A sweeping familial drama set in London during the turn of the 20th century.

Rose Banbury begins her life in 1875 at the Alhambra, a theater in London on whose doorstep she was deposited as an infant. Raised by Molly, the Alhambra’s seamstress, Rose becomes enamored with performance, later dancing at the Alhambra Theatre. Beautiful, talented, and eager to dance, Rose eventually becomes a member of the Alhambra dance company. Enter Arthur Roberts, a wealthy stage-door Johnny. He courts Rose, and she falls for him, only later learning Arthur’s already married. Rose continues the relationship, which leads to an unexpected pregnancy. Backstage at the Alhambra, she gives birth to twins Nina and Walter. Nina stays in Whitechapel, while Walter is raised by Arthur and his wife in Surrey. It’s not until Walter is 12 that he learns about his biological mother and sister. Arthur dies, and Mrs. Roberts sends Walter off on his own. Though Walter is initially reluctant to befriend Rose (having grown up rich, he’s embarrassed by how “common” she is), his love of music allows him to bond with Rose and Nina: “A switch had been thrown, binding Walter to these two women with an electric charge.” Holmes’ novel covers decades in the Banbury’s and Roberts’ lives, spanning from 1875 to 1921. Nina, headstrong and fierce, travels the world, even dancing in Igor Stravinsky’s 1913 show in Paris. Meanwhile, Walter, who’s gay, finds love with Alexei, a Russian dancer; however, Walter struggles with his sexuality, seeing it as “the degenerate aspect of his nature.” Later, after the onset of WWI, the twins have their 20th birthday party and witness the start of air raids in London. Learning that Alexei is missing in action, Walter—heartbroken—enlists and experiences firsthand the horrors of war. Despite their troubles, everyone in the Banbury-Roberts clan strives to endure. As Nina ardently proclaims to her brother, “Life regenerates…[it] can be ugly—we know that—but beautiful too.”

Holmes’ tale is captivating, with fleshed-out characters who animate the pages, even Walter, who’s noted as being more reserved in demeanor. Rose is an exuberant cast member who’s dynamic and memorable. The plot, however, is a bit chaotic. The exhaustive scope of the families’ lives becomes unwieldy, with an overstuffed catalog of struggles and cultural/historical events. For example, with the introduction of Nina’s beau, Charlie, comes minor plot points centered on the Jazz Age, interracial discrimination, American racism, abortion, and drug abuse. This could make for a riveting, important story all on its own, but it’s added to an extensive exploration of the performing arts, as well as war, LGBTQ issues, career aspirations, PTSD, physical disabilities and body shame, childhood abandonment, and the like. Additionally, the wide scope results in rapid pacing; entire years of the twins’ lives fly by in the breadth of mere pages. Still, the story is an entertaining and moving piece of historical fiction.

An engaging and heartfelt tale that covers an overabundance of themes.