Odd things happen in Kiminee, Illinois. Lilacs bloom in winter. Gravel glows golden on occasion. Pigs play kick the can. So when Carly Mae Foley learns to read at age two and masters multiplication at age three, the town's quirky, tight-knit denizens take it in stride and embrace her with pride. But when a terrible twister tears through, Carly Mae is maimed, dashing hopes for her future. Her father is swept away and assumed dead. And her mother slinks off after creeping, naked, with her lover from the remains of a ruined home. It's up to Carly Mae's grandmother and a devoted, one-eared dog to hold what's left of the family together. But not everyone is rooting for them, and when an unspeakable crime occurs, long-held animosities boil over. Will the good folks of Kiminee pull closer together now--or be torn apart?
Influenced by folklore and magical realism, The Kiminee Dream is a lyrical story with characters equally charmed and challenged while living where the ordinary and miraculous coexist seamlessly. If you like depth as well as whimsy, arresting twists, and details that rouse your senses, you'll love what is both an eloquent exploration of acceptance and a tender tribute to the people of Illinois.
My thoughts:
There are many things to like about this book like family, unique characters, and most importantly the writing. It's a little different than novels I usually read and that's okay because it's good to go outside my comfort zone sometimes.
The small town setting is one of my favorite settings, but there are a lot of people to keep track of which didn't bother me too much, I did think there were several points where I got bogged down and lost interest, however I kept reading and gained interest about halfway through.
Overall, I would recommend this book for older readers, it is an enjoyable read.
Meet the author:
As a child, Laura McHale Holland loved the musicality of language and often recalled, verbatim, conversations she heard. A lost soul in her teens and early twenties, she righted herself in her mid-twenties and discovered a deep love of the creative process. In her work, she often finds hope in unlikely places.
Laura writes stories true and untrue in multiple forms from flash fiction to novels, memoirs to short plays. Her coming of age memoir, Resilient Ruin, won a National Indie Excellence Award for new adult nonfiction. Prior award-winning books include Reversible Skirt, a childhood memoir, and Sisters Born, Sisters Found, an anthology on sisterhood. Her stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Best of Every Day Fiction Three and Wisdom Has a Voice. Two of her short plays were produced recently in Northern California; two others received staged readings. The Kiminee Dream is Laura's first novel.
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I love the cover
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