Monday, March 03, 2014

Sweet Dreams by Carla Stewart ~ Book Review

Dusty Fairchild has grown up in Texas with her self made oil millionaire father and a loving housekeeper.  Her mother passed away when she was very little and from her funeral gravesite Dusty pocketed some rocks that she found appealing.  Fast forward to her graduation party and Dusty still has a passion for rocks and her dream is to go to college and study geology.  But it is 1962 and her father feels she will be better off attending a finishing school.  It is the last thing she wants to do but her father insists and in trying to bargain going to college afterwards, she agrees to go to the finishing school.  And besides, in trying to sway her in that direction her father paid for her cousin Paisley to attend with her.  Paisley is the same age as Dusty but couldn't have lived a life more different than her.  While Dusty has been sheltered and brought up quite strict Paisley has traveled all over the U.S. with her hippie mom and already has had a life time of adventures.  The cousins are close friends and this is making the year of finishing school tolerable for Dusty.  Paisley on the other hand is thrilled to have the chance to attend finishing school and embraces it wholeheartedly.  She's had enough of the vagabond lifestyle that her mother so embraces.  She wants stability and some roots.  But there are secrets swirling around the two of them that threatens to destroy their bond, secrets concerning Paisley's mom and the deep dislike Dusty's dad has towards her.  And then there is the little matter of Paisley falling in love with a young man she has met on the first day of finishing school.  A young man whom she later finds out is non other than Dusty's boyfriend from back home.    But when a life threatening accident happens back on the ranch, it brings out what really matters to each girl's heart.

This was a nice read from Carla Stewart.  While it didn't grab me in quite the same way as the others I have read from her did, it still was a wonderful read that drew me into the story and the characters.  There is a bit of mystery with family secrets and issues along several fronts and a theme of  following one's dreams and talents and of learning to forgive.   I love how the author develops her stories and characters, like a slow simmer, and it really keeps the pages turning for me.  Her characters are so relatable and I get really attached to them as the story progresses.  I loved the setting for the book, the early '60's and the finishing school.  I can't say I have read a whole lot of books with that setting.  Class systems, bullying, abuse,trying to fit in and societal expectations are all explored through the story of these two cousins.  I have so far not been disappointed in any of this author's novels.  She's one I keep on my watch list for new stories coming.

2 comments:

Faith said...

i think i'll be putting this on my list. don't think i've read any of hers.....

Barbara H. said...

That does sound interesting. I have heard of characters being sent off to finishing school but have never seen a peek into what it's like.