Wednesday, September 7, 2011

AnnaBelle, You Did What? An Epic Tale


AnnaBelle, You Did What? An Epic Tale
by Don Darnell [793.33 Dar]

I've met Don Darnell and enjoyed his company as a library customer several times, and enjoyed his descriptions of writing this book. Enough so that I decided to read it. I'm glad I did! AnnaBelle, You Did What? is a marvelously entertaining personal memoir, with a specific focus. Don explores his experiences learning to dance with his beloved wife, AnnaBelle, starting in their fifties. For anyone who has spent time at the PlaMor Ballroom, enjoying big band music, and wishing they had the skills and gumption to be out on the floor twirling around without embarrassing themselves. Don's writing style is light, and full of wonderful self-deprecating observations. The local nature of the events in the books should connect well with Lincoln readers, especially those with a few years under their belts. And on top of everything else, this is a passionate love story. For anyone who's watched the classical dances on Dancing With the Stars and wistfully wished they could take part, this book provides a glimpse of how enjoyable the world of amateur dancing can be. I also loved the reminiscing about the Big Band era musicians, such as the Bobby Layne Orchestra. Quite an enjoyable read. Congrats, Don! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official PlaMor Ballroom web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

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