They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

Set in the rarefied world of ballet, this is an intense, thoughtful novel about troubled family relationships and what it takes to become an artist. We’re told of a bitter rift between dancer-turned-choreographer Carlisle, her father Robert and his husband James – both big names in dance – but we don’t know the cause. The secret is gradually revealed as the book traces the history of their relationship – magical childhood stays at Robert and James’s sophisticated Greenwich Village apartment, which are overshadowed by the AIDS epidemic, Carlisle’s struggles with adolescent self-doubt and her growing friendship with James. While deeply attached to each other, the characters are each complex and brittle, and when James asks Carlisle for a favour, fragile family bonds are stressed beyond breaking point. An absorbing, moving read.

8/10