REVIEWS

"Through the vivid characters in At Half-Light, Linda Walsh tells the story of life before and after the times of The Disappeared. Struggling with the lasting effects of a national tragedy, they carry a fierce desire for justice and remembrance. And always, there is tango – the lyrics, the music, the dance. Filled with joys and sorrows, kindness and love, Walsh’s characters live. Poignant and funny, moving and beautiful."  

-IRENE GUILFORD, author of The Embrace and Waiting for Stalin to Die.

"At Half-Light is a rich, emotional novel of intersecting stories that merge past and present and the distant geographies of Canada and Argentina. These are family histories of legendary characters and the recent tragic past of terrorism in Argentina during the 1970s. In this beautiful novel, filled with images that leave a strong visual imprint, the memories that the Tango brings with its music, its poetry, and the unmistakable embrace of its dance come together, meet, and flourish." 

-MIGUEL LIBEDINSKY, director and producer of the film, Hearts of Tango.

"Reclaiming her Argentinian heritage through the passionate and sensuous rhythms of the Tango, Alejandra (Ale) won't allow herself to forget the lost ones. During the horrific dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, thousands of Argentinians disappeared... Ale's grandfather, Tito, is a tango dancer, lyricist, and storyteller. Tito lives in the safe haven of Peterborough, Canada, with his daughter and son-in-law, and Ale. But Tito cannot forget his youth. Grandfather tells his stories to the receptive grandchild...At Half-Light is an emotional and well-structured journey.

The narrative arc is a rainbow...The stories told by Tito are simply brilliant. Congratulations to Walsh for a magnificent achievement...As Tito tells each story the way he remembers it, readers feel we're dancing a tango with changing partners. There is a delightful rhythm to the tales. Genius in fact. A single expression, a word, a dance position, a sorrow, a vision, and a character is indelibly sketched in our minds...When time and place turn into two of the novel's most compelling characters, the richness of the narrative is exponentially increased.

Excellent storytellers let you dance on a smooth floor but all the while you know you're gliding over concrete...Right from my first glance at the cover, I recognized the novel was something special...Under Linda Walsh's brilliant artistic touch, the essence of Buenos Aires comes alive."

-WIBA 2024