I initially read Big Lies In a Small Town by this author and loved it so much that I went to find another of her titles almost immediately. I was less enamoured with The Dream Daughter and I'm not sure if that's because I didn't get what I expected, or if it just wasn't as engaging. From the author's other work and the description of this, I was expecting a straight forward but powerful historical drama surrounding medical technology in the 1970's. Instead, I got a historical time travel novel and it... just didn't quite click with me.

Don't get me wrong, it's well written and an interesting premise. But it's not what I was expecting or particularly wanting. What the novel did very well was depict the stress and grief of Carly's impending motherhood, particularly when she is told that her unborn child has a fatal heart defect that means it will not survive past being born. It also painted the picture of 1970's USA with the political backdrop of the Vietnam War exceptionally well - that didn't surprise me, as the author has already demonstrated the ability to bring a period of history to life wonderfully.

Chamberlain is very fluffy about the science of her time travel and that's probably a good thing, however it meant that I never truly invested in it. So whilst the historical elements of the novel really worked for me, the time travel and immersion into modern life didn't. And the last third annoyed me more than it engaged me. And maybe it's just the fact that I generally struggle to engage with time travel in fiction. There are a few notable exceptions - I loved The Time Traveller's Wife for instance - but by and large, it doesn't work for me. I know this and generally avoid it. But absolutely got caught out here when the medical period drama I was expecting took that turn.

It certainly won't put me off Chamberlain's novels, but this one didn't quite work for me. 

Title: The Dream Daughter
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Pub Date: October 2, 2018

T H R E E • W O R D S

Introspective • Poignant • Refreshing

📖 S Y N O P S I S

When Carly, a young widow, finds out her unborn baby has a heart defect, she is devastated at the thought of losing not only the baby, but her one remaining connection to her husband. With the support of her sister and brother-in-law, Carly must find the strength to face a future she cannot change. But when her brother-in-law proposes an unfathomable solution that could save her baby, Carly must put all of her trust in him, and embark on a journey that will change all of their lives.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I went into The Dream Daughter completely blind, and I highly recommend anyone picking it up do the same, as it truly made my reading experience. It combines science fiction with historical fiction, while adding a little domestic drama to the pot as well. Chamberlain manages to weave these various genres together flawlessly, with none of these elements overtaking the story, and it's these genre bending books that I have come to love so much.

I'll admit it started extremely slow for me (possibly because it was nothing like I expected), yet I stuck with it and I am so so so glad that I did. There is so much to unpack, feel, and contemplate within these pages. The writing is simply stunning, the whole concept is mind bending, and the characters are so endearing you cannot help but feel connected to them, particularly Carly. It is one of the most deeply moving and suspenseful stories about a mother's love and sacrifice I've read recently. The fact that I didn't know where the plot was going is a testament to just how good Diane is at crafting her stories, and creating multiple layers within a story. The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me, is I did get confused a various points.

This was my second Diane Chamberlain book, one I won't soon forget and I'll be thinking about for years to come. She's quickly become a must-read author for me and I cannot wait to pick up more of her books.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• mother-centric book lovers
• time travel enthusiasts
• readers who enjoyed Oona Out of Order

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"There was something about the never-ending vastness of the sea and sky that usually gave me comfort, reminding me that in the enormity of the universe, my problems, no matter how painful, were very, very small." 

this is my new favorite book of all time! I was slow getting into it but once it took off I couldn't put it down!! so many plot twists! this book gave me so much anxiety that I had to stop multiple times to calm myself. to me that means its a good book. when a book can elicit such strong emotion from me, the author has done their job. I will recommend this one to everyone.

This book was a dream. It combined realistic relationships with the fantasy of time travel flawlessly. When I thought it was going a certain direction the story changed. This book explores if we could be anywhere in time, would we have the power to figure out where we are needed and go there? The level of character development was amazing. Even the basic side characters felt real. This was my first book by Chamberlain, it will not be the last!

I read this for the 2021 Buzzwordathon. January's word was Dream.