With Anna-Marie McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.
"McLemore weaves another magic spell... The author spins a tale of first love, misfits forging their own places in the world, and the inherent prejudices of people who fear what they don't understand. This novel will leave an indelible mark on readers' hearts."―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"McLemore fashions another gorgeous novel that reminds readers of the ways fairy-tale evils and, more importantly, love have their roots in the real world...McLemore’s well-choreographed story will dance on in readers’ minds." ―Booklist, starred review
"McLemore skillfully weaves together these parallel medieval and modern tales in alternating chapters...Dark and Deepest Red’s provocative, insightful collision of fairy tale and history is a powerful demonstration of McLemore’s immense talent." ―Bookpage, starred review
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.
Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
