Escaping Dreamland
Trigger warning: homophobia
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Three New Yorkers in the early 1900s cross paths talking about their love of literature. Tom, Gene, and Magda decide that they each want to write children's stories and help each other sell them to a publisher. Their characters meet in a crossover series called the Tremendous Trio. The authors become fast friends and explore early twentieth-century New York together.
In 2010 New York, Robert is an author who grew up on and was inspired by the Tremendous Trio stories growing up. He inherits a file folder containing the opening of the final book from his grandfather. He is determined to find out the mystery of what happened to the last book in the series.
I found it hard to get into the book at the beginning before the 1900s characters' lives diverge. It takes about a third of the novel before they meet, so a lot of their backstories are told, along with Robert's background with the books. The story picks up and gets more interesting once they meet and start to plan writing the books. After reading the entire novel, I see why so much of the character's backstory was necessary to the plot. The historical figures who make appearances in the book are meticulously researched and portrayed accurately.
Robert's story is more interesting to start because he is hiding something from his girlfriend Rebecca. His childhood love for the books and their connections to his memories of his father and grandfather are endearing. Robert promised his family to find the final book using the beginning pages they have, and his quest leads him all over New York City. His mission drives him to change and his transformation is fascinating to watch. The ultimate reveal of his secret and the reason for his obsession is tragic.
Mike Lenz is a good reader with a deep, expressive voice. He does not do voices for each main character, but the narrative makes it clear which character is speaking without changes in intonation or accent. He does give a few minor characters vocal changes to make them different from the central characters.
Highly recommended for historical fiction fans, especially those with an interest in literature and/or the early twentieth century. Readers who are interested in gay life during this period or love triangles may also enjoy this novel.
Charlie Lovett graduated from Vermont College with an MFA in writing and writes books for adults and children. He divides his time between his native Winston-Salem and Oxfordshire.
Publisher: Blackstone
Narrator: Mike Lenz
Running Time: 12 hours, 38 minutes
Release Date: September 22, 2020
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I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.