The Dust that Falls from Dreams
-
-
3.5 • 28 Ratings
-
-
- $15.99
-
- $15.99
Publisher Description
A return to the epic romance, heroism, history and warm and eccentric cast of characters that made CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN such an extraordinary hit (2.5 million copies sold).
The very first adventure with flying ace and war hero Daniel Pitt.
In the brief golden years before the outbreak of World War I, Rosie McCosh and her three very different sisters are growing up in an eccentric household in Kent, with their neighbours the Pitt boys on one side and the Pendennis boys on the other. But their days of childhood adventure are shadowed by the approach of the conflict that will engulf them on the cusp of adulthood.
When the boys end up scattered along the Western Front, Rosie is left confused by her love for two young men - one an infantry soldier and one the flying ace Daniel Pitt. Can she, and her sisters, build new lives out of the opportunities and devastations that follow the Great War?
For more adventures with flying ace Daniel Pitt, see The Autumn of the Ace and So Much Life Left Over.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
From high above, novelist Louis de Bernières (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) surveys the lives of the McCosh family—starting with the grand coronation party the well-to-do London couple and their four daughters throw to celebrate Edward VII’s ascent to the throne. Thanks to de Bernières’ delightful storytelling, we feel like the Edwardian era and World War I unfold before us like an elaborate and moving play. This witty historical fiction succeeds in making us care about the fate of individual characters, while also feeling the collective highs and lows of a momentous time in history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
De Bernieres's latest novel is an immersive, sweeping historical epic focusing on three neighboring families in England: the Pitts, the Pendennises, and the McCoshs. As the family children become close and form a small gang called the Pals, the idyllic Edwardian era comes to a close far too quickly, leading all three families into WWI. The three Pendennis boys all enlist in the English infantry, despite being Americans. Daniel Pitt becomes a French fighter pilot. Two of the McCosh sisters volunteer in hospitals. All are confronted daily with the harsh realities of war. Rosie McCosh is in love with Ashbridge Pendennis, and when he enlists, they become engaged, hoping to ride out the war (which they believe will be short) and marry once it is over. Unfortunately Ash meets a tragically early end, leaving Rosie devastated. When the war is over, everyone is left to pick up the pieces and try to put their lives back together, leading to further depths of entanglement between the three families. The ravages of the war on Europe are depicted in stark relief. De Bernieres (Corelli's Mandolin) manages to quite gracefully capture the evolution from the quiet late 19th century to the horrors of modern "total warfare," and the experiences of his characters are varied and satisfying. Moreover, the space left after the war for the people who survived allows de Bernieres to take an intimate look at their various scars. This lovely tale is both intimate and grand; readers will enjoy every minute of it.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful de Bernieres
Louis de Bernieres always carries me away with his writing. I'm emotionally invested in his characters, comfortable, frightened, enchanted, and amused by turns. Loved this book!
More Books Like This