Dreams of Falling
One of PureWow's "Best Beach Reads of Summer 2018" New York Times bestselling author Karen White crafts evocative relationships in this contemporary women's fiction novel, set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, about lifelong friends who share a devastating secret. On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree's trunk, they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping--including the most important one: Friends forever, come what may. But life can waylay the best of intentions.... Nine years ago, a humiliated Larkin Lanier fled Georgetown, South Carolina, knowing she could never go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she realizes she has no choice but to return to the place she both loves and dreads--and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home. Ivy, Larkin's mother, is discovered badly injured and unconscious in the burned-out wreckage of her ancestral plantation home. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly fifty years--whispers of love, sacrifice, and betrayal--that lead back to three girls on the brink of womanhood who found their friendship tested in the most heartbreaking ways.
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Community Reviews
Karen White novels can be hit or miss for me. Dreams of Falling is my 7th book by her and is by far one of my favorites. White does a great job weaving together the past and the present day stories. There is the right amount of mystery and romance. I enjoyed the character development and the setting. Highly recommend.
Fans of Karen White will not be disappointed by Dreams of Falling in which she employs her signature writing style to tell the story of two lifelong friends, Ceecee and Bitty, set in South Carolina in 2010. Growing up, there were three of them and the beautiful, charismatic Margaret Darlington was the center of their universe. Wealthy, privileged, and unaccustomed to being denied her every whim, Margaret's Southern charm and sophistication stood in contrast to Ceecee's conservative upbringing as the daughter of a local pastor and Bitty's rearing by working-class parents. Into the Tree of Dreams, a towering oak on the Darlington's property, the three girls dropped, at Margaret's urging, ribbons upon which they wrote their hopes and desires. And during one glorious two-week vacation following their 1951 high school graduation, Margaret and Ceecee believed the tree had fulfilled their identical desires. However, the long-revered Darlington luck had finally run out. Now, in 2010, Margaret's granddaughter, Larkin Lanier, has returned home from New York City to tend to her catastrophically injured mother, Ivy. Larkin fled South Carolina in search of a life free from the humiliations and delusions of her youth. Ivy was raised by Ceecee after Margaret died tragically when Ivy was just two years old, and Ceecee & her husband also played an enormous role in Larkin's upbringing. Larkin has been estranged -- apart from the annual birthday message -- from Ivy for nine years, but her return home provides the impetus for resolution of old hurts, resentments, and the discovery of the truth about Margaret's untimely death. White employs multiple voices to tell the story of current-day events, as well as those set in motion back in 1951 that altered all of their lives. As Ivy, in a comatose state, observes what is transpiring around her, as well as her motivations, Ceecee narrates the youthful adventure of three hopeful 1951 graduates, while Larkin relates her journey to come to grips with the realities of her circumstances and choices. The result is a powerful tale of familial choices, secrets, and relationships within an intricately-plotted mystery. In other words, pure Karen White-style storytelling infused with Southern charm and values. Dreams of Falling is a perfect summer beach read!
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book!
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book!
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