At the beginning of this powerful novel, we meet Aurore Dupin as she is leaving her estranged husband, a loveless marriage, and her family’s estate in the French countryside to start a new life in Paris. There, she gives herself a new name—George Sand—and pursues her dream of becoming a writer, embracing an unconventional and even scandalous lifestyle. Paris in the nineteenth century comes … comes vividly alive, illuminated by the story of the loves, passions, and fierce struggles of a woman who defied the confines of society. Sand’s many lovers and friends include Frédéric Chopin, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, Victor Hugo, Marie Dorval, and Alfred de Musset. As Sand welcomes fame and friendship, she fights to overcome heartbreak and prejudice, failure and loss. Though considered the most gifted genius of her time, she works to reconcile the pain of her childhood, of disturbing relationships with her mother and daughter, and of her intimacies with women and men. Will the life she longs for always be just out of reach—a dream?
Brilliantly written in luminous prose, and with remarkable insights into the heart and mind of a literary force, The Dream Lover tells the unforgettable story of a courageous, irresistible woman.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY USA TODAY • Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisian life of the nineteenth-century writer George Sand—which is perfect for readers of Nancy Horan and Elizabeth Gilbert.
Praise for The Dream Lover
“Exquisitely captivating . . . Sand’s story is so timely and modern in an era when gender and sexual roles are upended daily.”—USA Today
“Fantastic . . . a provocative and dazzling portrait . . . Berg tells a terrific story, while simultaneously exploring sexuality, art, and the difficult personal choices women artists in particular made—then and now—in order to succeed. . . . The book, imagistic and perfectly paced, full of dialogue that clips along, is a reader’s dream.”—The Boston Globe
“Absorbing . . . an armchair traveler’s delight . . . Berg rolls out the wonders of nineteenth-century Paris in cinematic bursts that capture its light, its street life, its people and sounds. . . . The result is an illuminating portrait of a magnificent woman whose story is enriched by the delicate brush strokes of Berg’s colorful imagination.”—Chicago Tribune
“There is authority and confidence in the storytelling that makes the pages fly.”—The New York Times
“Berg weaves an enchanting novel about the real life of George Sand.”—Us Weekly
“Lavishly described . . . Berg uses her own skill as a writer to graphically present the reader with a clear picture of a brilliant, yet flawed woman.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star
“[A] beautiful, imaginative re-creation . . . Berg’s years-long immersion in the writings of and about Sand has resulted in a remarkable channeling of Sand’s voice.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Berg offers vivid, sensual detail and a sensitive portrayal of the yearning and vulnerability behind Sand’s bold persona.”—Publishers Weekly
“A thoroughly pleasant escape . . . [Sand is] intoxicating, beautiful, gifted, desirous, unconventional and heartbroken.”—Kirkus Reviews
From the Hardcover edition.
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Years ago I saw a film about the writer George Sand and become completely fascinated by this bold, original writer. I was, therefore, delighted when The Dream Lover was published. This novel truly captures the voice of Sand as I would imagine it being. The prose are rich and authentic and carry such honesty from page to page.
Born Aurore Dupin, Sand was a truly original woman in nineteenth century Paris. She wrote and lived under a man’s name. She had passionate and tender love affairs with men and women. She married and raised children, and yet continued to earn money as a writer. It seems impossible that such a woman during this time could possibly have existed, and yet she did. She thrived too, though not without heartbreak.
Elizabeth Berg has written a novel that not only does justice to an inspiring figure. She has also managed to capture the voice and spirit of a woman beyond compare.
I picked up this book to read for 20 minutes and two hours later, I was still reading it. I love historical fiction, love reading about Paris, writers, and artists. This book has it all. And I love books by Elizabeth Berg. She’s one of my favorite authors.
This historical novel about author George Sand is an interesting and fun glimpse into the life of an early feminist and bisexual. Known best for her preference for dressing as a man and for living independently, at a time when women didn’t do such things, I found Sand’s observations about people and life fascinating.
The novel is written in the style of a memoir, beginning with childhood memories of her aristocratic father and courtesan mother and their struggle for acceptance by the father’s family. George’s difficult relationship with her mother, part rivalry and part idolatry, rings true as does her relationship with her father’s mother, who winds up with the primary responsibility for Sand’s formative years. There are years spent in a convent school, where Sand considers the possibility of life of a nun, followed by an early marriage to a man she doesn’t love. Their married life, children, her string of lovers, and a career as a prolific writer are sprinkled with meetings with the prominent names of the day — Balzac, Hugo, Delacroix, Liszt, and of course Chopin.
Berg’s narrative voice is believable and an insightful way to understand the difficulty of being a smart and capable woman in a society that so strictly limits the role women can have. Sand’s talent and intelligence run continually up against the expectations of those around her. And I felt sorry that she so clearly lived at the wrong time.
On the other hand, the novels Sand left behind, many of which are referenced in this novel, do a fabulous job of using material from her real life to expose the inequities of French society in the 19th century.
Dream Lover caught my attention and drew me into the story. Well written, good ending, and I couldn’t put it down. Elizabeth Berg is a wonderful writer!
Elizabeth Berg is a great storyteller.
Based on the life of the writer George Sand, a woman who took a mans name and often dressed like a man in order to go out in society to places forbidden to a woman. It’s an interesting picture of the time in which she lived and of the expectations placed upon women at that time. A well-written historical novel that humanizes an author we all learned about in school.