SYNOPSIS
More than a metaphor and much more than a dance, the Tango takes
Cherie from being a widow with suicidal tendencies to traveling the
world in search of herself, finding love, sorrow and serenity. Her quest
takes her to France where she falls in love with aristocratic Olivier,
and to Argentina where she falls in love with the tango. Along the way
she discovers and deals with her own two separate breast cancers and the
loss of all that she’d previously valued. Relationships in the
desperate singles world is a whole new dance to learn, before being
blessed at the Church of Tango.
The Church of Tango captivates readers struggling with tragic loss, illness, and death, as well as those who are passionate about travel and adventure, who long for love, or who delight in dance of all kinds.
Gold Medal winner 2013 of the Wishing Shelf Book AwardThe Church of Tango captivates readers struggling with tragic loss, illness, and death, as well as those who are passionate about travel and adventure, who long for love, or who delight in dance of all kinds.
MY REVIEW
This memoir, which is partially set in France, tells the story of Cherie Magnus. Magnus shares her life as a widow with us and at times it is almost painful to read about all of the hardships she encounters, from the heartache of losing her husband to the betrayal of friends to challenging relationships. I think it was especially hard to read her recount some of her forays into the dating world as a widow because as a reader you want to reach through the pages of the book and tell her that she deserves so much better. But I admire her ability to honestly recount her relationships as not everyone can tell it like it is or was.
Through all of her trials and triumphs, the tango is her source of comfort. I did not know much about tango before reading this so it was interesting to learn about the dance and the customs in the clubs where the tango is danced. My favorite part of the book was her initial trip to Paris as she comments about how Paris felt more like home than anywhere else did at the time, which is a sentiment that I can completely relate to.
ABOUT THE AUTHORCherie Magnus, a California native, lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 12 years.
She was a dance research librarian in the Los Angeles Central Library and a dance critic for local newspapers before moving to France, Mexico, and finally to Argentina in 2003.
Many of her articles on dance, books, travel and international culture have been published in magazines, professional journals, and several anthologies.
She has written a blog on expat life, Buenos Aires culture, and tango since 2006.
Currently she is preparing a prequel, Arabesque: Dancing on the Edge in Los Angeles, to be published in 2014.
Visit her website. Follow her on Facebook, and Twitter
Buy the book: Amazon (paperback) | Amazon (kindle) | Smashwords
7 comments:
Sounds like a great book! I am so far behind on reading that I feel terrible! We still work outside most evenings, but it looks like it will come to an end so hopefully I can get back in the "book swing"!
Sounds like a tough book to read but also a good one at the same time. I love it when a memoir expands our horizons about a topic we didn't know anything about otherwise (such as the tango!)
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for reading and reviewing my memoir.
"Un abrazo tanguero" (a tango hug) to you!
Cherie
thanks so much for your nice review. glad it inspired you
The tango is one of my favorite dances, at least on Dancing with the Stars! But I don't know very much about it. Sounds like a goodone. Tough, but good.
Sounds like an interesting read! I also know nothing about the Tango!
Interesting! I should start stepping out of my usual genres and try something new :-)
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