This must be my lucky year. Recently I received another book through the She Speaks community. This time is was an advance readers' edition of "The Dream Daughter" by Diane Chamberlain. I haven't read any of her books previously, but may begin looking for that after reading this gem. The online book club for this novel was lacking compared to my previous experience, but still amazing to join in with others and read the book ahead of the publishing schedule.
ISBN Paper Copy: 978-1-250-08730-0
Genre: Fiction
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Audible
Various Others
The Dream Daughter Book Page
I found all of the characters relate-able even if what they were asking seemed ridiculous. Diane Chamberlain shows that every decision has many points of view and almost all of them make sense depending on which view you take. Patty's primary concern is the well-being of her sister, while Carly only cares about her unborn child. Hunter knows he is there for a reason and has to follow through even if that means sacrificing his nearly perfect life. Even Myra, with her sharpness, shows love and care in her own way.
While I only planned to read a chapter a day, I got hooked after the first chapter and finished this nearly 400 page book in two days. It is an easy read and has well spaced text and easy vocabulary making it a great choice for those looking for a quick read or for traveling. The main story of this novel is very serious, but the author manages to keep the theme uplifting and hopeful. The cover art is very fitting as it hints at the story that is about to unfold.
This was an amazing novel and I would recommend it to anyone - adolescent to adult, woman or man. It is light reading and entertaining even with the serious undertones. There are lessons to be learned for all and offers a hopefully take on science fiction. I do feel we missed out on hearing Joe's story and how Joanna and he develop a relationship. Does Joe think Carly is crazy? We never will know. However, for the purpose of not having a never ending book, the author picked a good point to stop. The author did a wonderful job telling all sides of the story and utilizing the changing views from chapter to chapter to tell the reader the whole story. I may look into purchasing a few other of Diane Chamberlain's books to see if her others offer as good of a story line as this one did.
Technical Facts
"The Dream Daughter" will be published on October 2, 2018 by St. Martin's Press and has 367 pages plus the acknowledgments.ISBN Paper Copy: 978-1-250-08730-0
Genre: Fiction
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Audible
Various Others
The Dream Daughter Book Page
My Views
I found this book in my mailbox (after applying to the program) and decided to open it for a few minutes before starting on supper. With the name shown at the top of the chapter, it reminded me a lot of "Breaking Dawn" or the last book in the twilight series for those of you who haven't read the series. This made me think this would be primarily a young adults novel, but as the story progresses, I realized the author wrote this for ranging ages. At first glance it seems like a science fiction novel that lacks the robots and doomsday predictions, but it much more than that. A young adult may get one thing from the book while a mother or older adult may get a completely different story.
We begin seeing through Carly's eyes and change periodically to Hunter and back again. This brings the story to life in a way that a single perspective never could. The author brings your emotions to the surface ranging from sadness and fear to hope and sheer joy. The story line can be a bit of a mind bender depending on how much thought you put into it, once again proving that this novel could be read and seen differently multiple times either right in a row or at different stages of your life.
We begin seeing through Carly's eyes and change periodically to Hunter and back again. This brings the story to life in a way that a single perspective never could. The author brings your emotions to the surface ranging from sadness and fear to hope and sheer joy. The story line can be a bit of a mind bender depending on how much thought you put into it, once again proving that this novel could be read and seen differently multiple times either right in a row or at different stages of your life.
While I only planned to read a chapter a day, I got hooked after the first chapter and finished this nearly 400 page book in two days. It is an easy read and has well spaced text and easy vocabulary making it a great choice for those looking for a quick read or for traveling. The main story of this novel is very serious, but the author manages to keep the theme uplifting and hopeful. The cover art is very fitting as it hints at the story that is about to unfold.
Themes and Lessons
A few key lessons I took from this book are as follows:- Love really does make the world go round and makes even the toughest situations worth living through. This is shown again and again whether is it through Patti's concern for Carly, Carly's willingness to go to any lengths for her child, Myra's assistance throughout, or Hunter sacrificing his relationship with Patti in hopes of saving Carly and her baby.
- Trust is second only to love. Time and again in this book we see the benefits of trust. When Carly doesn't believe Hunter, she still trusts him and has her life changed in an amazing way.
- Being bold and fearless pays off. Even if others think you are crazy, following your heart will yield spectacular results. Carly is fearless and gets to experience so much more in her life by making her own decisions and not listening to the naysayers.
- Life in unpredictable. What seems impossible one day, may become ordinary the next. Don't write off possibilities just because they seem far-fetched at the time. Be prepared to make changes as you go.
Favorite Quotes
"It's all in Carly's hands now."
"How did you steal a child away from the world she knew to take her to the world where she belonged?"
"Insane, I knew, but seeing her again was all I could think about ... '"
"Patti would never be able to understand, that yes, I was home, but I wasn't the same Carly I'd been before."
"He held me in a tight, breath-stealing embrace, and I knew in that moment that I'd made the right choice."
Final Thoughts
This was an amazing novel and I would recommend it to anyone - adolescent to adult, woman or man. It is light reading and entertaining even with the serious undertones. There are lessons to be learned for all and offers a hopefully take on science fiction. I do feel we missed out on hearing Joe's story and how Joanna and he develop a relationship. Does Joe think Carly is crazy? We never will know. However, for the purpose of not having a never ending book, the author picked a good point to stop. The author did a wonderful job telling all sides of the story and utilizing the changing views from chapter to chapter to tell the reader the whole story. I may look into purchasing a few other of Diane Chamberlain's books to see if her others offer as good of a story line as this one did.
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