Tap Dancing on a Hot Skillet

De: Gabrielle Brie

Narrado por: Gabrielle Brie

Tap Dancing on a Hot Skillet is Gabrielle Brie’s debut memoir—a coming-of-age story about growing up in a Jewish family of six in the Deep South of the 1950s and 1960s.

As if navigating the racially charged atmosphere of the times is not challenging enough, the secrets her father has brought into his marriage causes him to swing from loving to unpredictably volatile at the spin of a dime. As the oldest, her desire to protect her three younger siblings from the chaos and injustices inside and outside her home is made harder by an emotionally absent mother.

Using a combination of personal stories set against a backdrop of cultural context—the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and pop culture references of films and music (from Elvis to the Beatles)—Brie creates a scaffolding by which to hang the evolving angst of the 1960s contrasted with the naiveté of the 1950s, told through the eyes of a young person caught at the center. The stories are told with a keen sense of visual detail, southern wit, and an authentic adolescent voice that helps the characters dance off your device and sit right along next to you.

©2021 Gabrielle Brie (P)2021 Gabrielle Brie

Resilience and Strength

Tap Dancing on a Hot Skillet by Gabrielle Brie is a moving memoir, yet so similar for those of us who were teenagers during the 60s. But I dare to say, her story is relatable for anyone, at any point in time, living in a world full of turmoil and chaos, yet still surviving in a dysfunctional household with parents who have their own issues.

To have it narrated by Gabrielle herself, added so much to the story as she uses the various accents of the people who surrounded her as she grew up.

In my opinion, I think people who go through tough circumstances often come out stronger. I definitely see it in this story, because I view Gabrielle, as a strong, resilient, remarkable woman, and that gives me hope for all of us during these difficult times.