Tunes for Dancing Bears: Reader Reviews

 A haunting melody of grief, resilience, and the fragile dance of healing. Karafilly crafts a raw, unflinching portrait of maternal grief after stillbirth, balancing despair with fleeting moments of grace.   Her prose style is lyrical yet precise—like a mournful lullaby. The exploration of how trauma reshapes relationships—marriage, parenthood, selfhood—rings devastatingly true. A rare novel that treats stillbirth not as plot device but as a seismic, lived experience.  A novel that holds your heart in its hands—sometimes crushing, sometimes cradling.

Sarah Jensen, NetGalley

This short novel was so powerful because of how real it all feels…It is about grief but also about womanhood, marriage, culture, and the deep loneliness that can live inside even the closest relationships. It’s tender, raw, and deeply human.

Dannica, Literary Press Group

I finished reading TUNES FOR DANCING BEARS this morning and loved it! I was braced for a difficult (i.e. painful) read but it is really such a beautiful book. Congratulations!

Kim Elliott

I found myself in your book… It was compelling.  It was very well written.  I loved it.  Thank you.

Ina Bulzan