BLOG TOUR Review: Dancing on Knives by Joanne Rush

I received an advanced review copy of this book for free as part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Honno
Published: 30 January 2025
Pages: 294

Synopsis

Laura, a brilliant young Bosnian refugee, must confront her harrowing past when she falls in love with British diplomat Adam, whose job takes them to Serbia – the country that once invaded her own.

With Adam preoccupied in his pursuit of war criminal General Ratko Mladić, Laura is troubled by familiar ghostly figures whose reminiscences about the city she once fled hold a dangerous allure. Can they help her? Or is she losing her mind?

As Laura grapples with these hidden secrets, she uncovers a defiant power within herself. Poised on the edge of magic realism, this is a story for our time, about the dark legacy of war and the unexpected roads that lead to redemption.

My Thoughts…

I have fallen completely in love with this book, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up as one of my favourites of the year. In her final note, the author describes this as a “quiet book”, and it certainly is that but it’s one of those books that quietly builds up an incredible amount of power, with characters I wasn’t fully ready to let go of when we finally reached the end of our journey together.

The execution is flawless, as the very real experiences of war, loss and trauma blend with elements of magical realism. Laura is a fascinating main character, trying to come to terms with the ghosts of the past and the scars left by the war. How do you keep on living after such a dramatic experience, keeping the memories of those who were lost to such senseless violence alive in a world that desperately wants to forget and move on? This is one of the central questions that kept popping up for me as I was reading this book, and one that certainly seems incredibly relevant today.

Dancing on Knives felt like a rare book, and the kind that I was desperately craving without even realising it. A book that takes its time, leaving space for reflection without trying to provide easy answers – of which there are none. Belonging, home, grief, healing, justice were all themes that kept popping up for me while on this journey with Laura. I feel this would make for a great book club pick, as there are several different elements that I would have loved to discuss with others. Yet despite its quietness, I kept turning the pages, unable to stop reading as with the best thrillers.

Deeply reflective, hopeful and haunting at once, with some truly unforgettable characters and stunning writing: discovering this little gem felt like a true privilege, and I think it won’t be a book I’ll forget anytime soon. I saw some other reviewers compare this to Black Butterflies, which the author also mentioned in her note, so I think I’ll have to pick that up sometime soon!

Rating: 5/5

Huge thanks to the author, the publisher and Random Things Tours for having me on this tour! Be sure to check out the other stops as well for more great content.