Pippa Passes

From Publishers Weekly Set in 20th-century Venice, this effervescent, thoroughly enchanting modern-day fairy tale is spiked with a handful of up-to-date plot twists. At 17, lovely, fresh-scrubbed Pippa Fane is the youngest, least experienced member of an English dance troupe on tour in Italy. Arriving in Venice, Pippa is swept away by the ancient city's magic-and intrigued by Nicolo, the handsome gondolier whom she twice encounters on the first day of her stay. Nicolo, protege of the gracious Marchesa dell'Orlando, pursues Pippa, hoping that she will sing with his band when they play at the prestigious Hotel Imperiale. Meanwhile, Pippa's dancing career leaps ahead, thanks to a convenient accident and the machinations of the company's ballet mistress, Angharad Fullerton. Unfortunately, Angharad is not the fairy godmother Pippa imagines, and her attempted seduction of the young dancer results in an ugly, disturbing mess. With the help of the marchesa, however, Pippa triumphs as both a dancer and a singer. When the time comes to choose between her blossoming career as a dancer and a role offering a more conventional happy ending, Pippa mines wisdom from her recent experiences to make the right decision. In less able hands, these highly romantic goings-on would seem contrived, but Godden's graceful storytelling keeps readers enthralled, with gorgeous Venice and the nitty-gritty of the dance troupe's routine providing a convincing backdrop for her winsome ingenue. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal The ever-popular, prolific Godden (Coromandel Sea Change, LJ 9/1/91) grapples with themes of lost innocence and incipient maturity in her most recent novel. The eponymous teenage heroine, Pippa Fane, is the youngest member of the Midlands City Ballet. Chosen to go with the com-pany on its Italian tour, she becomes fascinated with Venice, confused by romantic overtures from admirers of both sexes, and challenged by the demands of her dancing troupe. Essentially a rite-of-passage story, this work is also a paean to the eternal beauty of Venice, and balletomanes will relish Godden's detailed portrayal of the dancer's milieu. The characters are a bit unconvincing, but Godden is a first-rate storyteller, skillfully combining a vivid sense of place with an optimistic plot to create a light, engaging novel. A good choice for public libraries.