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Dreamers of the Day (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,493 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A schoolteacher still reeling from the tragedies of the Great War and the influenza epidemic travels to the Middle East in this memorable and passionate novel “Marvelous . . . a stirring story of personal awakening set against the background of a crucial moment in modern history.”—The Washington Post Agnes Shanklin, a forty-year-old schoolteacher from Ohio, has come into a modest inheritance that allows her to take the trip of a lifetime to Egypt and the Holy Land. Arriving at the Semiramis Hotel just as the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference convenes, she is freed for the first time from her mother’s withering influence and finds herself being wooed by a handsome, mysterious German. At the same time, Agnes—with her plainspoken American opinions—is drawn into the company of Winston Churchill, T. E. Lawrence, and Lady Gertrude Bell, who will, in the space of a few days, redraw the world map to create the modern Middle East. As they change history, Agnes too will find her own life transformed forever. With prose as graceful and effortless as a seductive float down the Nile, Mary Doria Russell illuminates the long, rich history of the Middle East with a story that brilliantly elucidates today’s headlines.
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"I really enjoyed this book. There was a segment of it that I felt didn't quite fit in with the rest, but was still good. I love learning history through historical fiction - in this book I got to hear a bit about the Flu Epidemic of 1918 and the Cairo Peace Conference. fascinating."
— Choco-cat (4 out of 5 stars)
Dreamers of the Day Listener Reviews
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" This author who also wrote the Sparrow has a unique style being a former archeologist she combines fact (history) w/fiction. Good book and easy reading. "
— Shapostrozny, 2/19/2014 -
" I enjoyed this tale of British interference in the middle east.The story is told through a woman's eyes and is set in the early 1920's.It is the creation of the modern middle east at the 1921 Cairo peace conference where far reaching decisions were made.The narrator was interesting in that she was an intelligent woman who grew up feeling out of sync with the world she was born into but was able to gain insight through travel and people she encountered. She became free and better still a free thinker. "
— Kathleen, 2/13/2014 -
" Really fun, perfect pitch for most of the book. You learn a lot about the modern middle east without even trying. She's very skilled, very polished, very assured. Very accessible style. I almost gave it 5 stars "
— Kennedy, 2/13/2014 -
" I enjoyed the book from the standpoint of learning some interesting history. As with other historical fiction, i.e.,the blend of factual with the fictitious, it made me curious enough to continue my reading pursuits that included biographies of Gertrude Bell and Lawrence of Arabia and a book on the friendship between Churchill and Roosevelt. "
— LD, 2/9/2014 -
" Historical fiction--what fun. Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill and Lady Gertrude Bell were all interestingly interwoven in this tale of longing for love. This was read by the book club from the Emergency Dept. where I work, so was fun for me to read their recommendation. "
— Amy, 2/5/2014 -
" Dippy writing, but an interesting peak into the European decision makers at the Cairo conference in 1921 that made far reaching decisions about the Middle East. "
— Anne, 1/2/2014 -
" Fun read. History was interesting and liked characters. "
— Terry, 12/25/2013 -
" I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would. And I learned quite a bit as well about the politics that shaped the Middle East as it exists today. "
— Crystal, 11/20/2013 -
" Good writing, amusing, and educational about how the Middle East was carved up in the early 20th century. I didn't know that much about Lawrence of Arabia beforehand - fascinating. We need HIM to come back... Good historical novel. "
— Debfagan, 11/14/2013 -
" book club read. by author of Sparrow and Children of God. i loved the ending! "
— sharan, 10/11/2013 -
" This is a historical novel about a spinster schoolteacher who is left an inheritance. She follows her dream of a trip to Egypt with her dog, Rosie. It is set during the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference which established the boundaries of the Middle East. Entertaining and informative. "
— Diane, 10/2/2013
About Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell is the author of several books, including The Sparrow, Children of God, A Thread of Grace, and Dreamers of the Day. Her novels have won national and international literary awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the James Tiptree Award, and the American Library Association Readers Choice Award. The Sparrow was selected as one of Entertainment Weekly’s ten best books of the year, and A Thread of Grace was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
About Ann Marie Lee
Ann Marie Lee is a seven-time winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award for narration. She is a Los Angeles–based actress with television credits that include ER, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Nip/Tuck. Her stage performances for Broadway National Tours and regional theater include Peter Pan, As You Like It, Heartbreak House, and The Cherry Orchard.