In 1913, at her own modest wedding reception, Sylvia, a naïve young bride, innocently commits a social blunder that sets tongues to wagging and-for better or worse-triggers events that follow her until her death 60 years later. Her faux pas? Accepting too many invitations to dance with her father-in-law! My Grandmother Danced is told in brief, lyrical chapters, by Sylvia herself as well as by minor characters, their identities noted at the beginning of each of their pieces. This innovative structure keeps the story brisk and fast-paced. Sylvia's journey through life is straightforward and yet complex. Spiritual undertones complicate, rather than simplify, the story. The book touches on topics that make us examine our own ideas about adultery, war, homosexuality, prejudice, marriage, birth, and death. My Grandmother Danced appeals to readers who take pleasure not only in a solid story but also in pondering the whys and wherefores of a book's characters just as we do the motivations and actions and consequences in our own lives.