Dreamers of the Day: A Novel
by: Mary Doria Russell
Published by: Ballantine
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Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair
When writing her books, Russell crosses genre lines, blurring science fiction with religion and history with romance, which makes picking up one of her books the equivalent of opening an unexpected package. As a reader, you know you’re in for a treat, you just aren’t sure what the treat is going to be. Written as historical fiction, Dreamers of the Day briefly gives readers a feel for mid America during World War I and the influenza epidemic, and then whisks us away to 1921 in Cairo, Egypt.
We first meet Agnes Shanklin, a schoolteacher, when she is a young girl living in Cleveland, Ohio. This portion of the book is relatively short, but it is important for readers to know the “stuff” Agnes is made of to appreciate her aplomb in all situations later. When she finds herself alone, with no responsibilities to anyone for the first time in her life, she decides to visit the site of the Palmolive advertisements–and promptly books her vacation to Egypt. It is then through her eyes that readers are present during one of the most interesting times in modern history.
In 1921, some of the world’s greatest leaders met in Cairo for the Cairo Peace Conference to determine by whom and how the Mideast would be governed. The relevance of this conference is still in play today. Agnes Shanklin and her little dog Rosie are there. Through Agnes, we meet the likes of Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence, and the fascinating Gertrude Bell. Though there is a great deal of political conversation throughout this part of the book that could weight it down, it is avoided by Russell’s crisp writing style. Russell uses Agnes and Rosie’s assorted near mishaps to inject just enough humor to balance the seriousness of the historical events.
At the end of the book are a couple of things that I found especially helpful. There is an interview with the author and an extensive bibliography for people who would like to read more of the historical characters or events.
Armchair Interviews says: There is quite a nice reader’s guide making this a great selection for book groups.
Author’s Web site: http://MaryDoriaRussell.info
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