Island of Dreams [Hardcover]

Katherine Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2000

The bestselling author of Bed of Roses and Thief of Hearts takes readers on an unforgettable journey in this fanciful tale filled with love and romance.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Pierce Rourke is an internationally respected Denver architect with a troubled past. His father committed suicide when he was 13, and even though he creates buildings that "sing" to him, he doesn't believe that he deserves the love and happiness that is reflected in his work. All that changes when he hears librarian Ana Finch sing at his niece's wedding. She rekindles his own desire to sing, which he hasn't done since his father's death. Ana charms Pierce and the children in the prestigious school where she works, but she suffers from the fear that she will go insane from a genetic disorder. Then an article about an old murder and a missing victim appears in the pages of People magazine, and things get complicated. The climax is not much of a surprise, but Stone's novel, a wonderful continuation of her previous book, A Midnight Clear (1999), is deeply moving, and its mystical overtones are sure to thrill readers. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

" KATHERINE STONE is the author of sixteen novels, including Thief of Hearts, Bed of Roses, Imagine Love, Pearl Moon, and Twins. Her work has been translated into nineteen languages. A physician who now writes full time, she lives with her husband, novelist Jack Chase, in the Pacific Northwest."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446521825
• ISBN-13: 978-0446521826
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,320,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bestselling Seattle-born author Katherine Stone set about plotting her life's journey at a very young age. At age five she knew she hoped to become a doctor. Then, after writing her first short story at age 11, she realized that she'd love to be a writer, too.

In pursuit of that youthful dream, Katherine attended Stanford University, where she completed her premed requirements while majoring in English. She received her M.D. from the University of Washington. Following her internal medicine residency in San Francisco, she accepted a fellowship in infectious diseases in Los Angeles.

What remains one of the world's largest outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease coincided with her fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to write and lecture on this mysterious new disease. But it was not all work and no play. There was also romance in L.A. It was there (during a spinal tap!) that she met her future husband, physician and novelist Jack Chase.

While she had accomplished the first half of her young-life goals, Katherine never really got around to the second part--being a writer--until Jack bought her a word processor and urged her to "Just do it." The result? Bestselling books in the distinctive Katherine Stone style: a marriage of lyrical prose, evocative emotion and, above all, romance.

"There's nothing wrong with incurable romanticism," the physician asserts. "I love writing about nice people, who are giving life their best shot despite the sometimes monumental obstacles I place in their paths and who discover, despite those obstacles, the splendor and power of love."

Although Katherine has hung up her stethoscope for the moment and is writing full-time at her home near Seattle, her medical background is often evident in her books. "I very much enjoy sharing my passion for medicine--its drama, its emotion and yes, its science--with my readers."

The author of 21 novels, including Twins, Bel Air, Love Songs, and Pearl Moon, Katherine's books have been translated into 20 languages and sold worldwide. She is in the midst of converting all her novels into e-book formats (and thinking about her next book!)

Please visit her website at www.katherinestone.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I was bored and on an airplane!, May 28, 2001

By 

shirley lieb (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Island of Dreams (Mass Market Paperback)

The back of the book, which I purchased at an airport promises a love that can make dreams comes true and talks about the consuming passion of Pierce. If I hadn't been stuck on a plane and had nothing to do, I would have happily left this book in the airport club or the hotel wastebasket. I would not have wasted my time reading it.

It is very hard to get wrapped up in a story about the two main characters when their only interactions include meeting at a school for a few minutes and several quick visits to a skating rink. Less than 20% of the book is devoted to them. And while the story of Giselle and Garek is somewhat interesting, way too much time was devoted to them. There really was no plot. Just conversations of Giselle and Garek. Even the characters mentioned in the beginning of the book, Val, Edward, Melissa etc. melt to nothingness by the end. My first Stone book and certainly my last.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Major Disappointment, January 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Island of Dreams (Hardcover)

Being a Katherine Stone fans for years, I had high expectations for this book. I was extremely disappointed. I knew the ending by page 50, character development was poor and much of the character dialogue was confusing. Two love stories evolved and a missing person mystery solved in less than 300 pages. Characters were mentioned at the end of the book that I didn't recognize (due to lack of character development). Ms. Stone's books were always a guaranteed buy for me in the past. However, after reading this book, I will think twice before purchasing another one of her books especially at a hardcover price.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars disappointed after many winners, September 15, 2000

By 

Purrplemickey "Purrplemickey" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Island of Dreams (Hardcover)

I eat up everything Katherine Stone writes. I was truly disappointed in Island of Dreams. It is not up to her usual standards - perhaps written to fast? The characters are wonderful but not enough character development. I would love to see more about these characters in another book. . . .