How characters react to their historical moment is a major theme of the novel, but Three Muses is neither pedantic nor philosophical ... Toll infuses the behaviors and beliefs of the time with a contemporary understanding of psychology and power ... There is an audaciousness to Toll’s ambition in taking on both the Holocaust and the mid-century dance world, and she mostly pulls it off ... Toll’s language often strains to capture the passion and intelligence of Katya’s dancing, and Yanakov’s choreography comes across as more pretention than genius. However, the characters are engaging, their situations and their choices seem real, and the narrative of their coming together pulls one along convincingly ... It is not hard to admire Toll’s craft.
A sweeping romance ... Toll’s dialogue is well-worn, the plot twists familiar. She does utilize cliché effectively, however, and there is true pleasure and a sort of comfort in reading this romance ... Toll has crafted an engaging, albeit conventional, romance, with poignant reflections on the ritual of remembrance.
Empathetic ... Toll creates a sense of mystery as to whether the bond between these two people will solidify or end in a rupture—and throughout, these flawed characters facing complex decisions are given their due ... An affecting chamber piece with plenty to say about art, trauma, and healing.
Bittersweet ... Toll is savvy in exploring how love can flourish in the face of trauma, but her theme is undercut by clichéd situations and dialogue ... Despite the pungent realism of the death camp setting and the vibrant depiction of the New York ballet scene, John and Katya feel a bit too wooden, with every emotion spelled out. It’s an ambitious if uneven effort.
