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A review by ravenclaw_28
Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau
4.0
I loved stepping into the life of Peggy Battenburg the "black sheep of the black sheep" and her struggle to maintain her newfound independence, in a time when women's voice was expected to echo that of her husbands.
I thought the setting set between the lavish Oriental Hotel and the loud, bustling Coney Island was fantastic. The blend between the life of the upper-class and the working class was very nicely done yet still showcasing how vastly different Peggy's life was in comparison to Stefan's and his friends at Dreamland.
Peggy herself was an interesting voice for this historical romance. Here was a girl who felt like an outsider in a family who prided wealth and status over everything, in a family whose name even today is iconic, struggling to separate herself from her family by joining the world of work.
I did find the relationship between Peggy and Stefan to be a bit too instant. As far as a holiday romance goes it was perfect but it was very obvious that the relationship would never last. These two characters crashed and burned just like a 4th of July firework.
As for Henry Taul, his character was incredibly jarring, and that might be what Nancy Bilyeau was going for but I struggled to get a read on who he was, what he actually wanted from life and his role in this story. Obviously, his role is explained quite quickly as the villain of the piece but, I didn't feel that this was a true representation of this character. Henry Taul, in my opinion, was a damaged individual with warped ideas and an understanding of the world. He had a mother who enabled and encouraged these fantasies and delusions rather than get him the help he needed, and a couple of lackeys who preyed on his weaknesses and used him to fulfil their own desires.
Nancy Bilyeau's Dreamland is a stunning piece of Historical Fiction focusing on love, loss, mental illness and class divide. I just wish the ending was different. I would have liked Peggy to go back to Moonrise Bookstore, and for Stefan to be able to set out on his own and become a celebrated artist.
Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavour Quill for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I thought the setting set between the lavish Oriental Hotel and the loud, bustling Coney Island was fantastic. The blend between the life of the upper-class and the working class was very nicely done yet still showcasing how vastly different Peggy's life was in comparison to Stefan's and his friends at Dreamland.
Peggy herself was an interesting voice for this historical romance. Here was a girl who felt like an outsider in a family who prided wealth and status over everything, in a family whose name even today is iconic, struggling to separate herself from her family by joining the world of work.
I did find the relationship between Peggy and Stefan to be a bit too instant. As far as a holiday romance goes it was perfect but it was very obvious that the relationship would never last. These two characters crashed and burned just like a 4th of July firework.
As for Henry Taul, his character was incredibly jarring, and that might be what Nancy Bilyeau was going for but I struggled to get a read on who he was, what he actually wanted from life and his role in this story. Obviously, his role is explained quite quickly as the villain of the piece but, I didn't feel that this was a true representation of this character. Henry Taul, in my opinion, was a damaged individual with warped ideas and an understanding of the world. He had a mother who enabled and encouraged these fantasies and delusions rather than get him the help he needed, and a couple of lackeys who preyed on his weaknesses and used him to fulfil their own desires.
Nancy Bilyeau's Dreamland is a stunning piece of Historical Fiction focusing on love, loss, mental illness and class divide. I just wish the ending was different. I would have liked Peggy to go back to Moonrise Bookstore, and for Stefan to be able to set out on his own and become a celebrated artist.
Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavour Quill for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.