Helpful Score: 4
For Jeff Johnson, a young historical researcher for a Civil War novelist, reality is redefined when he meets Annie, an intense and lovely young woman suffering from vivid, intense nightmares. Haunted by the dreamer and her unrelenting dreams, Jeff leads Annie on an emotional odyssey through the heartland of the Civil War in search of a cure. On long-silenced battle fields their relationship blossoms--two obsessed lovers linked by unbreakable chains of history, torn by a duty that could destroy them both.
It is extremely hard to classify this book, as it works (and works very well) on many different levels. It is a love story, a synopsis of the American Civil War including a quick tour of the Civil War battlefields, an investigation into obsessive behavior vs practical action, a mystery with clues scattered hither an yon for the reader to discover . . .
Try it; you'll like it!
It is extremely hard to classify this book, as it works (and works very well) on many different levels. It is a love story, a synopsis of the American Civil War including a quick tour of the Civil War battlefields, an investigation into obsessive behavior vs practical action, a mystery with clues scattered hither an yon for the reader to discover . . .
Try it; you'll like it!
Helpful Score: 3
Willis' first novel; won the John W. Campbell award.
Jeff is a research assistant to an historical novelist. The novelist, Broun, has just barely finished a book on the Civil War, and thinks his next book will be about Abraham Lincoln. He is somewhat fixated on analyzing Lincoln's dreams to try to gain insight into the man. So he invites Jeff's old college roommate, Richard, a dream researcher and physician, to a reception. Reluctantly, Richard shows up... with a young woman, Annie, in tow. Jeff is immediately drawn to Annie, but can tell something is wrong - she seems upset, and the dynamic between Annie and Richard is odd. He suspects his old friend may be exploiting a patient... When Annie tells him of the odd dreams that have been plaguing her, things get even stranger - because all the historical details are correct... and from the viewpoint of Robert E. Lee, during the Civil War.
This is really a great book... though emotionally harrowing, and not at all funny, as some of Willis' later works are. Great use of literary parallelism - with the plot of one of Broun's novels, historical details of the Civil War, and 'current' events all reflecting off each other... themes of the book are duty and love...
I have definitely become a big fan of Willis' work!
Jeff is a research assistant to an historical novelist. The novelist, Broun, has just barely finished a book on the Civil War, and thinks his next book will be about Abraham Lincoln. He is somewhat fixated on analyzing Lincoln's dreams to try to gain insight into the man. So he invites Jeff's old college roommate, Richard, a dream researcher and physician, to a reception. Reluctantly, Richard shows up... with a young woman, Annie, in tow. Jeff is immediately drawn to Annie, but can tell something is wrong - she seems upset, and the dynamic between Annie and Richard is odd. He suspects his old friend may be exploiting a patient... When Annie tells him of the odd dreams that have been plaguing her, things get even stranger - because all the historical details are correct... and from the viewpoint of Robert E. Lee, during the Civil War.
This is really a great book... though emotionally harrowing, and not at all funny, as some of Willis' later works are. Great use of literary parallelism - with the plot of one of Broun's novels, historical details of the Civil War, and 'current' events all reflecting off each other... themes of the book are duty and love...
I have definitely become a big fan of Willis' work!
Helpful Score: 3
If you like to read about Civil War history, you'll like this book. Despite the description, this is not a love story and it's more about Lee's dreams than Lincoln's. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but, while well-written, this one just didn't do it for me. It's like the author wanted to make a book out of all the little details that no one really ever remembers and don't really matter in the larger picture.
