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Little Movements
Reader Score
81%
81% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 4 reviews on
A page-turning, tenderhearted debut about a Black woman who is finally given a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a renowned choreographer, only to find that it comes at a tremendous personal cost "A beautifully wrought tribute to all that inspires us to move, and a necessary reminder that, though missteps and stumbles are inevitable, they're only a part of life's wondrous dance."--Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck Layla Smart was raised by her pragmatic Midwestern mother to dream medium. But all Layla's ever wanted is a career in dance, which requires dreaming big. So when she receives a prestigious offer to be the choreographer-in-residence at Briar House, an arts program in rural Vermont, she leaves behind Brooklyn, her job, her friends, and her husband to pursue it. Navigating Briar House and the small, white town that surrounds it proves difficult--Layla wants to create art for art's sake and resist tokenization, but the institution's director keeps encouraging Layla to dig deep into her people's history. Still, the mental and physical demands of dancing spark a sharp, unexpected sense of joy, bringing into focus the years she'd distanced herself from her true calling for the sake of her marriage and maintaining the status quo. Just as she begins to see her life more clearly, she discovers a betrayal that proves the cracks in her marriage were deeper than she ever could have known. Then Briar House's dangerously problematic past comes to light. And Layla discovers she's pregnant. Suddenly, dreaming medium sounds a lot more appealing. Poignant, propulsive, and darkly funny, Little Movements is a novel about self-discovery, about what we must endure--or let go of--in order to realize our dreams.
Book Details
- Publisher: Random House
- Publish Date: Sep 9th, 2025
- Pages: 256
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 9.46in - 6.43in - 1.06in - 1.08lb
- EAN: 9780593736753
- Categories: • Literary• African American & Black - Women• Family Life - Marriage & Divorce
About the Author
Lauren Morrow studied dance and creative writing at Connecticut College and earned an MFA in fiction from the Helen Zell Writers' Program. She was a Kimbilio Fellow and an Aspen Words Emerging Writer Fellow and is the recipient of two Hopwood Awards, among other prizes. Her writing has appeared in Ploughshares and the South Carolina Review. She worked in publicity at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and is now a senior publicist at Dutton, Plume, and Tiny Reparations Books. Originally from St. Louis, she lives in Brooklyn.
Critics’ reviews
Praise for this book
"Lauren Morrow's debut urges us to take charge of our own narratives and resist the pressures to conform, no matter the cost. It's a beautifully wrought tribute to all that inspires us to move, and a necessary reminder that, though missteps and stumbles are inevitable, they're only a part of life's wondrous dance."--Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck
"Morrow's debut shines with snappy dialogue, spot-on status details, and lovely writing about dance and creativity."--Oprah Daily "Little Movements is a triumph--a story of self-discovery and reinvention that's written with energy and distinctness, humor and heart. Lauren Morrow is a writer I'd follow anywhere."--Julie Buntin, author of Marlena
"With writing as moving, exhilarating, and nuanced as dance itself, Little Movements is gorgeously imagined and deeply important. Its details are so correct and meaningful--about love, art, race, family, loneliness, and love--that they will break your heart and put it right back together again. I will never forget this one. Ever."--Jessica Soffer, author of This Is a Love Story "A sparkling debut, incisive and funny, moving and startlingly real . . . Morrow's voice will linger in your head whenever you aren't reading and beckon you back to Layla, her world, her troubles, and her triumphs. This is a novel that is not to be missed."--Naima Coster, author of What's Mine and Yours
"Constantly surprising and darkly hilarious, Little Movements traces the heartbreaks and triumphs of the Black artist's life, with a sharp eye on what lurks behind an opportunity and how to make the most of it anyway. . . . A pitch-perfect satire for our socio-political moment."--Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev "What makes Little Movements so necessary is Morrow's thoughtful, deeply felt examination--by turns frustrated, furious, and frank--of what it means to be an artist of color amid the constant pressure of representation."--Peter Ho Davies, author of The Fortunes "Morrow writes about dance as only a dancer could--energy boundless, words pulsing on the page. In her capable hands, every movement--like a moment, or a friendship, or a city--becomes as expensive and perilous as young love, while capturing the pitfalls, and the explosive joy, of making art while Black."--Rob Franklin, author of Great Black Hope
"Morrow's tender debut traces a Black woman's rocky path to becoming an artist. . . . Morrow leavens the heavy themes of grief, insecurity, and racism with Layla's sharp, self-deprecating humor. . . . It's a poignant tale of self-fulfillment."--Publishers Weekly "A thoughtful, engrossing first novel."--Kirkus Review
"Morrow's debut shines with snappy dialogue, spot-on status details, and lovely writing about dance and creativity."--Oprah Daily "Little Movements is a triumph--a story of self-discovery and reinvention that's written with energy and distinctness, humor and heart. Lauren Morrow is a writer I'd follow anywhere."--Julie Buntin, author of Marlena
"With writing as moving, exhilarating, and nuanced as dance itself, Little Movements is gorgeously imagined and deeply important. Its details are so correct and meaningful--about love, art, race, family, loneliness, and love--that they will break your heart and put it right back together again. I will never forget this one. Ever."--Jessica Soffer, author of This Is a Love Story "A sparkling debut, incisive and funny, moving and startlingly real . . . Morrow's voice will linger in your head whenever you aren't reading and beckon you back to Layla, her world, her troubles, and her triumphs. This is a novel that is not to be missed."--Naima Coster, author of What's Mine and Yours
"Constantly surprising and darkly hilarious, Little Movements traces the heartbreaks and triumphs of the Black artist's life, with a sharp eye on what lurks behind an opportunity and how to make the most of it anyway. . . . A pitch-perfect satire for our socio-political moment."--Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev "What makes Little Movements so necessary is Morrow's thoughtful, deeply felt examination--by turns frustrated, furious, and frank--of what it means to be an artist of color amid the constant pressure of representation."--Peter Ho Davies, author of The Fortunes "Morrow writes about dance as only a dancer could--energy boundless, words pulsing on the page. In her capable hands, every movement--like a moment, or a friendship, or a city--becomes as expensive and perilous as young love, while capturing the pitfalls, and the explosive joy, of making art while Black."--Rob Franklin, author of Great Black Hope
"Morrow's tender debut traces a Black woman's rocky path to becoming an artist. . . . Morrow leavens the heavy themes of grief, insecurity, and racism with Layla's sharp, self-deprecating humor. . . . It's a poignant tale of self-fulfillment."--Publishers Weekly "A thoughtful, engrossing first novel."--Kirkus Review