Dance, Gladys, Dance
978-1-897126-76-9 | 344 Pages March, 2012 Ebook, Fiction, Humour, Nunatak First Fiction Series, Women's LiteratureAlso available as an ebook from
About this book
WINNER OF THE 2013 LEACOCK MEMORIAL MEDAL FOR CANADIAN HUMOUR WRITING!
Twenty-seven-year-old Frieda Zweig is at an impasse. Behind her is a string of failed relationships and half-forgotten ambitions of being a painter; in front of her lies the dreary task of finding a real job and figuring out what “normal” people do with their lives. Then, a classified ad in the local paper introduces Frieda to Gladys, an elderly woman who long ago gave up on her dreams of being a dancer. The catch? Gladys is a ghost.
In Dance, Gladys, Dance, Cassie Stocks tells the uplifting story of a woman whose uncanny connection with a kindred spirit causes her to see her life in a new way—as anything but ordinary.
• winner of the 2013 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
• nominated for First Book Award, 2013 Saskatchewan Book Awards
• Gladys reviewed on Global Regina Morning News
• interview with the Western Producer
Reviews
"Dance, Gladys, Dance is a winner. You don't want to stop reading."
"Provocative, compelling, and filled with unexpected humour, Dance, Gladys, Dance is a delightful read."
"Dance, Gladys, Dance is a lovely demonstration of the importance of creating, whether it’s art, friends or food. Connection—reaching out to others—is the ultimate value of this charming and thoughtful novel."
"What a wonderful gem of a novel! Dance, Gladys, Dance is a fun novel with a serious side too and from the first page I was hooked and couldn’t put it down."
"Fun from page one to the end!"
"I can’t think of the last time a book made me laugh (many times!) and cry (again, many times!)."
"At its heart this story is about creating a life: whether that's through art, craft, business or relationships. I loved how Stocks takes fine art, domestic craft and feminism and stirs them all into a story that, despite its darker moments, sadnesses and soul-searching, ends up being uplifting and life-affirming. This book satisfies, and entertains, and provokes thought. A perfect book to sit down and discuss with other readers, with all its twists and turns and Ideas. A fabulous debut!"
"[a]n entertaining blend of humour and pathos, friends and families, the living and the dead."
"Dance, Gladys, Dance makes some pointed feminist and social commentary amid the sarcasm and depravity." full review
"[t]he characters are zany and interesting, and, while Stocks has a witty tone, she deals with very serious, sometimes downright devastating, themes." full review
"I loved hanging out with the characters in this book." full review