THE DANCE TREE

This audiobook takes listeners to Strasbourg in 1518, when a form of group mania breaks out and members of the city council believe they must bring in musicians to dance the devil out of the mob. The story is based on a historical event involving the phenomenon of St. Vitus dance. Narrator Ruta Gedmintas portrays Lisbet, a pregnant woman who is determined to deal with family secrets and with the city council's malevolence. Gedmintas's performance helps listeners understand the various prejudices aimed against those who are stricken by the dancing plague, which is related to rheumatic fever. She captures the inexorable tension building around Lisbet's pregnancy and her determination to get to the bottom of her family's history. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2023]