gave this novel five stars since it supersedes the typical
schemas to which most novels apply and the lyrical nature of the
book" 06/2012 Read Vivian's whole review here
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by Judy
Croome
★★★★★
It never
breaks. The haunting tone of this book, with its aura of simmering emotion,
never breaks until the final word. Ten pages into the book, I was already
flipping through it trying to find a picture of the author. Who writes like
this? Who names their main character Lulu?
This is about
three ordinary-but-extraordinary women and their struggle to ride the waves of
life. It’s about love, betrayal, lust, trust, and learning to live again. So,
yeah, it’s about God.
Dancing in
the Shadows of Love. This one
kept me uncomfortable the whole time, wishing the three of them would just step
out of the shadows into the light. It’s not that the plot is terribly
captivating, it’s just that the words are arranged so … artfully? Grippingly?
Hauntingly? Now that I’m finished (and after a sleepless night) I confess
Croome is a fascinating author, and I’m terrified of the day she hands me
another book to review. I know I won’t be able to turn it down.
But what is
her book doing on my religion blog? Well, the problem is, an explanation would
also be a spoiler. Its value is spiritual, even if its religion is foreign. But
don’t worry, her Spirit King and his mysterious representative will overlay
nicely atop whatever beliefs you espouse, if you do just a little stretching
here and there.
Note to Ms.
Croome: Page 165 still holds me spellbound. And I’m a guy.
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Gary Butler from Gary's Reviews calls DANCING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE "an amazing find" and talks about it in his video review:
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Award-winning children's author (and previously multi-pubbed romance author) Jayne Bauling posted this insightful review of DANCING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE:
Judy Croome's novel offers a salutary lesson. It's
not the sort of book that would be my first or even my second choice of reading
material, yet I found myself engrossed, eager to follow the three central
characters, all women, along their different and difficult paths.
The landscape is familiar yet strange. Likewise the
Faith at the heart of this novel, summoning and at times repelling Zahra, Lulu
and Jamila. The time is as flexible as landscape. It could be the future, yet
The Old Man and the Sea is a recent literary success. Unspecified war is an
ever-present backdrop. The narrative is everyone's and anyone's.
While the formal language may take this book out of
the contemporary realm, the abuses, prejudice and self-deception that so scar
the three women are timeless. So is the yearning for redemption, salvation,
grace, call it what you will (a strongly symbolic character is named Grace). Of the three women, the oldest, Zahra, is the most powerfully realised and
complex, though not necessarily the most sympathetic.
I didn't know what to expect of this book. Having
read it, I think it would be restrictive to place any label on it. Fiction is a
two-way affair. A novel is not just the author's story. What the reader gains
from it - entertainment, enlightenment? - depends on what the reader brings to
it. (12/2011)
###Author Anne Gallagher rated "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" 5* and says:
DANCING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE was a fascinating look at how the other side of the world looks at their religion (which I'm presuming is Christianity) and the humanity that encompasses. Part other worldly, part time travel, I was taken into an African sub-culture where brutality and the lowest faces of poverty live and how each of the characters escapes.
This is the story of three women, Jamila, Zahra, and Lulu, their lives intertwining, along with their search for love. Its raw emotion kept me turning the pages. Croome writes with a deep understanding of need and loss, as well as redemption and forgiveness.
From the book: "Jamila, child, you don't suffer from what other people do to you. Real suffering comes from what you do to others."
At times I was apalled, others left me weeping for these women and the paths their lives took. Croome is a master story-teller and her words are graceful and appealing. They sucked me in, grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. I could feel the ocean winds blowing through my hair, taste the gritty sand of the desert, and smelled the flowers in the garden. As for the characters, each is so alive and three dimensional, they literally walked off the pages.
For myself, as a romance writer, this book taught me a lot about the path to finding and keeping love. As a reader, this book is one I will remember for a very long time. I very much look forward to more from Judy Croome. (11/2011)
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Goodreads member LuAnn gave Dancing in the Shadows of Love a 4* rating and said:This is the story of three women, Jamila, Zahra, and Lulu, their lives intertwining, along with their search for love. Its raw emotion kept me turning the pages. Croome writes with a deep understanding of need and loss, as well as redemption and forgiveness.
From the book: "Jamila, child, you don't suffer from what other people do to you. Real suffering comes from what you do to others."
At times I was apalled, others left me weeping for these women and the paths their lives took. Croome is a master story-teller and her words are graceful and appealing. They sucked me in, grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. I could feel the ocean winds blowing through my hair, taste the gritty sand of the desert, and smelled the flowers in the garden. As for the characters, each is so alive and three dimensional, they literally walked off the pages.
For myself, as a romance writer, this book taught me a lot about the path to finding and keeping love. As a reader, this book is one I will remember for a very long time. I very much look forward to more from Judy Croome. (11/2011)
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This book is nothing but fascinating. Told in the voices of the main women characters, it takes the reader to a world many are not privy to. It’s a place where prejudice abounds and a person is avoided just because he or she is different than others.
Full of brutal honesty, the story is not an easy one to read. It makes readers face their own fears and bigotries, while at the same time, coming to terms with the opinions of those who refuse to honestly look inside themselves for the truth.
On the other hand, it’s also a story of hope and coming to terms with what could be perceived as one’s own differences from the norm of mainstream society. (09/2011)
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Goodreads member Karen says:
A beautifully written, lyrical book. I can pick it up at any point and find paragraphs that just amaze me with the writing. The book follows three women in their search for love, three broken women who seek healing and redemption and in the process their paths cross. I got drawn into these characters and really wanted more of each of them! Lulu and Zahra were my favorite. I like how the author goes deep into dark places and doesn't shy away from the reality of experience that made these women who they are. (11/2011)
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Book Reviewer McGuffy Ann from the book review blog "McGuffy's Reader" enjoyed the novel and said:
Judy Croome grabs you by the heart and does not let go. In this novel she explores the lives and loves of three women. Each woman has her own story, her own struggles. The characters and their stories are raw and deep, making for a powerful book.
There is a glossary that is not only useful, but necessary in understanding certain terminology used in the book. There are also symbolism and complex plot lines. The intertwining of these stories adds to the impact of the book.
Judy Croome is a creative talent and a thorough writer. (09/2011)
LibraryThing reader “liveinlibrary” calls "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" a keeper:
I read this wonderful book some time ago and wanted to share how very much it meant to me, then ... I had to read it again because I knew there was more to it than a single reading could convey.
Judy Croome is among the most lyrical authors I've read and her themes, like her characters, are alive with all of the poetry and fear, anguish and love that life can hold. There is much within these pages that will make you think and much that will make you cry. In many ways this novel is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Lulu, Zahra and Jamila, each in their own way, lead lives in which the quest for Spirit is as important as the quest for kindness, forgiveness and love.
Judy Croome's writing is to be savoured for its magical, haunting quality. Lulu's terrible, heart-rending solitude speaks to our own loneliness. Zahra struggles under the need to bury the past and keep it from unraveling the present. Jamila's search is for a love that transcends her past and all three wrestle with the demons that accompany any quest -- and then there is the mysterious Enoch.
It's difficult to write a review for "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" simply because I don't think I'm done with this novel -- or perhaps the novel isn't done with me. I read the ebook version and I'm off to buy the print version. It's a definite keeper to be read over and over. (09/2011)
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"These three amazing womens' lives eventually cross over and we are taken on an insightful journey of discovery for each of them. The setting is somewhat like today's world but also quite different and the religion is again something we can understand but not quite the same which makes the story even easier to read because it never once delves into the realm of being preachy.
On that point, I was initially worried that this story would be too religious for my tastes but I am pleased to say I was very wrong and this is an utterly compelling read of spiritual depths, exploring the kind of inner love and peace you can find when you let go of hate and the scars that you have lived through in your life.
An outstanding debut and one I found I couldn't wait to pick up again and finish." (09/2011)
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Writer and yoga enthusiast PJ Swanwick wrote in her Amazon review:
"The women's stories are difficult, and Croome's writing style of exposes their emotions as raw wounds. One cannot read the book without jolting a nerve or two of one's own. These are well-developed characters, and the reader experiences every plot twist and turn by their sides, understanding their motives, if not always approving of their choices.
For a first novel, "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" is very well written, with nuanced character development and solid plotting. Perhaps no one can truly describe what we mean by "love," but Judy Croome has done a fine job of trying." (08/2011)
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LibraryThing reader Mrs Flicker commented:
"Dancing in the Shadows of Love contains on its pages the story of three women who must learn first what love is not, in order to recognize what it is. It is the story of their own awakening into awareness of the "self" that each possesses.
This novel is the type of book that draws the reader in so completely that the world at large simply does not exist until the last page has been finished. I recommend this novel to anyone who knows, or wants to know, how important love is." (08/2011)
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Author Linda Cassidy Lewis has this to say:
"I'm simply overwhelmed. Judy Croome has written a book that's gorgeous, brilliant, heart-breaking, uplifting, empowering ...and more!
Although the story takes place in a purposely undefined place and time, the characters are painfully real. The story follows three women, each with a damaged soul, as they yearn to be loved, but first they need to define love and, in order to do that, they must learn to forgive. The mysterious Enoch is their guide for this spiritual journey.
Judy Croome's writing is impeccable and her insight into the soul of man astounding. I believe this book came straight from her heart--and that heart is a large and beautiful one.
If I could, I'd give this book six stars. I'm definitely looking forward to her next one." (08/2011)
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LibraryThing reader njMom3 says in her review:
"Dancing in the Shadows of Love was a very unexpected book. The setting is somewhat futuristic, yet now. It is not specified and as such really could be anywhere projecting the universality of the story.
The main characters are three very different women. All three are compelling; you feel for them even as some make the wrong choices.
The situations they survive - abuse, poverty, prejudice - all apply to so many people in so many different parts of the world. Again, this adds to the universal nature of human experience.
The religious overtones in this book are unmistakable. However, they come across more spiritual in nature, rather than dogma and preaching.
This book made me feel and made me think. A great combination!" (08/2011)
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Reviewer Krystal says in her 4* review:
"This is an emotionally powerful book and the reader has to be prepared to allow the author to expand her knowledge of forgiveness...the author does an excellent job of developing the characters and helping the reader to understand them and think of them as friends. The reader will be rooting for these three throughout the novel...the book is fast-paced, but the reader has enough time to comprehend all of the tough subjects addressed. The author does not skate over these issues, they are out in the open." (08/2011)
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Author Jesse Hanson sums up the novel in his review:
“The Court of St Jerome is a spiritual enclave that proves to be the point of convergence of the principal characters, three of whom are women of diversely troubled backgrounds. All three are seekers of love, but to find or obtain love, they must first learn what true love is. The lessons are often exquisitely painful; and they are, I think, uniquely feminine lessons. Ultimately, each of the three characters learns the lessons she needs to learn. Do they find love, any or all of them? Well I won't say. Is it a love story? Yes. Is it a unique love story? I do think so. It is worth reading. I recommend it to those who are interested in exploring the question: What is love anyway?” (07/2011)
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Host of The G-Zone Blog Radio Talk Show, Giovanni Gelati of Gelati's Scoop tweets that "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" is a 'seriously emotional novel' and adds in his review:
"...Generally I stay to lighter reads, things explode, people die, spies are caught, the bad guy gets his in the end, that kind of stuff. When I received this novel, I was on the fence about it. Was it my thing? Could I groove on her universe? The answer is YES, I did and I am a better person for taking the time to have this author expand my mind and my soul. If you are looking for a read that is going to make you question the core of your being, what life is about, perspective, forgiveness, seeing things through another ‘s eyes, then you better read this novel; it is that and so much more. The characters are well developed, the plot concise and the movement in their lives will touch you on so many different levels..." (07/2011)
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Freelance editor Helen Ginger reviews "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" :
...described as “a novel of hope and mystery,” I would describe it as haunting. The women and their stories will stick with you long after you’ve put down the book. The world Lulu, Jamila and Zahra live in is foreign to me, but their emotions and fears and quest for love are not.
For me, it was like entering a strange world where things are a bit upside down and new to me, but each day I was compelled to go back and continue reading, to find out what would happen to them. Of the three women, Lulu is the one who threads their lives together...read the rest of the review on Helen's blog
Thanks to Helen for her final words: I give Dancing in the Shadows of Love a rating of Hel-of-a-Writer. I’m definitely amazed by Judy Croome’s writing. (06/2011)
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Author Claire Robyns gives "Dancing in the Shadows of Love" a 5* rating:
Ms Croome writes a breathtaking tale of the lives of three women: their past, their mistakes and their journey to overcome the trials life throw out to reach, if not happiness, then some form of peace each in their own way. Lulu, Jamila and Zahra each have demons from their past that mold their character...read the rest of the review on Goodreads (05/2011)
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