Dancing on Glass

by Susan Taylor Chehak

Book Overview

Bader Von Vechten's marriage to Katherine Craig unites the leading families of Linwood, Iowa, and promises to heal the wounds of three generations. But when Bader commences a love affair with a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0996040803
• ISBN13: 9780996040808
• Release Date: April 2014
• Publisher: Foreverland Press
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Not Too Bad, But Missing Something

The title of this book has significant meaning in the opening scene, where the protagonist's wife commits suicide by falling through a skylight at a country club party in Cedar Hill, Iowa. Her death marks one of many tragedies that taints the Craig and Von Vechten names, two families that have, for generations, made a fortune together; but eventually greed, infidelity, and murder ruin their bond. Bader Von Vechten's marriage to Katherine Craig had appeared to bridge the gap between the two families, but it's soon destroyed when Bader has sex with a 15-year-old boy, Lee Kimbel, while engaged to Katherine. This affair sounds like it would be graphic and shocking, right? But it's really quite tame and nonexistent, with brief implied sex rather than any gratuitous homoerotic passages.The pacing in "Dancing on Glass" is oftentimes slow and weighed down with details and character stories, which is a plus and minus--the plus being Chehak's writing style is good, but there's very little dialogue or action, except for the tragic outcome in the last few pages of the second part. It's also hard to follow at times--it changes narrative constantly, moves erratically over a 25-year time frame, and has too many characters, most of whom aren't very interesting or likable, such as Mudd Kimbel, who had a considerable amount of pages devoted to her, but she doesn't have any major role in this book, except as Lee's mother.Yet, at the same time, Chehak's flowing prose draws you right into the story, regardless of the book's flaws. So, if you like small-town drama, then you might like "Dancing on Glass," though you'll have to wade through several pages before you actually get to the dirt.