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It is September 1991 and Lydia has just given birth to a stillborn child in Montreal. As she and her husband, Dr John Gabriel, grapple with its after effects, their relationship come under inevitable scrutiny. Lydia, the daughter of poor Greek immigrants, fears she has failed her husband as well as his more prosperous Greek family. Their marriage had been shaky from the start and the stillbirth seriously threatens its very foundations, including John's commitment to marital fidelity. Tunes for Dancing Bears plunges deeply into the complexities of grief and the many challenges of being a woman. A touching story of family, loss, immigration, hope, and the real meaning of "for better or worse."
About the author
Irena Karafilly is an award-winning author of several acclaimed books and of numerous stories, poems, and articles. She has published in literary and mainstream magazines, as well as in The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune. Her short stories have won Canada's National Magazine Award and the CBC Literary Award. Her latest novel, Arrested Song, recently published in the UK by Legend Press, is a finalist for the QWF 2024 Hugh Maclennan Award for Fiction. She lives in Montreal.
