"Beautifully told. Maria Finn relays her adventures in the world of tango with excitement, wit, and insight."
-Robert Farris Thompson, author of Tango: The Art History of Love
Maria Finn's husband was cheating. First she threw him out. Then she cried. Then she signed up for tango lessons. It turns out that tango has a lot to teach about understanding love and loss, about learning how to follow and how to lead, how to live with style and flair, take risks, and sort out what it is you really want. As Maria's world begins to revolve around the friendships she makes in dance class and the milongas (social dances) she attends regularly in New York City, we discover with her the fascinating culture, history, music, moves, and beauty of the Argentine tango. With each new dance step she learns-the embrace, the walk, the sweep, the exit-she is one step closer to returning to the world of the living. Eventually Maria travels to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, and finds the confidence to try romance again.
As exhilarating as the dance itself, the story whirls us into the center of the ballroom dancing craze. And buoyed by the author's humor and passion, it imparts surprising insights about how to get on with life after you've lost in love.
Maria Finn has written for Audubon Magazine, Saveur, Metropolis, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, among many other publications. She has an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and her essays have been anthologized in Best Food Writing and The Best Women's Travel Writing.
"A fascinating look at the history and culture of the Argentinean dance."
-St. Petersburg Times
"Finn incorporates her deep understanding of tango into the story, revealing its history even as she explores her own relationship with the dance. . . . [she] repairs her outlook on life and men in general, while finding comfort, challenges and encouragement in the arms of strangers."
–BookPage
"A gracefully rendered memoir . . . Refreshingly candid analyses of her choices and a vivid cast of friends and dance partners . . . Finn demystifies the illustrious world of tango with wry yet reverent insight."
-Kirkus Reviews
"A lively debut memoir."
-Booklist
"Hold Me Tight Tango Me Home is beautifully told. Maria Finn relays her adventures in the world of tango with excitement, wit, and insight."
-Robert Farris Thompson, author of Tango: The Art History of Love
