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The Good Dream: A Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,462 listener ratings
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In this full-length novel from the New York Times Bestselling author of The Christmas Hope series Donna VanLiere has written a beautifully rendered and poignant story about one woman's unlikely path to motherhood and the healing power of love. Tennessee, 1950: Still single and in her early thirties, Ivorie Walker is considered an old maid; a label she takes with good humor and a grain of salt. But when her mother dies, leaving her to live alone in the house she grew up in, to work the farm she was raised to take care of, she finds herself lost in a kind of loneliness she hadn't expected. After years of rebuffing the advances of imperfect, yet eligible bachelors from her small town, Ivorie is without companionship with more love in her heart and time on her hands than she knows what to do with. But her life soon changes when a feral, dirty-faced boy who has been sneaking onto her land to steal from her garden comes into her life. Even though he runs back into the hills as quickly as he arrives, she's determined to find out who he is because something about the young boy haunts her. What would make him desperate enough to steal and eat from her garden? But what she can't imagine is what the boy faces, each day and night, in the filthy lean-to hut miles up in the hills. Who is he? How did he come to live in the hills? Where did he come from? And, more importantly, can she save him? As Ivorie steps out of her comfort zone to uncover the answers, she unleashes a firestorm in the town-a community that would rather let secrets stay that way. This pitch perfect story of redemption and the true meaning of familial love is Donna VanLiere at her very best.
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"This book, THE GOOD DREAM, is the first book I've read by author Donna VanLiere and it certainly will not be the last. THE GOOD DREAM follows the story of Sarah Ivorie, a thirty year old woman who in the 1950's finds herself labled as Morgan Hill, Tennessee's 'Old Maid'. After losing both of her parents with whom she lived on several in-demand acres of land, Ivorie finds herself finally being courted by someone she could really care about. She also finds that someone or something has been destroying her garden. The someone is a child. A boy. A boy with a heartbreaking story. A boy without a Mother. There is tragedy, triumph, heartbreak and humor in this story. I see it translating quite well to a TV movie and hope that it does. I'd love to see these characters come to life."
— Maryellen (4 out of 5 stars)
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“The story of a woman’s love, sacrifice, and bravery to save a small, wounded boy, Donna VanLiere has faithfully re-created the South of the 1950s, in both the innocence of the time and its evil. It’s a beautiful story.”
— Kathleen Kent, bestselling author of The Heretic’s Daughter -
"The Good Dream is a great story of people saving each other in the unlikeliest ways. A heartwarming winner of a book.”
— Jenna Blum, bestselling author of The Stormchasers -
“The story of a woman's love, sacrifice, and bravery to save a small, wounded boy, Donna VanLiere has faithfully re-created the South of the 1950s, in both the innocence of the time and its evil. It's a beautiful story.
— Kathleen Kent, bestselling author of The Heretic's Daughter -
The Good Dream is a great story of people saving each other in the unlikeliest ways. A heartwarming winner of a book.
— Jenna Blum, bestselling author of The Stormchasers -
Both heartrending and redemptive, The Good Dream imagines the profound power that love holds to change a life.
— Katherine Howe, bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane -
Donna VanLiere has created a marvelous character in Ivorie of Morgan Hill, Tennessee. Hers is a compelling story of a young woman who must choose between her dreams and saving a boy she is told is forever damaged. Her struggle will intrigue you, entertain you, and will make you think important thoughts. That's about as much as we can ask a novel to do.
— Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky and The Keeper's Son -
Written with all the gumption of its Tennessee characters, The Good Dream is a great story of people saving each other in the unlikeliest ways. A heartwarming winner of a book.
— Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers -
Donna VanLiere has woven an intoxicating Southern gothic tale of solitary Ivorie Walker, a capable young woman who must confront the terrible secrets that lie below the placid surface of life in the 1950s Tennessee countryside. At times both heartrending and redemptive, The Good Dream imagines the profound power that love holds to change a life, while tracing the reverberations that one woman's courage can send tearing through an entire community.
— Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane -
In The Good Dream, Donna VanLiere has created a heartwarming story of redemption and has shown the world that she's not just for Christmas anymore.
— Richard Paul Evans, #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box, Lost December, and Miles to Go -
The Good Dream snares the reader right from the start. DonnaVanLiere's pitch perfect voice captures all the country charm and mystery of a long-ago time and place with its many acts of kindness and courage, as well as its secrets.
— Mary McGarry Morris, New York Times bestselling author of Songs in Ordinary Time
Awards
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Winner of the 2013 Audie Award for Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2013
The Good Dream Listener Reviews
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" Finishing "Good Dream" is like waking up from a good dream. Darn, but it's over. Maybe it was the 1950's era. Maybe it was the warm mid-south setting. Maybe it was the small village/rural area with the storekeeper named Henry. Maybe it was the Ivory's strong maternal feelings toward the feral child. Maybe it was the injustice that the boy had been abused so horrifically. What else has Donna VanLiere written, Amazon? I think I'll check. After my nap. "
— Elaine, 2/10/2014 -
" Predictable story but characters you come to love... "
— Livesimpleread, 1/4/2014 -
" Set in Tennessee in the 1950's, this story is about a 30 year old unmarried woman and a young boy who steals vegetables from her garden. Ivorie lives in the house she grow up in with her now deceased parents. She maintains the farm. She begins to notice that her vegetable plants are broken off and food missing. Traps are set to capture the animal. However, instead she discovers a young boy who cannot speak. Both of their lives are changed as they get to know each other. "
— Diane, 12/23/2013 -
" I am so glad that I found this book! I read and savored each of Miss VanLiere's words, letting her love language seep in . . . and, enjoyed the colloquisms so much. I thiught she created interesting characters and loved her development of the little boy in the story. The book touched my heart . . . I hope that she will write a sequel! "
— Readstoomuch, 12/23/2013 -
" While the book was a little sentimental at times, I will say that it was sincere sentimentality and not the manipulative sort. I liked many of the characters, they felt real, with the exception of the villain, whose character was flat, quickly drawn in to provide the narrative drama. Still, this book wasn't a bad way to spend a summer afternoon. "
— Lola425, 12/13/2013 -
" This book had a slightly "cheesy" side to it, so that is why only 3 stars. Other than that, it was a sweet story. Very simple to read. I would recommend it. Perfect for reading after a heavy story or a book where you were very involved with the characters. This is an all around "chick flick" type of story. Sad, sweet, and feel good all at the same time. "
— Amy, 12/2/2013 -
" I enjoyed it. Good mix of characters. Simple and interesting writing that details emotions and life choices. "
— Ingrid, 11/18/2013 -
" Didn't get interesting until about half-way. I loved her other books so much I guess I was expecting more. Still a good story - heart warming - but not something I was rushing to finish. "
— Lorna, 11/18/2013 -
" This author writes clearly and beautifully. The characters are well described. "
— Donna, 11/10/2013 -
" Real good story .... couldn't put it down. "
— Shelley, 10/19/2013 -
" The Good Dream is sweet, funny, heartwarming, and inspiring. The main character Ivory is a strong and determined woman who says a lot if clever and funny things. This is a good read. "
— Ali, 10/15/2013 -
" This was such a good book. "
— Nadine, 10/5/2013 -
" The story is touching and well written. It is easy to relate to the main character. I wonder if I would have her strength. "
— Debbie, 9/2/2013 -
" Loved this book. Didn't want to put it down! "
— Maggie, 8/27/2013 -
" The beginning starts off kind of slow because the book is held from multiple characters point of view so it takes a few chapters to catch on but once you do you can't stop reading, and it's a heart warming good read. "
— Samantha, 8/8/2013 -
" Such a good book, read it in two days!! "
— Becky, 6/24/2013 -
" Love this book! It's heartbreaking, sweet, and funny! Very well written too! "
— Sandy, 5/24/2013 -
" I love this book. I love the era, and the story. This could easily be read in a day, if one doesn't have to work. I will be reading more by this author. "
— Kendra, 3/12/2013 -
" What a sweet and enjoyable read. "
— Vickie, 12/26/2012 -
" I loved this book. It is such an engaging story told from different points of view. The style of the author and the colloquialisms used are so charming and eloquent. This is a perfect summer beach reading book. A definite recommendation from me. "
— Tara, 11/3/2012 -
" Absolutely loved this book. A woman following her heart and doing what she believes is right, a young boy who can still find beauty in a world where he's been mistreated. "
— Dana, 10/20/2012
About Donna VanLiere
Donna VanLiere is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eight books, including The Christmas Shoes, The Christmas Blessing, The Christmas Hope, and The Angels of Morgan Hill. She has earned a number of awards for her writing, including a Retailer’s Choice Award for Fiction and a Silver Angel Award for Inspirational Book, and she has been nominated for a Gold Medallion Book of the Year.