Dreams of Falling Hardcover – June 5, 2018

I love Karen White books but this one was one of my least favorites. The book skipped back and forth between the past and almost current day. It also skipped from character to character. Until I got to know the characters, I wasn't certain who-was-who and what their relationships were with one another. And everyone whined too much, complained and worried about the direction their lives had taken, dwelt on past mistakes, etc. I didn't like any of the characters very much. It took place in the low country which I've come to expect and love. It was interesting hearing a little of Myrtle Beach back in the 50's. I wouldn't really recommend this one. Read the Tradd Street books if you're a new fan of Karen White.

This is one of those special books you don't want to end and I didn't. OMG I was captivated from the beginning until the end. Karen has a way of crossing time zones, past and present into a truly exceptional story, with humans as they really are faults, dreams, self pity , love and hurt. She demonstrates how a mothers love doesn't have to be just biological but can be chosen to give. It allows us to see what a true friendship can outlast decades and having a really true friend is as important as a parents love, or a romantic love. It shows that sometimes doing the "right" thing is not always what you want to do but what we need to do. I hope that Karen continues to write such deeply appreciated books and there will be more soon!!! Thank you Karen if nothing else I picked up the phone today and called my daughters and my mother and told them " I LOVE YOU"

I liked the setting and the writing and this had potential to be better. the plot was predictable and couldn't even work up to a decent villain and reveal. it switches between characters and time using dreams to tease. by the time i was three quArters in i lost the will and skimmed to the predictable ending. i didn't care enough about any of the characters to miss them now its done.

There is nothing better than a new novel written by Karen White! Ten stars wouldn’t be enough for this new work. The story of 5 women, three best friends and the daughter and granddaughter of one of them, flips from the 1950’s to current day. This is a tale of true friendship, while taking place in another low country spot now on my must visit list!!! As with all of Karen White’s works, it captures the reader from the first paragraph, and sends you a a journey away from your own life, until you reach the last page. I always promise myself I will take it slow when I purchase one of Karen White.s novels, but of course, that never happens. I read and read, for two days, until the conclusion arrived, and now I wait once again for her next brilliant story!!!

"Memory of Water" was the first book I read by Karen White and it was instant love. My favorite novels have been the "Tradd Street" series because I love the Charleston area but also because their was a paranormal theme (and what better place for a haunting than old Southern towns like Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA but most of the South has a haunted feeling about it). After reading the first book, I went back and bought her books that were released before "Memory of Water" and haven't missed a book that Ms. White has written since then. I love the way she writes and the fact that there almost always based in the South and there is no place on this planet that I would rather live than where I grew up, married, and raised a family of my own than the South. I'm proud of my heritage, accent, and being part of a huge family on both my Mom's and Dad's side of the family.....all from the South! Karen White has the dialogue and characters "down pat" and I always look forward to Karen White, and a select list of other Southern writer's, new releases. "Dreams of Falling" did not disappoint. My only complaint was that the ending came too soon!!!!

This should be called "Dreams of Falling Asleep" because it is a snoozefest. I love old homes in the South and wanted to like it, but the author breezes by the plantation. The main character is self absorbed, shallow and stuck in high school. I kept waiting for it to get good, but it never did.

On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree’s trunk, they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping—including the most important one: Friends forever, come what may. But life can waylay the best of intentions…. Nine years ago, a humiliated Larkin Lanier fled Georgetown, South Carolina, knowing she could never go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she realizes she has no choice but to return to the place she both loves and dreads—and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home. Ivy, Larkin’s mother, is discovered badly injured and unconscious in the burned-out wreckage of her ancestral plantation home. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly fifty years—whispers of love, sacrifice, and betrayal—that lead back to three girls on the brink of womanhood who found their friendship tested in the most heartbreaking ways.My Thoughts: Dreams of Falling is a beautifully layered family drama featuring several generations. Themes of dreams, falling, and long-held secrets keep the reader turning pages, not knowing what will be revealed.Alternating narrators and dual time lines carry the reader from 2010 back to the fifties. Larkin is a young woman trying to escape her past, but news of her mother Ivy’s disappearance takes her back to the loving arms of her nurturing caretakers, Ceecee and Bitty. The beautiful settings were described in such a way that I could actually feel the essence of it all, just as I’ve always done with Karen White’s books. 5 stars.

Just finished this book. Have read nonstop since I opened it. The only thing that pissed me off was that one situation with Boyd!! However, while it wasn’t glossed over, it wasn’t the main point either. Excellent story, sooo well written (as all of her books are). Do yourself a favour and don’t miss this one.