Wish Me Joy West Virginia

By Valerie Banfield

Description:

April 1955. Fern Bigler has weathered storms and suffered loss, but the air hovering above her beloved hills and hollows carries an unmistakable warning, something akin to the hair-raising static that ushers in a lightning strike. When the former danseur étoile—star dancer—of the Royal Opera of Brussels sets off a spark that threatens to consume her family, Fern is determined to extinguish the fire. But, what if the flame resides in her daughter’s heart?

Leland Dugan’s good intentions don’t amount to much, not when one blunder or unavoidable crisis follows another. His wife’s spirit seems to gravitate toward empty. Empty arms, abandoned dreams, aimless days. Although Muriel chose to live in Elizabeth, West Virginia, for better or for worse, it’s plain to see she’s itching for more. Just once, Leland would like a taste of joy in the morning, a promise so precious but beyond his reach.

Why the author wrote this book:

A public broadcast documentary concerning the formation of the Charleston Ballet stunned me. How did a Belgian war resister and ballet dancer end up West Virginia? At the program's conclusion, I wanted to know more. I also wanted to make up more.