Kitty owns a bookshop with her best friend Frieda. Life seems normal, not fulfilling, but normal none the less. Although single, she lives a life of happiness…that is until her dreams begin. In her dreams she experiences another life. She is Katharyn, married and has three children. Kitty finds she is happy with her dream life, knowing they are merely dreams created by her overactive imagination.
The dreams begin to cross the line of reality, causing her to seek out similarities and differences between them. Soon Kitty is unable to decipher which world is real life and which is simply her imagination. Both lives have aspects and people she loves dearly, yet have their shortcomings. Which will Kitty decide is her reality? An independent life as the owner of a bookshop with her best friend or the life of a housewife in a happy marriage?
****Possible spoilers in the following review (Don’t worry, I don’t give the entire story away…just one aspect.****
We have all had “what if” moments and thoughts throughout our lives, yet this novel takes those one step further. A difference in one event in our life could have substantial different futures. The dream world and her reality are that very thing, two possible worlds changed by two events.
Kitty had high aspirations as a young adult that just did not seem to pan out. Her bookshop was sinking and she was still single. She had given up on relationships until she met Lars within her dreams. She never thought she would be so happy with a man. Then she saw she had children as well and she was initially confused but grew to love them, not without difficulty. This life did not come without its downfalls. Her youngest son has Autism. She struggles with the idea that it may be her fault. In that decade it was thought to be caused by neglect from the mother at an early age. I loved seeing the struggles of a family with their Autistic child in the 1960s. This does not show a picture perfect view of Autism, but reality. I think we need more awareness about how difficult handling Autism is and how those who deal with it need support. She is such a caring mother, that really sat with me. In this world, she does everything for her children. Being a mother myself, I connected with Kitty…felt her pain.
In the end Kitty discovers which world is real and which is her imagination. The ending is bittersweet, happy but with some sadness entwined. I loved that this book showed that although our life may not be exactly as we once wished, we can be happy. We can each find out place in this world. No matter which path we take there will be both love and loss, benefits and shortcomings.
The only aspect of this book I did not enjoy was that it was written in first person, present tense. The main character was telling me everything that occurred, as if writing a diary, rather than showing me events. Although I did not prefer the writing style, a vast amount of detail was used from the beginning. I was able to picture what the house looked like very vividly.
The cover art for this novel was not representative of the book at all. The only similarity is that the woman is holding a book and Kitty owns a bookshop. I feel that there could have been more thought put into the cover art, but in the end I did pick the book up so it accomplished its mission.
Overall, this was a good read. It was filled with mystery that left the reader confused, wondering which of these worlds was real. There was a clear “ah ha” moment when the reader knew exactly what was happening. I felt sadness and joy for Kitty in the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something new that will toy with your emotions and make you question the power of your past “what if” moments.
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