Review: The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin

When Dylan Styles discovers his wife is pregnant, it's like a dream come true. But their preparations for his son's arrival end with tragedy that shakes Dylan to his core. Even with the support of friends and community, Dylan is uncertain how to find his way through his grief, how to wrestle with the deep questions of his heart.

One of the things Charles Martin does so well is creating the sleepy rural town, full of bright, vibrant characters. Dylan's best friend Amos was a favorite of mine from the moment he set foot on the page. Koy, a student, was another of my favorites. Really, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a character that didn't really come to life for me. Another of Martin's strengths (and I enjoyed this so much in another of his novels, When Crickets Cry) is his interplay between husband and wife. I loved the descriptions of how they'd interact together, and sort of the quirkiness of the relationships.

Early in The Dead Don't Dance, Dylan begins teaching again, and begins to share in the lives and stories of his students. While that isn't the central plot of the story, if you enjoy inspirational teaching stories, like LouAnn Johnson's My Posse Don't Do Homework (which was the basis for the movie Dangerous Minds), give this one a read.