The Dust That Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernieres

The Dust That Falls From Dreams

by

Louis de Bernieres

This novel was reviewed in TIME Magazine quite some time ago and had been on my wish list to read ever since.  I discovered it was available to check out on my kindle from the State Library of Ohio so I was able to obtain it that way.  It is a very well written book and has been excellently researched historically but I found I really waded through it.  I enjoyed the story line and appreciated the fine writing but it was a bit over my head.  I am used to being able to touch a word on my kindle when I don't know what it means and the dictionary pops the definition up and I can read it and move on.   With this novel there were many words I didn't understand and when I touched the words the dictionary popped up "not found".  I am pretty sure they were British slang words that were popular during the early 20th Century.   There was also a lot of military information as far as aviation and weaponry that went over my head.  One of the main characters was half British and half French so he would throw French phrases out that I didn't understand.   Nevertheless,  I was able to glean enough out of the book to enjoy the story line and get an excellent picture of what life was like during WWI.  It did take me a long time.  I had to renew the book two or three times.  The novel is about a group of neighborhood children who come of age as WWI begins and how they made it through - or don't make it through - and for those that did survive, their struggle in the aftermath to put their lives in order.   I really felt as if I was in the trenches with the soldiers,  in the hospitals with the nurses,  and I could easily empathize as the young people mourned their friends and struggled to move on.   It is an excellent book and I recommend it with some caution.  If you are smarter than me,  if you are a man who is familiar with weapons and aviation,  or if like me you are motivated to struggle a bit,  this book is well worth the effort.  If you are more faint at heart and prefer fluff stories then I suggest you pass on this one.  Please click on the title and author's name above to follow the links for more information.  And please take time to enjoy the video interview of the author below.