Dancing on Coals
A Memoir of an Overperformer
by Cynthia Moore
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Pub Date Mar 25 2025 | Archive Date Apr 11 2025
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Description
From Trauma to Belonging: Wrong Turns, Right Lessons, and the Winding Path to Wholeness
Endorsed by Whoopi Goldberg and tracking a life rich enough to entertain on the silver screen, Cynthia Moore’s Dancing on Coals (She Writes Press – March 2025) takes readers through wildly varied incarnations in the author’s life that both impress and amuse…and sometimes make us shudder. From her childhood in the Bahamas to finishing school in Switzerland, a theater career (including a turn as an award-winning playwright), and becoming a therapist, we take a bumpy roller coaster ride with Cynthia until we ultimately land at her final phase: happiness and peace with her husband, children, and, most importantly, herself.
Dancing on Coals begins at the end: sharing domestic bliss, but the author deftly peels back the layers on the long, emotionally tumultuous journey required to get there. Through beautifully written vignettes, Cynthia introduces us to her drunken parents, particularly a mother whose skills are questionable at best. Having deficient role models for much of her life, the author was programmed to choose less-than-optimal relationships with men until much later, when David enters her life and brings a newfound stability, filled with pancakes and the type of cozy family scenes Cynthia always craved.
At times humorous and self-deprecating, at times poignant and heartbreaking, this is the story of one woman’s path from abandonment to wholeness and authenticity. A memoir for readers who enjoy armchair traveling, madcap real-life episodes, and well-written stories, Cynthia Moore will both captivate you and leave you smiling.
A Note From the Publisher
Please leave your review on NetGalley and Goodreads.
From Trauma to Belonging: Wrong Turns, Right Lessons, and the Winding Path to Wholeness.
Please leave your review on NetGalley and Goodreads.
Advance Praise
“I was lucky enough to get to work with Cynthia when I became part of the Blake Street Hawkeyes. I’m not sure that she understood how much she meant to me because we were the two women in the group and I was out of my element and without her I don’t think I could have given myself permission to fly, as only another woman could. Thank goodness she was there and actually saw me and our conversations fed the construction of my one-woman show. She was my good friend....” —Whoopi Goldberg
“Moore presents an account of quite a notable life spiked with sharp, often funny dialogue, whether she’s detailing the initial courting of her husband or her first sessions as a therapist-in-training later in life. Moore frequently recounts experiencing profound moments, seeming to come to grips with great revelations—only to carry on with her life as before. For readers, though, this habit is not frustrating but relatable, and those taking note will walk away with some wisdom. A wise, insightful, and always-entertaining recollection of a journey of self-discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Cynthia Moore in her exquisitely written memoir plumbs the richness of an examined life. Moore demonstrates what good writing is—illuminating that which we often cannot see. I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down.” —Denise Blanc, author of River Logic, Tools to Transform Resistance and Create Flow in all of our Relationships
“Dancing on Coals is, as you might expect from the title, a fast-paced whirlwind, a life story told like the hilarious, emotional, high-stakes adventure that it is. This book is the perfect cocktail of verve, honesty, and warmth. With Cynthia Moore, there is never a dull moment.” —Charlotte Shane, author of An Honest Woman, a Memoir of Love and Sex Work
“Cynthia Moore’s marvelous Dancing on Coals: A Memoir of an Overperfomer opens with a whammy. ...an absolutely marvelous piece of writing and memory; it hit me straight on and knocked me down. Confidently told in a lush, rich voice, the memoir is both deeply personal and an historical account of experimental theater. I highly recommend joining Moore on her unique and curious journey.” —Summer Brenner, author of Dust, A Memoir
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Author Website
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Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781647428563 |
PRICE | $17.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 216 |