Karine Lambert/Translated by Anthea Bell – Now Let’s Dance (Literature Review)

When seventy-eight-year-old Marguerite’s husband dies, no one cares … about her at least. She was never really in love with the man her parents wanted her to marry, but in his absence, her loneliness becomes all too much to bear. Slowly, she begins to take control of her life, and seek out the pleasures she missed out on as a notary’s wife. Everyone thinks she’s crazy and condemns her newfound independence.

Then, she meets Marcel, an Algerian man of her own age, who is struggling with the recent loss of his much-loved wife Nora. As the two grow closer in their united grief, they can feel the disapproval of those around them increase. But love is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it would be remiss of them to ignore this second-chance at happiness, wouldn’t it?

It’s easy to see why Now Let’s Dance by Karine Lambert has critics in a tailspin. Originally published in French last year, it’s already become a bestseller overseas, with comparisons to The Little Paris Bookshop and The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared. Now Anthea Bell’s English translation is widely available, the novel is sure to enchant even more readers with its charm.

There are certain points of the book that get a little lost in translation, like when Marguerite refers to the fact that her husband insisted that they continue to call each other “vous” instead of the more informal “tu”. When it comes down to it, however, the unique lyrical quality of Lambert’s writing, the simple, engaging plot, and characters whose joie de vivre makes the novel really come to life, shine through.

Whether you’re a self-confessed Francophile or just looking for a means of escapism, Now Let’s Dance may be the tonic you need to life’s ups and downs.