Escaping Dreamland Published by Blackstone Publishing by Charlie Lovett
on September 22, 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Pages: 300
Source: Netgalley
Format: ARC, eBook
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Goodreads
Find the Book: Amazon | Goodreads
ISBN: 1982629401
Rating:
Largely set in New York City in the early years of the 20th century, the novel follows the exploits of three writers working to create children's series (think Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys).Robert Parrish s childhood obsession with series books like the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift inspired him to become an author. Just as his debut novel becomes a bestseller, his relationship with his girlfriend, Rebecca, begins to fall apart. Robert realizes he must confront his secret demons by fulfilling a youthful promise to solve a mystery surrounding his favorite series the Tremendous Trio.
Guided by twelve tattered books and an unidentified but tantalizing fragment of a story, Robert journeys into the history of the books that changed his life, hoping they can help him once again. His odyssey takes him to 1906 Manhattan, a time of steamboats, boot blacks, and Fifth Avenue mansions, but every discovery he makes only leads to more questions.
Robert s quest intertwines with the stories of three young people trying to define their places in the world at the dawn of a new and exciting century. Magda, Gene, and Tom not only write the children s books that Robert will one day love, together they explore the vibrant city on their doorstep, from the Polo Grounds to Coney Island s Dreamland, drawing the reader into the Gilded Age as their own friendships deepen.
The connections between the authors, their creations, and Robert s redemptive journey make for a beautifully crafted novel that is an ode to the children s series books of our past, to New York City, and above all, to the power of love and friendship.
I was lucky enough to hear Charlie Lovett speak to my book club last year. This was before I’d gotten the chance to read any of his works. And, I was beyond impressed with his grasp on interesting historical facts and his ability to bring those out in the most entertaining anecdotes.
He was able to convey both of those skills with Escaping Dreamland. A book about authors trying to write in the early 20th century, this book is part historical drama, part history lesson. Lovett writes an immersive historical novel like I haven’t read before.
About Charlie Lovett
Charlie Lovett was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1962 and grew up as the child of a book-collecting English professor. He spent his summers in the rural North Carolina mountains and felt an early affinity for the countryside. He was educated at Summit School, Woodberry Forest School (Virginia), and Davidson College (NC) and in 1984 went into the antiquarian book business with his first wife, Stephanie. About the same time he began to seriously collect books and other materials relating to Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
