Ogden crafts an inventive and vivid narrative that is beautifully told [with] a lightly poetic writing style that particularly comes alive when describing Gaia's dancing and the wildlife of Western Australia. Gaia is an immensely appealing protagonist who begins her story as a skittish loner and displays clear development throughout the novel. Ogden effectively weaves together two primary plots: Gaia's return to life after tragedy, and her quest to save her family's land from developers. Both aspects are finely executed and equally intriguing without feeling disparate. -The BookLife Prize

Dancing with Dragons reminds us of the power of friendship and the healing potential the natural world offers us. Jenni Ogden takes us to the beaches and coral reefs of Australia to tell this life-affirming story that calls us to open our hearts, even-or especially-when it's hardest to do."-Ann Hood, New York Times best-selling author of The Stolen Child

Escape into Gaia's luminous world in this beautifully told story, where you'll root for her through tragedy and danger, smile at the warmth and love of friends who become family, and be renewed by the healing magic of Gaia's unique home that connects her and us to her namesake, Mother Earth-Sally Cole-Misch, author of The Best Part of Us, 2021 Canadian Book Club Award for Best Fiction of the Year.

A compelling story-both unique and universal, exotic yet grounded in the environment we all share. From the joyful beauty of dance to the brutality of human behavior, to the glory of underwater life, this page-turner of a novel embraces love, among people and all living creatures. The reader will learn new things and remember old truths within this finely crafted tale.-Romalyn Tilghman, author of To the Stars with Difficulty, 2018 Kansas Notable Book of the Year.