The Ballroom Girls

Jenny Holmes

IT may be wartime in Blackpool, but can the magic of the ballroom help three girls dance their cares away?

Welcome to the first of a sparkling new series which brings to life the glitz and glamour of the famous Tower Ballroom, the turbulent years of the Second World War, and the vibrant dancing scene of the resort in the 1940s.

Jenny Holmes (pictured below), author of The Air Raid Girls series, works her storytelling magic on this empowering tale which spotlights three very different women, all eager to prove themselves during a time of change, hardship and uncertainty.

In Blackpool in the summer of 1942, we meet Sylvia, the spoiled daughter of Lorna Ellis, one of Blackpool’s pre-eminent and most ambitious ballroom dancing teachers. Sylvia has been coached to win awards all her life and now approaching 21, she is under pressure to scoop up prizes by fair means or foul. But when she secretly takes lessons in the popular new Latin dances, will mother and daughter end up at odds? Pearl, meanwhile, is the oldest daughter in a large, chaotic family who all work at the Pleasure Beach. Pearl sells fish and chips by day, but on a Saturday night she often sneaks away to join dancers in their glittery finery at the Tower Ballroom. She partners her best friend Bernie Greene, who works a Pleasure Beach ride, and as their dancing improves, might friendship turn to something more?

Joy is an evacuee who lost her parents in the Blitz and feels alone in the world. Now she lives in a shabby boarding house where she works as a cleaner. But, although she is shy and modest, Joy has a secret... she has fallen in love with the American Jitterbug, the latest dance craze. So when dashing Tommy invites her to dance, she wonders if this could be her chance to find the life and love she’s always dreamed of.

And it seems it is when Lorna’s rival dance school spots Joy’s talent and she is given a chance to break away from boarding house drudgery and enter the glamorous world of professional ballroom dancing.

Through blackouts and air raids, the excitement of the ballroom never dims but competition is fierce. Will the Ballroom Girls find what they’re looking for in the joy of the dance? Full of drama, romance and the thrill of dancing, this heartwarming and uplifting story sets the scene perfectly for an exciting and nostalgia-laden new series which visits some of Blackpool’s familiar landmarks and will delightful both saga fans and those who know and love this seaside town.
(Penguin, paperback, £7.99)