By Mark Knowles

Larone Family Press

ISBN: 979-8-9961689-0-3

291pp.

Novel with added historical perspective

$15.99 softcover (5.5 x 8.5)

2026

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William Henry Lane and John Diamond were hailed as the best jig and breakdown dancers of the mid-nineteenth century. Lane, called Master Juba, was an African American. Diamond, known as The King of Diamonds, was an Irish immigrant. They competed with each other to determine who could claim the title of the “The World’s Greatest Dancer.” Their story begins with Juba’s childhood during the race riots in Providence, Rhode Island and with Diamond’s during the Catholic uprising in Carrickshock, Ireland, both in 1831. When they eventually end up in the slums of Five Points in New York, they struggle to survive, until they come to the public’s attention when P.T. Barnum discovers Diamond dancing on the docks, and Charles Dickens writes about Juba in his American Notes. The novel interweaves the dancers’ storied careers against the backdrop of the turbulent events of the period, including the New York City race riots of 1834, Juba’s performance for Queen Victoria in 1850, the creation of the minstrel show, and the birth of tap dancing. The book, which blends real historical events and characters with fiction, explores the dehumanizing effects of racial prejudice, artist identity, and the power of legacy.

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