Read some of my 5 Star Reviews
Intoxicating Tango got another fabulous review from Reedsy!
Must read !
Intoxicating Tango: My Years in Buenos Aires is a memoir that will sweep you off your feet!
Intoxicating Tango: My Years in Buenos Aires by Cherie Magnus was a captivating read from the very first page. The author used such vivid descriptions to describe her South American expat life that I could picture the chaotic streets and smokey rooms perfectly. Tango is the perfect metaphor for living abroad, really. The seduction, the nuances, the rhythm, the surrender and finally the disillusionment are the stages most expats go through.
In June 2014, Cherie Magnus stepped off a plane with a few suitcases to begin her life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This third installment of the author’s life covers those 10 memorable years in the birthplace of the tango. She tells us how she infiltrated the dance halls of milonguero, mastered the miradas, and tangoed her heart away. What an amazing story!
Although not particularly familiar with the steps of the tango, the author made it come alive in my mind. So don’t let not knowing how to tango keep you from finding pleasure in Ms. Magnus’s accounts as she chronicles the trials and tribulations of learning how to manage in a foreign country.
You don’t have to be well-versed in South American language or culture either to enjoy this particular story. A glossary of Argentine terms was included at the end, which certainly helped on some words that aren’t used in the Spanish speaking country I live in. Mostly though, the Spanish terms were easily understood in the narrative...
I’m sure that you too will get swept away by the dips and turns found in Intoxicating Tango: My Years in Buenos Aires by Cherie Magnus.
Congratulations to Intoxicating Tango by Cherie Magnus
winner of the Indies Today 2019 Best Memoir Award!
Intoxicating Tango by Cherie Magnus
BY DAVE ALLEN / DECEMBER 16, 2019
Although a lifetime dancer, it isn’t until after the death of her husband Jack that Cherie Magnus’ obsession with the tango really begins. Rather than simply remain in Los Angeles grieving, she embarks on an adventure that many of us would rarely consider: Cherie leaves the comforts of home and moves to Argentina, the home of the tango. With scantly more than a piano, a cat named Phoebe, and a persistent health problem, she makes Buenos Aires her new home. Spending evenings at the Milonga (dance hall), Cherie feeds her addiction to the sensual and passionate dance known as the tango. There are certain rules that she advises for foreigners living in Argentina, including the sage advice toward men, “Have fun with them, but never fall in love with them.” But when she meets an exceptional dancer named Ramon, can Cherie follow her own rules?
At times the narrative meanders, but at its center is always dancing. Cherie Magnus is refreshingly open about her own experiences, and unique perspectives of the Argentinian culture are shared candidly. The machismo displayed by men in Argentina may be a surprise to many American readers, and while this quality may be alluring to some, this memoir shows that it can also nurture some negative attitudes and temperaments.
“It takes two to tango,” as the expression goes. In Intoxicating Tango, Cherie Magnus is inviting you to join her in the literary tango that is her life. Take her up on the offer… you won’t be disappointed!
Another great review
The BookLife Prize
Idea/Concept: Magnus's lively travelogue recounts the author's experience upending her life after personal tragedy, and immersing herself in the world of Argentinian tango. Magnus provides a compelling and richly entertaining narrative...
Originality: Magnus's point of view as an outsider brings both excitement and unease to her story. Her individuality clearly emerges within the narrative, and her exploration of ideas relating to deeply entrenched systems of sexism, are frequently compelling. Ultimately, Magnus brings a unique sensibility to her memoir, weaving in the theme of dance in a manner that feels innovative.
Execution: The author successfully tells a personal story of exploration and self-actualization set in a cultural environment unknown to her. Magnus writes with great candor and honest reflection about sexuality, selfhood, and living as an adventurous woman in a world that is not always kind or accommodating.
December 12, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I’m a personal friend of Cherie Magnus and enjoyed reading her other memoirs.
I’ve known her for decades and could only wish that my own life were as enchanted as hers.
December 30, 2019
Intoxicating Tango is the story of Magnus’s persistent Tango from tragedy to triumph over three continents. Her indomitable character gave her the Spirit, tools, moxie, and compassion to make it through no matter what. She excelled in overcoming adversity through dance. Fueled by the feel-good endorphins released in the synchrony of dance with music, especially Tango, where the effect of touch cannot be minimized, a transcendental happening is created for the dancer. For the outsider, the Milonga provides a way of instantly cultivating friends, if only from the acts of seeing and being seen. And, Tango’s intimate, shimmering, physical contact is flattering in so many ways, but without obligation––there being no other goal than constant betterment of the dance. As capable a Memoirist as a Tango dancer, Magnus’ journal-like diary faithfully narrates her brave journey populated with terse observations about Argentine Machismo culture and mores.. While reading Intoxicating Tango I laughed, I cried, got possessive, got protective, felt pity, felt lust. In other words, I got my money’s worth from reading Cherie Magnus’ enthralling saga.
If you dance tango and go to BA, you should read this book
November 18, 2019
Disclaimer, i am a tango dancer from Argentina leaving in the states. Of course i will very interested in a book, from a tanguera (US) moving to Buenos Aires Argentina) to dance tango. In her book Cherie tells us her story with her Argentinian partner, teaching lessons, giving demos, etc, to get some cash. In the process she tells the good thing of living in Argentina: friendships, milongas, house parties, traveling) and some of the bad ones too: red tape, some jealousy, strong competition, etc. I do strongly recommend this book if you are going to visit Argentina and specially if you dance tango.
Comment Report abuse
December 2, 2019
Why the title of "Intoxicating Tango" from a person that loves and gave up herself to Tango?
We could say that what happens in the Tango floor it stays in the Tango floor.
In case you dare to extrapolate that the life felt in the Tango floor it's as good as the daily life then explore it at your own peril!
In case you would like to know what looks like living a life outside the Tango floor at Buenos Aires, as a tourist woman, then this is a book for you!
A final friendly warning, you might felt that the Prince of the Cinderella story maybe not a real Prince after all ...
Our Tango Lessons in Buenos Aries with Cherie
November 20, 2019
In 2010 I found Cherie on the internet as I was looking for Tango lessons in Buenos Aires for our upcoming trip. We enjoyed meeting Cherie & her dance partner in her apartment and besides our Tango lesson, we visited different areas of Buenos Aires with them. The unknown story of Cherie's move to Argentina and why and how that life unfolded gave us a whole new perspective of her life in the Tango world. Intoxicating Tango was a pleasure to read!
Ruth – Amazon
Posted on June 17, 2019 Cherie MagnusPosted in review
Arabesque: Dancing On The Edge In Los Angeles
“A wonderful book, not only for the excellent portrait it paints of a dancer, trials and tribulations, but , as a ‘subplot’ an absolutely MARVELOUS picture of the 50’s and the 60’s as well as of a Los Angeles that , like that period, is no longer in existence. Made me nostalgic for the LA of old as well as the ‘olden days.’ Could not put it down.”
Maraya – Goodreads
Posted on June 18, 2019 Cherie MagnusPosted in review
Church of Tango: A Memoir
It was no surprise that this book was recently awarded five stars and a medal from Readers’ Choice. If you think that life is being too hard on you and you’re ready to call it quits, if you want to be engaged with a story that is entertaining and heart-warming, if you want to laugh and cry and sympathize and cheer on a fellow traveler along the road of life, I highly recommend that you read Cherie Magnus’s Church of Tango.
Donigan Merritt – Author Of “The Love Story Of Paul Collins”
Posted on June 17, 2019 Cherie MagnusPosted in review
Church of Tango: A Memoir
“Brave and intelligent.
If you have lost a loved one early and found yourself in that empty place from which there seems to be no escape, reading Cherie Magnus’s struggle to regain her life in The Church of Tango can be inspiring. But it is more than that. It is the brave, passionate, even lusty story of a woman’s adult life … and you have no doubt that it is the real thing.”