when i read the back of this book & determined it was one i might enjoy i thought it was going to be this darling little love story. i thought i was opening myself up to a sweet little book about a woman who meets the man who’s been literally inhabiting her dreams her entire life. which, ok, is a huge part of the story.
turns out this book is HEAVY. i got much more than i anticipated. part of me was disappointed because i was really just looking for a light, easy, pleasant, read. instead i got a large dose of real life, in a book made up of a lot of fantasy.
i’ve been married nine years now. and it’s had it’s ups, and it’s deep deep downs. i think that’s marriage. fortunately we’ve conquered our biggest battles so far. reading this book reminded me of how i felt in those times, it was extremely relatable. it made me glad i’m i’m not there anymore. while also feeling relief because it must be so normal - this experience of feeling like the failure of the family, the one letting people down, the one searching desperately for a break, for relief - if someone is able to write about it in a way that felt so familiar.
there’s a lot of sorrow and struggle and fight in this book. all of it real and important. but there was also a lot of adventure and fun and imagination. i loved the dream world, until i didn’t. i loved the journey. i loved the growth and the moment when Rose realizes her own value and the beauty of the life she’s living.
erin.