My review of To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa

About the book:

"Not a safe world." How many times had she heard it over and over again? Well, it is not a safe world and Dara Murphy Brogan knew it better than most, which is exactly why she had tucked herself away on a desert mountaintop. Now it was just her, the voice inside her head and the boxes of hastily packed odds and ends—all that was left of her pathetic excuse of a life. Hadn’t she chosen the desert because it was barren and brown and dead looking and far, far away from anyone who may have seen the news? So what was this, this trespasser, this interloper, this whacked out earth mother doing dancing outside her window? Celebrating life and the Spirit in a way Dara never could have dreamed. Until she opened her door and met Jane Cameron.

My review:

This story is amazing. Strange in some ways, yet incredibly insightful in others. Have you ever met someone who was very guarded and stand-offish, almost skittish? The main character, Dara, is this type of person. As you delve into her life you begin to understand the complexity of her issues and her need for a savior. Dara is so lost. Then she meets Jane, the wacky earth-mother who is not as crazy as she seems at first. I loved experiencing Dara's quest for her biological mother. Her deep pain and misplaced guilt shows how truly devastating abandonment can be to a child, especially if the person who left is the mom. Dara learned a lot about herself and grew through the course of the story. She set aside her own needs to help others, yet still had this wall around her heart. But a nagging voice in the wind would call to her, especially when her pain seemed the most out of control. That still small voice is one we all need to tune into. It just might turn our lives around if we do.

To Dance in the Desert was published by Cook Communications and was released in May 2007.