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A review by heatherwoodauthor
Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White
3.0
It's impossible to rate and and review a book in a vacuum, apart from things like previous knowledge of the author and her works, apart from personal experience and other books read.
It's impossible not to compare and contrast or to feel culminating weight, and I'm feeling this tension especially strongly with this review.
Dreams of Savannah is very honest and well researched, and I liked that it felt less biased, less black and white about what was a very complicated war than some Civil War novels are. This book more than most showed subtle nuances in perspectives, and I give it props for that. It had a lot of ingredients that I look for and love in a story: honest history, solid theology, and a happy ending. But this time, for me, the right ingredients did not a loved book make.
One of my struggles with this book was a weariness with Civil War novelists in general feeling the need to be gritty, which I believe is a direct reaction against the romanticization of the Old South. But to put it plainly, I'm tired of Civil War books being about rape and attempted rape. So much of this book was about the fear of rape, the evil man with the leering gleam in his eye ever present and the selfish father pushing his daughter into that man's suit, making the reader so tense for so much of the book until the attempted rape did happen, that it made the book a journey that I did not enjoy, a volume that I do not close the cover and think, "Now THAT is a story I must have on my shelves and revisit from time to time."
No. Once was too much.
Secondly, I can push through painful books when I truly enjoy the characters' company, but I was not hooked at the beginning and came to like the characters far too late in the story for it to redeem the stress of the rape foreshadowing and selfish, controlling parents (I hate books with selfish, controlling parents). Roseanna White has written some of my very favorite fictional characters of all time. Few can compare with the charm and lovability of Brooke, Brice, Rosemary, Lukas, Peter, Barclay, and Philip. Had characters of that level been in Dreams of Savannah, I might have been more willing to plow through the difficult storyline. But since they weren't, I found myself flipping pages to get it over with, not because I couldn't put it down, and that's just not a position that I as a reader want to be put in. I very much regret having to say that by the time the happy ending came, I was skimming and did not care anymore. I wish this wasn't true of such a beloved author.
I had a strong sense for most of this book of the fact that it is editorial and the author spent more effort on her message than anything else. It was perhaps too obvious. And I wish I wasn't saying it about a message I agree with.
There were some good lines about writing and story that I appreciated. The book was not in any way graphic and actually had low violence, for all its discussion of violent topics. I give the book four stars because I cannot review it in a vacuum and I know how subjective my opinion is. It did have the right ingredients, but unfortunately most of the Dreams of Savannah I am left with from this book are unsavory ones.
I received an advance copy from Netgalley and the publisher but I was not compensated for my views and all opinions are my own.
It's impossible not to compare and contrast or to feel culminating weight, and I'm feeling this tension especially strongly with this review.
Dreams of Savannah is very honest and well researched, and I liked that it felt less biased, less black and white about what was a very complicated war than some Civil War novels are. This book more than most showed subtle nuances in perspectives, and I give it props for that. It had a lot of ingredients that I look for and love in a story: honest history, solid theology, and a happy ending. But this time, for me, the right ingredients did not a loved book make.
One of my struggles with this book was a weariness with Civil War novelists in general feeling the need to be gritty, which I believe is a direct reaction against the romanticization of the Old South. But to put it plainly, I'm tired of Civil War books being about rape and attempted rape. So much of this book was about the fear of rape, the evil man with the leering gleam in his eye ever present and the selfish father pushing his daughter into that man's suit, making the reader so tense for so much of the book until the attempted rape did happen, that it made the book a journey that I did not enjoy, a volume that I do not close the cover and think, "Now THAT is a story I must have on my shelves and revisit from time to time."
No. Once was too much.
Secondly, I can push through painful books when I truly enjoy the characters' company, but I was not hooked at the beginning and came to like the characters far too late in the story for it to redeem the stress of the rape foreshadowing and selfish, controlling parents (I hate books with selfish, controlling parents). Roseanna White has written some of my very favorite fictional characters of all time. Few can compare with the charm and lovability of Brooke, Brice, Rosemary, Lukas, Peter, Barclay, and Philip. Had characters of that level been in Dreams of Savannah, I might have been more willing to plow through the difficult storyline. But since they weren't, I found myself flipping pages to get it over with, not because I couldn't put it down, and that's just not a position that I as a reader want to be put in. I very much regret having to say that by the time the happy ending came, I was skimming and did not care anymore. I wish this wasn't true of such a beloved author.
I had a strong sense for most of this book of the fact that it is editorial and the author spent more effort on her message than anything else. It was perhaps too obvious. And I wish I wasn't saying it about a message I agree with.
There were some good lines about writing and story that I appreciated. The book was not in any way graphic and actually had low violence, for all its discussion of violent topics. I give the book four stars because I cannot review it in a vacuum and I know how subjective my opinion is. It did have the right ingredients, but unfortunately most of the Dreams of Savannah I am left with from this book are unsavory ones.
I received an advance copy from Netgalley and the publisher but I was not compensated for my views and all opinions are my own.