The Kiminee Dream by Laura McHale Holland + #Giveaway

Book Description:

A deeply poetic, riveting debut novel, The Kiminee Dream is a tale of Midwest charm and quirky characters, but with twists and turns that reveal a dark side you don't see coming.

It's true that odd things happen in Kiminee, Illinois. Lilacs bloom in winter. Gravel glows golden on occasion. The river sings as it wends through town. But this is normal for the tight-knit folks who call Kiminee home. So when auburn-tufted Carly Mae Foley learns to read at age two and masters multiplication at age three, the denizens take it in stride and embrace her with pride.

But all is not well in Carly Mae's family. And when a twister roars though, it decimates their home, along with their emotional bonds, as her mother's affair is exposed and her father goes missing. A determined grandmother, one-eared dog and generous benefactor come to the gifted child's aid, but not everyone is rooting for her, and when an appalling crime occurs, long-held animosities boil over. No one can say whether the good folks of Kiminee will pull closer together—or be torn apart.

Influenced by folklore and magical realism, The Kiminee Dream is both hypnotic and endearing. If you like depth as well as whimsy, arresting twists, and details that stir your heart, you’ll love what is ultimately an eloquent exploration of acceptance and a tender tribute to the people of Illinois. Don’t delay. Experience this literary gem today.

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The Kiminee Dream is a lovely, quirky novel set in a small, rural Illinois town which I could imagine having remained essentially unchanged for generations. There is a dark undercurrent that runs through the town and one of its families, but mostly this is a positive feeling novel where all it takes to resolve feuds and antagonistic misunderstandings is for the aggrieved parties to sit down together and communicate honestly. In fact, if there's one message I took away more than any other from The Kiminee Dream it's the importance of people really talking to each other rather than masking their emotions and stewing in discontent.

This story encompasses a pretty long period of time and a large cast of characters so I was sometimes disappointed that certain events seemed rushed in their portrayals. I couldn't always keep track of who was who, outside the central characters, either so personally would have preferred a deeper focus on fewer plotlines. That said, I did enjoy the almost fairytale vibe to The Kiminee Dream. The cutesy scenes of wild animals coming together to appreciate certain of the townspeople's actions work nicely within the world Holland has created here. The Kiminee Dream is quite different to the novels I generally pick up, but I found it to be a very enjoyable read and a promising debut.