I received a free copy for my honest review.
About the Book:
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Random House (April 14, 2015)
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth-century writer George Sand—which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.
At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage, and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name—George Sand—and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle.
Paris in the nineteenth century comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions, and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frédéric Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval, and Alfred de Musset. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach—a dream?
Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, The Dream Lover tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including Tapestry of Fortunes, The Last Time I Saw You, Home Safe, The Year of Pleasures,and Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, as well as two collections of short stories and two works of nonfiction. Open House was an Oprah’s Book Club selection, Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for an Abby Award, and The Pull of the Moon was adapted into a play. Berg has been honored by both the Boston Public Library and the Chicago Public Library. She is a popular speaker at venues around the country, and her work has been translated into twenty-seven languages. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a reading series designed to serve author, audience, and community. She divides her time between Chicago and San Francisco.
My Opinion:
I am having a hard time writing this review. I loved the writing in this book. I enjoyed the story of young Aurore and her life in Nohant. I also enjoyed the time in Paris when Aurore had left her husband to try and find herself as a writer. What I didn’t like and it really impacted my overall enjoyment of the book was the way the author went back and forth in time with little logic. I would just be settling in to enjoy the story and BOOM the chapter would end and I’d find myself either backward or forward in time and in a totally different location. It was very distracting and a lot confusing. It completely took away from the book to the point that at times I just put it down and read something else because I was so frustrated.
That being written there was a good story here. I didn’t know that much about George Sand before I went into this novel and I have come out of reading it wanting to know more. I figure that I is always a good thing. She was a woman in a time that expected its women to stay home and have children. Aurore had a passion for more. She felt that there had to be more to life than the one she was living in the country and she took a huge leap to leave her family to pursue that passion. She lived a wild life – that is for sure.
Ms. Berg has written an interesting book about a fascinating woman. I just didn’t enjoy the way she chose to put it together. Others may feel differently. I just didn’t like the way the book moved through time.
Rating:
3.5
The Giveaway:
One lucky US reader will win a copy of The Dream Lover. Just enter as many ways as you’d like on the Gleam widget below. Good luck everyone!
