Customer Reviews

Dream Country

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It is no surprise to friends from online book groups or readers of my reviews for Luanne Rice's books, that this talented writer is one of my favorite authors. I buy all of her books as soon as they are published and place them on my keeper shelves after I read them. As much as I would like to save her new books for rainy days, I find myself gulping each book down too quickly, always regretting when the book is finished. For some reason, though, I never read Dream Country and found it calling out to me recently saying, "Read me, read me!" While I may never regard this book as one of my very favorite Rice read, I do think that any any Rice book is worhtwhile and this is no exception. And like most of Luanne Rice's books, Dream Country, is filled with a haunting tragedy, regrets for past actions but most of all the abiding love of parents for their children.

Daisy, a jeweler lives in Connecticut with her 16 old daughter, Sage. While she is content with her life and the freidnship and deotion of her sister, there is a deep void in her life which she can never replace. As Daisy create one of a likd pices of art which represnte the strenght of realtionships, she remembers back to the raly days when she visited Wyoming. Seeking the solitude and speactacular sights of thsi arewa, Daisy founds herself meeting and then marrying James Tucker, a rancher with a passion for the land that rivals Daisys. family. The beautiful Wyoming land is also wonderful for Daisy's artistice bent while her love for James has few limits. In time Daisy and James are blessed with twins, Sage and Jake. But then tragedy strikes when the twins are 3 and while James turned his back for a fwe minutes, Jake is nowhere to be seen. And while search parties and family and friends combed the area for months, nwo 13 years later he has never been seen or found dead. Grief stricken Daisy eventually leaves James and the ranch with Sage for her roots on the Connecticut shore. And it is to this area that she continues living, working and raising Sage alone.

Time has passed and Sage is a bright girl who feels as though she is only half of a whole. Although quite young when her brother was found missing and then lost, she still remember the feeling of a family sand a sibling. She also misses her father who refuses to leave the ranch even for a visit with Sage in case Jake is found. Then tragdy strikes again when Daisy finds that Sage has run away from home. Wondering how she could bear it if something happened to Sage, Daisy is besides herself. But It doesn't ake too long before she realizes that Sage is with her boyfriend and most likely they are making their way to her Wyoming and her father. Unfortunately, though, Daisy doesn't know all there is to know about Sage and when her boyfriend returns and Sage continues alone, Daisy knows its time for her to stay at the ranch and wait for her arrival. Daisy's reunion with James, his family and finally Sage and a stanger who picked Sage up on the road will forever change their family and begin healing their difficult past. While the book is rather straight forward there is one element of surprise which even if you figure it out while reading, still has you cheering for these people at the end.

While most of Rice's books are set in the East, this area was a new place for her and I found some of her descriptions intersting. I also know that some reviewers complained that she didn't get things right about ranch life or Wyoming but I am in no position to comment about this since I knwo very little about either. I do know that I really enjoy when her books are set on the Connecticut shore which feels liek home to me too. And I also know that I continue to enjoy Luanne Rice's characters, wisdom and the satisfying resolutions of their lives at the end of her novels.

I continue to look forward to this author's new books as well as rereading favorites like Blue Moon, Home Fires, the Firefly Beach trilogy and The Perfect Summer. This is one reader who has and will always be a most devoted fan of Luanne Rice.

I liked Dream Country. It's a pretty intense and emotional rollercoaster ride that hinges on some fairly unique plot points and takes some interesting side roads along the way. For that alone, I give Ms. Rice credit. I've read lots of books, and this particular plot is a new one to me.

It isn' t the best book I've ever read, and I enjoyed Firefly Beach (the other Luanne Rice novel I've read) more, but there was something almost hypnotic about the way this story unfolded that kept me riveted right from the beginning.

The main characters in this novel are very well developed, and the constantly changing POV is interesting, if a little over-used. I agree with some other reviewers that said the mystery wasn't much of a mystery, but I think that was the point. I think we were supposed to figure it out before the characters did and wait with bated breath to see how it would unfold. I certainly did.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, which felt rushed and didn't do justice to the well-drawn characters we'd spent so much time getting to know. I was rooting for Daisy and James, and for Sage and David, so it was a bummer to not see more of them together in the end.

If you're in the market for a dense, well-written novel that has an "epic" feel to it, then give this a try. If you're looking for something light to pass the hours, this will not suit.

I've read Luanne Rice's last two books (Cloud Nine & Follow the Stars Home) so I anxiously awaited the release of Ms. Rice's newest novel. I heard about it back in October, and as the day got closer, I began to get excited. Boy, was I disappointed. The story carries a bit of a mystery (which I'm not a huge fan of any way), but believe me when I tell you - NO SUSPENSE WHATSOEVER!!!! I figured out the ending less than 100 pages into the story. I only continued reading because I was curious how long it would take the characters to figure out what I already knew - It took until about the last 2-3 chapters - then the story was rushed forward to wrap it up nicely leaving no loose ends whatsoever. She took all this time dragging out the story - following the characters around & basically getting to know them (which was one of the pluses of this book & why I gave it three stars - good character development), only to have the ending rushed through way too quickly. I also found it senseless to have new characters, never mentioned at all earlier, introduceed in the final chapters of the book. They made brief appearances apparently in an effort to fill up pages - How else can it be explained? I don't want to give it away - there may be others who find this story interesting & would like to figure it out for themselves, I just felt totally let down and disappointed way before I finished reading this book, and for once, was glad when I finished reading it so I could go on to my next book!

I have read and enjoyed several of Luanne Rice's books, though after reading Dream Country, I hesitate to continue. As a native of Wyoming, I am extremely disappointed that she didn't spend a little time in our beautiful state, and give her readers an accurate picture of this country, its people and the abundant wildlife (though sadly you'll not find bison grazing by any streams, unless you're in Yellowstone Park, or on a Reserve). She has wolves howling throughout the book--one wonders if she has them confused with coyotes??? Does she know these animals had disappeared from the West, and had to be brought in from Canada several years ago to re-populate Yellowstone Park, and though they are doing well, they are not prolific throughout the entire state? Even her geography is completely off---believe me, I don't know of any "logging" roads connecting Nebraska and Wyoming, and beyond that, it would have taken Sage and David about seven hours (in good weather) to get from the Nebraska border to anywhere near Dubois. Her picture of ranch life, and the cattle industry is filled with innaccuracies and stereotypes. A small number of calves may be sold for veal, but most cattle are not sent to slaughter until long after they are weaned. Many are not slaughtered, but sold for breeding stock to other ranches. It all makes me wonder what other kind of misinformation and shoddy research techniques (or none at all) were used to create the atmosphere in any of her other books. One assumes she knows the New England area, because that's where she grew up, but if she intends to set her books in other locations, I really believe some research, and perhaps a trip to the area is required. The American West is a fascinating and beautiful part of the country, with history and mystery to spare, and deserves to be rendered accurately.

Most people agree that no one can ever truly go home, but events will show that if Daisy want to return she not only can, she can stay.

Daisy traveled west many years ago in search of colors that would mesh with the jewelry she creates. When she reached the Wyoming ranch of taciturn James Tucker, she fell in love and they married. Daisy gave birth to fraternal twins, Sage and Jake and everyone knew the foursome would live happily ever after. However, three-year-old Jake disappears while on a round up with his dad. The marriage disintegrated and Daisy accompanied by Sage returned to her home state of Connecticut.

For the next thirteen years James fails even to see his daughter once as he keeps his vow to his son to never forsake him dead or alive. Sage feels the pull of her birth state and when she becomes pregnant, journeys to her father's ranch where her parents greet her. The adventures of the Tucker crew have just begun.

Luanne Rice always tells a strong story about what happens in life when bad things happen to good people. This novel is character driven with heroes and villains that feel as if they come from the real world. Ms. Rice has a talent for hiding her heroes and villains from her audience. The poignant plot requires a handy tissue box as Ms. Rice leaves the reader needing tissues.

Harriet Klausner

What a huge disappointment to a loyal reader! A few years ago, I read Luanne Rice's 'Stone Heart'. After that I was hooked. I made sure I read every Luanne Rice novel I could get my hands on at the library. All were written tenderly and straight from the heart. But after 'Cloud Nine', her stories and writing continues to go downhill. She churns out novels with a cookie-cutter. You sense that she just wants to get something out. I thought I stumbled upon an author who would give me many years of wonderful reading pleasure but now I don't think so. I'm still hoping Ms. Rice will wake-up and go back to writing the way she used to. 'Dream Country' was so boring, I gave it up after a couple of chapters. I'm now on Chapter 4 of 'Firefly Beach' and it's not much better - I'm pushing myself to finish it.

I found the characters so boring, one dimensional and typical that even they couldn't get me interested in this unbelieveably corny story. I almost finished reading it (I left about 10 pages of filler untouched) only because I was on a vacation and had lugged it with me all the way across the country. Every point and turn in this book seemed too perfectly timed, almost as if the author wanted to make sure that after the first third of the story you knew exactly how everything was going to turn out in the end. Even worse, each of the characters were so melodramatic that I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes from time to time. I thought I would like Luanne Rice but I am sure this will be the last of her books that I'll read.

You know that "ahhhhh" feeling you sometimes have after reading a very good and totally satisfying book? Well, I had that with DREAM COUNTRY.

Daisy and James Tucker lived an idyllic life on the Wyoming ranch that had been in James's family for several generations. They were happy right up until the time one of their three-year-old twins, Jake, disappears. The marriage soon falls apart and Daisy returns to her home back east with their daughter, Jake's twin, Sage.

Fast forward 13 years later. Sage has longed for the West - and for her father. But James has stayed in Wyoming all these years, not willing to leave in case Jake returns, refusing to accept that he is gone forever. Daisy is supporting the two them making unique, highly sought after jewelry with, some say, magical or mystical results to those wearing this jewelry.

One morning, after a particularly volative mother-daughter argument the night before, Daisy finds Sage missing -- and at about the same time, discovers one of the reasons she has left --she is pregnant. She soon finds out that Sage's boyfriend is missing also.

Daisy is soon convinced to go to the Tucker ranch in Wyoming to wait for her daughter. And there the continuing attraction she and James have for one another can't be denied.

I enjoyed this story very much. Rice's writing reminds me so much of Kristin Hannah's stories I had to keep looking at the cover just to make certain I wasn't actually reading a Kristin Hannah book. The addition of a paranormal elements only added to its appeal. I cried buckets at the end -- a real indicator of my enjoyment of the story. As a mother of teenage boy/girl twins, one named Jake, this story hit very close to home. If I have any complaint, it is that the author chose to call Jake and Sage "the twins" in quite a few instances. As a mother of twins, I know it is important that twins be seen as individuals and not lumped together -- no matter if they're identical or fraternal. In fact, it was one of the first things I learned when joing the Mothers of Twins Club, and something they were rather militant about. So although those instances took me out of the story several times, I was still overcome by the emotional intensity of the story. I highly recommend this book -- and I want some of Daisy's jewelry!

I have read all of Luann Rice's books, but this was the most disappointing one in terms of story and character development. I just felt that it dragged on, and the "mystery" is easily solved less than midway through the novel. The change of location was refreshing-away from the coastal waters of New England-but it is not enough to overcome the storyline and thin characterizations. Maybe she needs to return to Connecticut.

The story line kept me entertained throughout my long plane ride East and then back here to Texas. But I kept finding myself annoyed at all the mystical claptrap. Magic Jewelry. Thanking the sky. Lots of American Indian mysticism. If you believe it and it makes you feel good this book will be right down your alley.

I, like another reader, found it very annoying that she felt it was unimportant to get her facts straight about ranch life. There was this two ton steer(!) herded, no doubt by the Sheltie stockdog! So I flipped to the back of the book and found she spends her time in New York City - and Lyme, Connecticut! Yippie Yi Yo, yuppie. Must have watched a lot of Bonanza and Big Valley. Brass hinges on horse stalls. Well, maybe there are brass hinges on W's ranch, but most ranchers I know have got a lot of things to do besides polish brass. James and Daisy galloping a valuable cutting horse and a very old horse through two feet of snow with a crust on top - just fer fun!

I also found inexcusable her description of a psychotic dog with Daisy getting down on the floor, staring her in the eyes and trying to touch her toy. This dog would have done one of two things: peed on the floor and run screaming off, or more likely given her a nasty bite because she was terrified. Oh yeah I forgot about the magic. Wish I had some. I rescue abused dogs.

Before I forget: dairy farms are no less cruel than ranches and they can be far worse. What does Ms. Rice think happens to all those little bull calves, unneeded heffers and cows whose milk production has dropped on dairy farms? Cows are bred every year to keep milk production high. Calves are separated from their mothers shortly after birth and they are generally hand fed, until they are picked up by the meat packer (for veal). Most 'calves' shipped off ranches are nearly full grown and have spent their babyhood hanging out on the rangeland and drinking mother's milk.

Ms. Rice goes ranching: The rancher rises early, polishes his brass hinges, gallops out on his best cutting horse - in two feet of snow, Sheltie stock-dog close on his heels, to begin his day of building a trusting relationship with his two-ton steers.

It is irksome when authors don't do some research if they are out of their depth. This book would have gotten more stars had she cleaned up her ranch mythology, oh and lost the magic nonsense.