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Look Inside | Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Jul 26, 2016 | ISBN 9781101970003 Buy
Aug 04, 2015 | ISBN 9781101946497 Buy
Aug 04, 2015 | 1046 Minutes Buy
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Jul 26, 2016 | ISBN 9781101970003
Aug 04, 2015 | ISBN 9781101946497
Aug 04, 2015 | ISBN 9780147521996
1046 Minutes
The Edwardian era has just begun, and in the idyllic countryside outside of London, young Rosie McCosh and her three sisters are growing up inseparable from their neighbors, the two Pitt brothers and the three Pendennis boys. But twelve years later, the outbreak of World War I brings their days of youthful camaraderie to an abrupt end. In the years that follow, these childhood pals will be scattered across Europe—from the trenches of France to the British hospitals where the McCosh sisters serve. Some will lose their lives, some their loved ones, some their faith—and all of them will lose their innocence. At the center of their stories, always, is Rosie—in love with one of her childhood friends and beloved by another—facing the collapse of the world she has always known, and the birth of another from its ashes. A sumptuous, sweeping, powerfully moving work of fiction, The Dust That Falls from Dreams is a story of profound loss and indelible hope.
From the acclaimed author of Corelli’s Mandolin, here is a sumptuous, sweeping, powerfully moving new novel about a British family whose lives and loves are indelibly shaped by the horrors of World War I and the hopes for its aftermath. In the brief golden years of the Edwardian era the McCosh sisters—Christabel, Ottilie, Rosie and Sophie—grow up in an idyllic household in the countryside south of London. On one side, their neighbors are the proper Pendennis family, recently arrived from Baltimore, whose close-in-age boys—Sidney, Albert and Ashbridge—shake their father’s hand at breakfast and address him as “sir.” On the other side is the Pitt family: a “resolutely French” mother, a former navy captain father, and two brothers, Archie and Daniel, who are clearly “going to grow up into a pair of daredevils and adventurers.” In childhood this band is inseparable, but the days of careless camaraderie are brought to an abrupt halt by the outbreak of The Great War, in which everyone will play a part. All three Pendennis brothers fight in the hellish trenches at the front; Daniel Pitt becomes an ace fighter pilot with his daredevil tendencies intact; Rosie and Ottilie McCosh volunteer in the hospitals, where women serve with as much passion and nearly as much hardship as the men at the front; Christabel McCosh becomes one of the squad of photographers sending “snaps” of their loved ones at home to the soldiers; and Sophie McCosh drives for the RAF in France. In the aftermath of the war, as “the universal joy and relief were beginning to be tempered by . . . an atmosphere of uncertainty,” everyone must contend with the modern world that is slowly emerging from the ashes of the old. A wholly immersive novel about a particular time and place, The Dust That Falls from Dreams also illuminates the timeless ways in which men and women carry profound loss alongside indelible hope.
Louis de Bernières is the author of many award-winning novels, including Birds Without Wings, Corelli’s Mandolin, The Dust That Falls from Dreams, Notwithstanding, A Partisan’s Daughter, Red Dog, Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord, The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman,… More about Louis de Bernieres
One of Time’s Top 10 Books of the Year“Moving. . . . Poignant.” —The New York Times Book Review“A book that had me laughing, cringing and ultimately feeling a little spark of hope. In that, The Dust That Falls from Dreams is very much like my old favorite, Corelli’s Mandolin.” —Connie Nelson, Minneapolis Star Tribune“Thrilling . . . . The inner life of de Bernières’ lively roll call of characters is as vivid as the external realities.” —The Independent (London) “A gently evocative story of the war that didn’t end all wars, but did wrench open the door to the modern world.” —Time “A feast of a novel.” —The Times (London) “De Bernières is playful and expansive. . . . Scenes [of war] strike just as hard as they must have when the first crop of World War I stories emerged.” —Santa Fe New Mexican “Beautifully observed. . . . De Bernières is an astute observer of the human heart.” —Mail on Sunday “While some period fiction offers an escape from contemporary concerns, the best stories of the past illuminate the present. . . . De Bernières vividly brings to life a world stalked by death.” —Mark Lawson, The Guardian “Genuinely thrilling.” —Financial Times “An elegiac vision. . . . [A] charming and quietly moving tale.” —The Daily Telegraph “A masterful tale that bridges two worlds and delineates the apocalyptic abyss in between. . . . This heartrending saga of love, loss, and endurance paints a vivid portrait of the steep price paid by an entire generation.” —Booklist “These are the hopeful stories about war, and they should be told.” —The Star (Toronto) “Heartwarming and devastating.” —The National (UAE) “Immensely enjoyable, rich in humour and incident, galloping along, inventive, often moving and almost always sympathetic.” —The Scotsman “[A] gripping tale of love and war. . . . De Bernières blends global events with personal stories to great effect, putting both into perspective.” —Bookpage “An unforgettable book. . . . The direct aftermath of the war is incredibly written.” —The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
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