Dreamlike retelling of a classic myth
Nocturne: A Novel
Young Adult, Fantasy, Folklore
Del Rey
February 21, 2023
Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback
240
Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.
Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company’s new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.
Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master’s secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought.
For so long I had been desperate to escape Death, but maybe I’d been mistaken – what I’d really wanted to defy was time.
Nocturne by Alyssa Wees is a dreamlike experience into a ballet themed adaptation and mixture of classic stories like Phantom of the Opera and Hades and Persephone. With a dark, almost desolate feel, this story transports you to another time, place and even realm of existence. Grace Dragotta’s pursuit of the enigmatic call of dance places her in a position she thought she always wanted, yet one that turn out to be her worst nightmare. As her understanding of the consequences of her choices becomes more clear Grace ultimately has to decide between her heart and her own self-interests.
Nocturne was an interesting read in that it was able to elicit the same feeling you get after having a lucid dream. While there is definitely a clear plot progression, the journey through the book is in constant flux between reality and fantasy. This is due to both Alyssa’s style of writing and her focused intent on layering the meaning of objects, actions, and events. While not necessarily a type of book that I would want to constantly read constantly this gothic yet sinuous delivery fit really well with the plot. Also, Alyssa’s knowledge of ballet is also quite evident. Her love and appreciation of this technical yet stunningly beautiful form of dance permeates each page and pulls you into the elite world of classical ballet.
I let myself smile, feeling deliriously nocturnal, an animal in the dark. It was a last moment of peace before the breaking.
While the premise of Nocturne initially led me to believe that it could also be a romance, the end result is not entirely true, which is not to say that this detracted from the experience. Nocturne is a love story on multiple planes; “My desire to dance was more than merely wanting to be seen, but I couldn’t have explained it then. Playing the violin was like breathing, but dance was the thing that kept my heart beating, wild and free. Breath or blood? Air or ichor? If I had to choose, I chose my heart.” Grace’s journey of self discovery and empowerment explores the way we look at others and at ourself. The “happy ending” is relative but their is no doubt that Alyssa takes you on a lyrical journey through love and loss, life and death that will linger in your consciousness.
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
