Author Maria Finn will be presenting her memoir, "Hold Me Tight and Tango Me Home" at The Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, Washington on February 11th at 7pm.
Description:
Hold Me Tight and Tango Me Home (Pub. date Feb. 9th, 2010 by Algonquin Books in the US, Arena in Holland, and De Agostini in Italy)
Maria Finn's husband was cheating. First she threw him out. Then she cried. Then she signed up for tango lessons. It turns out that tango has a lot to teach about understanding love and loss, about learning how to follow and how to lead, how to live with style and flair, take risks, and sort out what it is you really want. As Maria's world begins to revolve around the friendships she makes in dance class and the milongas (social dances) she attends regularly in New York City, we discover with her the fascinating culture, history, music, moves, and beauty of the Argentine tango. With each new dance step she learns—the embrace, the walk, the sweep, the exit—she is one step closer to returning to the world of the living. Eventually Maria travels to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, and finds the confidence to try romance again.
As exhilarating as the dance itself, the story whirls us into the center of the ballroom dancing craze. And buoyed by the author's humor and passion, it imparts surprising insights about how to get on with life after you've lost in love.
“A lively debut memoir, brimming with tango history and lore.”-- Booklist
"This story of heartbreak and healing unravels the complexities of tango, which gradually becomes a source of addictive joy." -- Sally Potter, writer and director of the film THE TANGO LESSON.
Beautifully told. Maria Finn relays her adventures in the world of tango with excitement, wit, and insight. -- Robert Farris Thompson, author of Tango: The Art History of Love