Wild as the Stars
In Seattle, 1925, Eleanora “Nora” Cleary is washing dishes at the Milk House and dreaming of a world that allows her to use her magic. But Prohibition has caused the banning of magic as well as alcohol. At the Milk House, the substance inside the glasses is certainly not milk, and Nora is not participating in the magic performed in this underground club because she is a fire dancer, like her mother before her, and her very nature sometimes threatens to consume her. To further complicate matters, she suffers from debilitating panic attacks. Then the son of the owner of the Luminaire, where magic is still openly performed, comes to the Milk House to recruit a dancer, and he wants Fiona Cleary’s daughter.
I was quickly drawn into this story, where magic is illegal along with alcohol, and the dancers can conjure, among other things, rainbows, gems, ice, stars, water, and in Eleanora’s case, fire. The point of view shifts back at times to Fiona, Nora’s mother, in Chicago at the beginning of Prohibition in 1919, to their escape to Seattle, and beyond. This is very effective in showing Nora’s history to the reader. Prohibition raids and public attacks on the dancers are a part of the story as well. The writing is almost musical, and it gives us a clear picture of the dancers’ plight and the toll that magic takes on their mental health. For example, “I’m completely at the mercy of my emotions. Magical Dance is the portal to all things magnificent and devastating. I never know which will prevail.” The story is captivating, and, while fantasy, is inspired by both real-life Prohibition and vaudeville. There is a surprise that takes the novel to even higher levels, a romance, and an underlying message of self-acceptance. Highly recommended.
