Last Dance on the Starlight Pier

A Novel

By: Sarah Bird

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Set during the Great Depression, Sarah Bird's Last Dance on the Starlight Pier is a novel about one woman—and a nation—struggling to be reborn from the ashes.

July 3. 1932. Shivering and in shock, Evie Grace Devlin watches the Starlite Palace burn into the sea and wonders how she became a person who would cause a man to kill himself. She’d come to Galveston to escape a dark past in vaudeville and become a good person, a nurse. When that dream is cruelly thwarted, Evie is swept into the alien world of dance marathons. All that she has been denied—a family, a purpose, even love—waits for her there in the place she dreads most: the spotlight.

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier is a sweeping novel that brings to spectacular life the enthralling worlds of both dance marathons and the family-run empire of vice that was Galveston in the Thirties. Unforgettable characters tell a story that is still deeply resonant today as America learns what Evie learns, that there truly isn’t anything this country can’t do when we do it together. That indomitable spirit powers a story that is a testament to the deep well of resilience in us all that allows us to not only survive the hardest of hard times, but to find joy, friends, and even family, in them.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Such a FABULOUS book - start to finish and everything in between.

Fell in love with all the characters. Felt like I was there with them each step of the way. The storyline development was outstanding and the twists and turns were superb! The reader was great. This needs to be a movie. Would and will recommend this book to everyone I know!

Repetitive

Although interesting, there was too much of the same info and situations about the marathon. It seemed like she was trying to make a short story into a long one. I have been a big fan of her previous books but this one was not my favorite. The narrator’s voice was annoying at times. The men’s voices were better than the women’s.

Something different for a change

I love historical fiction. While a little light on pure history, there was enough to satisfy my interest in the world of vaudeville/marathon dances as they related to the Great Depression. I didn't know about that connection. The story takes place in the years before FDR's election, and the characters make no secret of the fact that they want him to win. (If you don't like FDR, you may not like this book.) The plot is well-constructed with a few clever twists. One of the main plots fits quite neatly into current-days issues. Galveston and Chicago, as well as the Texas Panhandle, also play roles in the story. I found that I really cared about the characters and the situations in which they found themselves. This is not the best book I've ever read in my entire life which is a long one), but it is a memorable one I won't forget.

Historical fiction

Enjoyed the connection to history and Galveston. Taboo topics were written with grace and personalization.

Long saga

The narration was very good. Pleasant voice and good inflections.
This historical fiction story was long, some editing to reduce length would have been beneficial in my opinion. Overall, I found the book interesting. I was not aware of the dance marathons held during the Great Depression. I am familiar with Houston and Galveston areas and I enjoyed those settings. I do like books which have a variety of some good and some evil characters and this book had both.