The Passion Dream Book [Paperback]

Whitney Otto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

With Her Trademark Originality, Whitney Otto Tells the story of a bohemian couple and the years they spend finding and losing each other. The Passion Dream Book is about artists, their tendency to colonize and to migrate.

A blending of fiction with history, the story begins in the Italian Renaissance with a girl named Giulietta, the daughter of a little-known artist who defies convention by apprenticing her. She is paid to spy on Michelangelo as he works on his sculpture of David. Hidden in his studio, she alternates between wanting the artist and wanting to be the artist.

The narrative jumps forward to 1918, with the story of Romy March, a descendant of Giulietta, whose artistic aspirations alienate her from her wealthy family. She falls in love with Augustine Marks, a photographer. Inclination and necessity pushes them toward "outsider lives". They journey from place to place -- Hollywood of the silent films, Harlem during its renaissance, Paris at the end of the 20s, World War II London -- separately and together, until they realize in Beat Generation San Francisco that only love brings them back again and again.

Written in elegant and spellbinding prose, this love story and novel of ideas is an homage to passion and dreams.

"A rare pleasure". -- Seattle Times

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In The Passion Dream Book Whitney Otto blends fiction and history to explore the tumultuous relationship between art and the lives artists chose in the service of their art. Otto weaves a story that shifts from the Italian Renaissance to the Harlem Renaissance of 1930s America. The novel--the second from the author of the well-loved How to Make an American Quilt--opens with the story of Guilietta Marcel, a young Florentine girl who spies on the artist Michelangelo while he sculpts the "David" in his studio and aspires herself to create art. Then we jump to the 20th century, where Romy March, a descendant of Guilietta, faces a related collection of difficult choices in the quest to become an artist herself. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA. This readable novel spans several centuries and continents, combining fictional characters with historical figures to create an overview of art, especially the role of the patron in its development. In Renaissance Florence, motherless Giulietta Marcel is trained by her father, but she can never become a recognized artist in this male-dominated period. Guilietta spies on Michaelangelo, loving him from afar and earning her livelihood by discovering his works, his habits, and his loves and passing this information on to others. One of her artistically designed boxes, meant to hold mementos, is passed down through the generations until a 20th-century descendant, Romy March, becomes its owner. This treasured possession connects her to Giulietta's passion for art and love. During the early 1900s, Romy has more freedom but still must struggle against America's negative view of art as a feminine career and society's aversion to her love for Augustine, an African American. The couple flees first to Harlem and then to Paris in their search for liberation. Romy finally settles in San Francisco in the 1950s, having come to accept herself. This story is much more than a romance. There is much information about art, especially American art during the early 20th century. YAs will gain insight into this world, its history, and the role of passion in creating gifted artists.?Dottie Kraft, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: PerfectBound (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061096237
• ISBN-13: 978-0061096235
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, April 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Passion Dream Book (Paperback)

The Passion Dream Book is really like a dream, I felt the highs and lows of the characters unlike any other book I have read. It's easy to devour books and say I couldn't put it down...but sometimes there are just no other ways to describe it. I read How To Make An American Quilt many years ago, and enjoyed it as well, but this one, is completely in a different league. It is absolutely beautiful and so well written. If you are wondering if you should buy it or not, wonder no further, you won't be sorry you did.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Passion Dream Book (Paperback)

From when I first started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Otto brilliantly described a world of art and love in an impressive blend of history and fiction. In what appears to be a story merely about art, it is instead something that everyone can relate to. It explores the relationships that make up our lives, and brings up many ideas. I found myself wondering what I want from my life and my relationships with others. Wonderfully written.. A must-read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Passion Dream Book: A Novel (Paperback)

I must say that The Passion Dream Book has to be one of my favorite books. Romy's quest for finding herself in the roaring twenties was beautifully written. I would recommend this book to anyone who dreams of becoming an artist, or wishes to follow their dreams. I couldn't put it down.