A deeply poetic, riveting debut novel. Full of magic realism. Hypnotic and endearing. A tale of Midwest charm and quirky characters, but with twists and turns that reveal a dark side you don’t see coming. Once you enter this world, you won’t want to leave until the last mystery is solved — so say early readers of this immersive page-turner. Odd things happen in Kiminee, Illinois. Lilacs bloom in … 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 appalling 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.
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This is a tale of laughter, sadness and everything in between. The town of Kiminee, Illinois is a town with happy and sad people. It also is a town like other towns where there are many secrets that want to be told. This is a book about a town that seemed to revolve around what happened to one very talented young girl. Carly Mae Foley is a great character. This story revolves around her and her family and how they handle life’s challenges. The people of this town are great. I did not want to put this book down until I knew all the secrets. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
After finishing The Kiminee Dream I realized I wasn’t sure exactly what to say in my review. First – I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. But beyond that I liked it, how do I give future readers an idea of what to expect? That is not easy.
I am an avid reader of all kinds of genres, but the style of this book was unique in a very interesting way. The people inhabiting this small town, the animals, the flowers, the nature surrounding it, even the weather are all strongly connected. What happens – both positive and negative – affects every single part as if they are all part of a single organism. There is that hint of magic to this story, but in a way that is very subtle. Just one note.
While the central character is Carly Mae Foley, we actually move between the perspectives of many of the characters that live within these pages. And the author manages that change of perspective beautifully. Many bad things happen to the people who live here, and there are some truly difficult flashbacks to the past, and yet that touch of magic softens the impact of these stories. And in the end the town, the surround flora and fauna, and all the characters find a way back to peace and a new solid, strong bond.
A story of pain, past memories, the dynamics of a small town, connections and yes all touched with a big of magic.
This historical novel is ultimately about family. Family may not always mean blood relatives, but those that you care about or care about you and your well-being. Families often fight and not get along, but overall they do care about each other.
Carly Mae is a unique child and some might say a prodigy. Is it genetic or just a strange fluke of nature? All is going well in her family until a tornado twists its way through town and rips apart a family and town that might barely be held together.
The book jumps around to different perspectives of the different characters. While the majority of the time it is from Carly Mae’s perspective, there are times when it is from her mother, father, siblings, or other citizens of the town including Tam-Tam, one of the oldest residents of Kiminee. The book spans approximately ten years but there are some flashes to the past and certain situations that created some tension between people and it assists in setting up the current family dynamic and the mystery that lies within.
The book has a mystical aspect to it as well. There is the field of Black-Eyed Susans that turn red at exactly 5:05 pm, the animals that seem to know who needs to be led to other characters, and just the interaction between everyone and their beliefs.
I enjoyed being swept away between reality and fantasy. Of course, the mystery aspect had me wondering who was this young woman at the beginning of the book that disappeared? What was the feud between Missy and Tam-Tam about? What happened to Damon after the tornado? Why does Emily get sick every time she is in Kiminee? So many questions and all were answered at some point in the book. Some had heartwarming conclusions and others were sad but had an upbeat resolution. It was fascinating to see how each storyline came together by the end of the book.
There were times when we would get a glimpse of what was happening with someone and I wanted to know more but had to wait until further in the book. Definitely teaser moments.
Overall, an enjoyable story and we give it 3 1/2 paws up.
Her family and the entire town knew Carley Mae Foley was gifted from the minute she was born.
She could read at two years old, she could paint as though she were a professional artist at seven, and could play the violin like a master.
When a tornado made its way into Kiminee and took away her father, found her mother doing things she shouldn’t be doing, and buried Carley under a chicken coop almost left for dead, the town was worried.
THE KIMINEE DREAM has sweet characters, some complicated characters, some odd characters, and a lighthearted theme with drama of course and one big crime.
Something was always going on in the town, and the reader is treated to multiple interesting story lines but has you wondering how they fit together. You will see that it all comes together in the end for a sweet read and all circling around to Kiminee.
I enjoyed the small town aspect and how everyone pulled together when things got tough.
The author’s easy writing style made the book even more enjoyable.
THE KIMINEE DREAM is a book you will want to read if you enjoy going back in time to a less complicated lifestyle and a little bit of magic.
Enjoy if you read this book. 4/5
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
I enjoyed The Kiminee Dream very much. I loved the small town and all of its people. I did find myself reading some of the pages over to get the gist of the story and all of the characters. There is a bit of mystery going on in Kiminee, thongs happening that doesn’t make sense but then it’s Kiminee, and this is the way things are. Holland does a wonderful job of keep readers attention through all of the twists and turns that show up. Like the disaster that blew its way into the small town revealing things not to be known. And for a debut novel, the writing is phenomenal. Holland is an author I would very much like to read again. One I think we will be hearing quite a bit about if this first book is any indication. If you enjoy a good small town story with a bit of a mystery and twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is one you definitely want to try.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
THE KIMINEE DREAM by Laura McHale Holland made for quite the read. The magical feel of the book really drew me in, but it was the elements of mystery mixed in which held me tight as I simply needed to find out how things would end. While I enjoyed the whole book it was the ending of the book which was my favorite by far!
I appreciated the small-town 60s vibe and the multitude of characters, but for me, that was about it. The numerous storylines became perplexing and it began to drag on near the end of the book. This was a satisfactory debut, but an author with abundant potential.
I would like to thank Laura for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.