The Dust That Falls from Dreams, Louis de Bernieres
The Dust That Falls from Dreams, Louis de Bernieres
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The Dust That Falls from Dreams

Author: Louis de Bernieres

Narrator: Avita Jay, David Sibley

Unabridged: 17 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/04/2015


Synopsis

From the acclaimed author of Corelli’s Mandolin, here is a sumptuous, sweeping, powerfully moving new novel about a British family whose lives and loves are indelibly shaped by the horrors of World War I and the hopes for its aftermath.
 
In the brief golden years of the Edwardian era the McCosh sisters—Christabel, Ottilie, Rosie and Sophie—grow up in an idyllic household in the countryside south of London. On one side, their neighbors are the proper Pendennis family, recently arrived from Baltimore, whose close-in-age boys—Sidney, Albert and Ashbridge—shake their father’s hand at breakfast and address him as “sir.” On the other side is the Pitt family: a “resolutely French” mother, a former navy captain father, and two brothers, Archie and Daniel, who are clearly “going to grow up into a pair of daredevils and adventurers.” In childhood this band is inseparable, but the days of careless camaraderie are brought to an abrupt halt by the outbreak of The Great War, in which everyone will play a part.
 
All three Pendennis brothers fight in the hellish trenches at the front; Daniel Pitt becomes an ace fighter pilot with his daredevil tendencies intact; Rosie and Ottilie McCosh volunteer in the hospitals, where women serve with as much passion and nearly as much hardship as the men at the front; Christabel McCosh becomes one of the squad of photographers sending “snaps” of their loved ones at home to the soldiers; and Sophie McCosh drives for the RAF in France. In the aftermath of the war, as “the universal joy and relief were beginning to be tempered by . . . an atmosphere of uncertainty,” everyone must contend with the modern world that is slowly emerging from the ashes of the old.
 
A wholly immersive novel about a particular time and place, The Dust That Falls from Dreams also illuminates the timeless ways in which men and women carry profound loss alongside indelible hope.

About The Author

Louis de Bernières is the author of, among other novels, A Partisan’s Daughter, Birds Without Wings, Corelli’s Mandolin, The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman, Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord and The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts. Selected by Granta as one of the twenty Best of Young British Novelists in 1993, de Bernières lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kevin on November 27, 2024

. . I say! Has some sneaky blighter slipped something horrid into Louis de Bernières' cocoa? I am a huge fan of the great man's work, but this, my erudite friends, is de Bernières on autopilot. This is de Bernières writing while the TV is still on in the background. Make no mistake, there is a truly rema......more

Goodreads review by Sean on August 19, 2015

A wonderful story and a very moving one, with a hint (or a reminder) of Downton Abbey about it.......more

Goodreads review by Heather on February 08, 2017

If you’re like me, and have an interest in late 1800’s-early 1900’s England that borders on obsession (or if you just like a well-written story), then you will definitely enjoy Louis de Bernières’ latest novel, The Dust That Falls From Dreams. The only way I can possibly describe this novel, is that......more

Goodreads review by switterbug (Betsey) on July 29, 2015

Love and loss on an intimate scale against the expansive backdrop of war, and the inner life of characters, is a particular interest of mine, especially when combined with exceptional writing. Although I haven't read Corelli's Mandolin, I was predisposed toward this book by the description of its co......more

Goodreads review by Suanne on February 08, 2019

When I read Corelli's Mandolin and discovered de Bernières, I was writing a little newsletter called Book Nook News. It had a following of about 12 people and it was all done on snail mail. My mother-in-law kept all the copies. Anyway, I distinctly remember my review saying it was one of the best bo......more


Quotes

“A fresh extension of de Berniéres longstanding interest in the timeless conflicts of love and loyalty . . . moving . . . poignant.” —Randy Boyagoda, The New York Times Book Review

“De Bernières is an astute observer of the human heart, and  his account of an idealistic young woman learning to live in the  real world is beautifully observed.” —Mail on Sunday
 
“[A] charming and quietly moving tale.” —Sunday Telegraph
 
“A richly rewarding read.” —Daily Express
 
“Rhapsodic, wistful and with more than a touch of whimsy . . .  It’s pure escapism of the very highest quality.” —Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express
 
“It’s a book in which readers will happily immerse themselves, and one which will surely and deservedly be a bestseller.” —Allan Massie, The Scotsman
 
“Another epic novel of love and loss.” —Woman and Home
 
“A moving and engrossing read.” —My Weekly magazine

“[The Dust that Falls from Dreams] will no doubt be a hit with millions of fans worldwide. . . . As with superlative First World War literature from Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy through Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong to Louisa Young’s My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You, the horrors are vividly evoked. De Berniéres is adept at describing how lives can be devastated in minutes . . . Powerful . . . delightful . . . Plenty of Dickensian social observation.” —Leyla Sanai, The Independent (London)
 
“War and romance with an epic sweep is what people expect of Louis de Berniéres. . . . And it is to war and romance that he returns in The Dust that Falls from Dreams. . . . Thrillingly evoked . . . The inner life of de Berniéres’ lively roll call of characters is as vivid as the external realities, as he explores how anyone might recover from the death of someone they had loved since childhood, and how those who witness such deaths might struggle to readjust to civilian life.” —Louise Jury, The Independent (London)
 
“Evocative.” —Deborah Dundas, The Star (Toronto)
 
“A very complex and moving evocation of the war.” —Alex Clark, The Guardian (London)
 
“Genuinely thrilling.” —Sue Gaisford, Financial Times
 
“Considerable emotional power . . . deserves a large following.” —Mark Lawson, The Guardian (London)
 
“A sweeping historical epic of love and war, one that matches Birds Without Wings and his career-high bestseller Corelli’s Mandolin for sheer breadth, storytelling and emotional intensity. . . . Top-heavy with heartwarming and devastating character-led drama.” —Malcolm Forbes, The National (UAE)
 
The Dust that Falls from Dreams is modeled on John Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga. . . . A feast of a novel . . . This book is very much a hit.” —John Sutherland, The Times (London)
 
“De Berniéres . . . spins a masterful tale that bridges two worlds and delineates the apocalyptic abyss in between. . . . This heartrending saga of love, loss, and endurance paints a vivid portrait of the steep price paid by an entire generation of young men and women who participated in and endured the Great War.” —Margaret Flanagan, Booklist