Little Movements
A Novel
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A “lyrical debut” (USA Today) about a Black woman who is finally given a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a renowned choreographer, only to find that it comes at a tremendous personal cost
“Lauren Morrow’s smart, incisive and hilarious debut is an ode to the creative process and to people everywhere who feel the pull to take a risk and try something new.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
LONGLISTED FOR THE VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE FALL: People, Oprah Daily, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Woman’s World, Christian Science Monitor, Bustle
Layla Smart was raised by her pragmatic Midwestern mother to dream medium. But all Layla’s ever wanted is a career in dance, which requires dreaming big. So when she receives a prestigious offer to be the choreographer-in-residence at Briar House, an arts program in rural Vermont, she leaves behind Brooklyn, her job, her friends, and her husband to pursue it.
Navigating Briar House and the small, white town that surrounds it proves difficult—Layla wants to create art for art’s sake and resist tokenization, but the institution’s director keeps encouraging Layla to dig deep into her people’s history. Still, the mental and physical demands of dancing spark a sharp, unexpected sense of joy, bringing into focus the years she’d distanced herself from her true calling for the sake of her marriage and maintaining the status quo.
Just as she begins to see her life more clearly, she discovers a betrayal that proves the cracks in her marriage were deeper than she ever could have known. Then Briar House’s dangerously problematic past comes to light. And Layla discovers she’s pregnant. Suddenly, dreaming medium sounds a lot more appealing.
Poignant, propulsive, and darkly funny, Little Movements is a novel about self-discovery, about what we must endure—or let go of—in order to realize our dreams.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We were enraptured by this gorgeously written debut novel about navigating the intersection between life, creativity, and expectations. Lifelong dancer Layla has recently discovered her love of choreography, so when she wins a position at Briar House, a Vermont artist residency program, she’s overjoyed…and overwhelmed. Lauren Morrow elegantly explores the conflicts that come with Layla’s once-in-a-lifetime gift, from scandals within the program to the strain it puts on her marriage—not to mention Briar House’s all-white administration assuming that Layla’s dance performance will directly reflect “the Black experience” without even asking her. What shine just as brilliantly are Morrow’s vivid descriptions of the dances themselves. She captures the artistry of movement through the written word so strikingly, we felt like we could see each piece play out across the page. There’s so much to feel and discuss in this gem of a novel, it’s sure to be a book club favourite.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Morrow's tender debut traces a Black woman's rocky path to becoming an artist. Narrator Layla Smart was raised by a mother who didn't encourage her dreams. Now 33, Layla takes a leap of faith shortly after a miscarriage puts a strain on her marriage to Eli, an aspiring filmmaker who has become complacent as an IT specialist. She leaves Brooklyn and her publicity job for a nine-month residency at Briar House, a Vermont dance studio, where she'll choreograph a performance. The mostly white town is awash in Black Lives Matter signs, and she's aware that the studio is attempting to improve its poor record on diversity. Though she's uncomfortable with being tokenized, she devotes herself to the piece, hoping to honor the accomplished group of dancers, all of whom are Black. Her distance from Eli puts a further strain on their marriage, especially after she calls him to announce she's unexpectedly pregnant with their child. More complications ensue after troubling revelations about Briar House's history and its reasons for suddenly becoming more inclusive. Morrow leavens the heavy themes of grief, insecurity, and racism with Layla's sharp, self-deprecating humor ("What if they meant to invite Leela Smark or something," she asks Eli, not believing Briar House meant to accept her). It's a poignant tale of self-fulfillment.
