THE LAST DANCE

Peachtree, 1996. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. New/New. Debrah Santini. CONDITION: NEW 1996 Peachtree hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), stated first edition, first printing. Decorated end pages. A sweet love story that spans decades. The color illustrations by Debrah Santini perfectly fit the story. While this is a children's book, older adults will perhaps find it fitting to their own lives. Simply lovely. CONTENT: Despite the precious life lessons knit into the story line ("Every human being has a right to three things: to dance... to sing... to tell stories"), Deedy's fluid prose and flair for imagery turns a potentially trite story into a sweet, sentimental one. Childhood sweethearts Ninny and Bessie make a pact that when one of them dies, the other will come to the graveyard and dance on the grave. The story spans a lifetime, from the young couple's early moonlight dances at Ninny's grandfather's grave through marriage, a war and a last anniversary. In the end, Bessie fulfills her promise and saves the last dance for her beloved Ninny. Santini's impressionistic watercolors, rendered in muted shades of rose, smoke blue, and browns, effectively capture the bittersweet mood of the story. Ages 8-12- to Adult.