Detroit in the 1920s proved to be the Paris of the West for many – including Catherine McIntosh and Robert Sage. These two law school students become as passionate about each other as they are their dreams.
From a poor family in the Detroit neighborhood of Corktown, Catherine learned early on, the necessity of being resilient. She becomes one of the first women in Detroit to obtain a law degree. Bob, the ‘battling barrister,’ boxes in order to pay for law school. Despite his gruff and tough-boy personality, my great uncle Bob was a friend to all: judges, cops, and even a couple members of the notorious Purple Gang. The couple becomes legendary in legal circles for their commitment to social justice causes – as well as notorious in the local speakeasies and dancehalls.
At first, their optimism seems boundless, as it had for so many following an era of trauma and challenges that include the 1918 flu pandemic. It isn’t long before their passionate courtship turns into a tempestuous marriage. Then the Great Depression hits and their lives are forever changed.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Page Length: 350
Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance
Anyone noticing the smartly dressed couple on the dance floor of the popular Graystone Ballroom would have said they looked perfectly matched, though the woman was a couple of inches taller. She wore an emerald green dress that followed her curves with a tight-fitting cloche hat. He was clad in a pinstriped suit and a bow tie. It was obvious they were in love, as they seemed oblivious to everyone but each other. She’d bend down a little to whisper something in his ear, and then he would murmur his response. No one would hear but her, and she would throw back her long neck and laugh. If you were dancing next to them, you might see their eyes in a half-closed swoon, and then how their eyelids lowered completely, as if to dispel some of the intense feelings between them—a passion that was close to overwhelming.
Catherine and Bob danced to song after song without taking a break. They couldn’t get enough of the popular tunes from Al Jolson, George Gershwin, and Bessie Smith...Certain she was on fire, she asked him if he could put her in a tub of ice. He laughed, twirled her, then dipped her with such grace, that the other dancers stood back to admire their moves.
Susan Sage has published three novels: Insominy (2015), A Mentor and Her Muse (2017), and Dancing in the Ring (2023). Her writing has appeared in various literary magazines and journals. She received her English degree from Wayne State University where she was a recipient of the Tompkins Award in creative writing.
Although a Detroit native, she has resided most of her adult life in Flushing, Michigan with her husband and two cats.
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Thank you for hosting Susan E. Sage today, with a fabulous extract from Dancing in the Ring.
ReplyDeleteCathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club