Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Good Dream

The Good Dream
The Good Dream
Author: Donna VanLiere
Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Book Type: Hardcover
Bookfanatic avatar reviewed on


The Good Dream seems like another story about a small town in the south of many decades ago, but the author tackles the heavy subject of childhood abuse. The spinster in the town is the heroine of the story. She's outspoken, fearless without being overly brash, smart and funny. She knows how to stand up for herself. She's one of those rare human beings who will take action in the face of great injustice. Many in this town give lip service to being Christian (as many do even today), but when they can show compassion to child much in need of it, they don't, but she does.

The ending left me conflicted. I felt the biological father needed much more of a comeuppance. He got off way too easily. He isn't even public outed for what he did. He's even told he has to only ask for forgiveness once. What? Given the enormous injustice experienced by two characters thanks to his actions, there needed to be much more done by him to show remorse. I hadn't realized this was Christian fiction or I wouldn't have picked it up. It's predictable and the drumbeat of forgiveness is too heavy handed