Dream When You're Feeling Blue: A Novel

I enjoy reading fictional pieces surrounding war times. This book gave the reader what could be a glimpse at 'normal' stateside life when the world around was not normal. I think Ms. Berg did a good job with character development of the sisters. Other family members not so much. Considering the amount of time that she took in plot development, the last few chapters and ending just felt like the author wanted to get it over with. I gave it 3 stars because it kept you interested until the end.

I was surprised by all the negative reviews. Even though the last 2 chapters were unexpected and jarring, to say the least, that wasn't enough of a reason to detract from the novel as a whole. Like others, I read and re-read the last 3 chapters to see if I had missed something. In the end, I couldn't decide if the author had sincerely planned the ending, with the selfless sacrifice Kitty makes for her sister's sanity, or if it was more a case of impatient publishers crying for an ending, so they could print the book! The fact that I had to even wonder about that, to my way of thinking, made the book all the more intriguing. Now, for why I wholeheartedly valued this book. The author successfully transported me into another era. The language people used back then, the attitudes, the music, the fashion styles, the parenting styles, all this and more felt authentic to me, and made me feel like I had time-traveled back into the 1940's. The insights into the realities of war, via the correspondence from the soldiers, were both gruesome and poetic. Usually, I don't cry when reading novels, but this one hit me hard and made me care deeply. There was nothing romantic in Berg's gritty war descriptions. Even though the parents were flawed human beings, at times there was so much wisdom that came out of their mouths. I'm thinking especially of the conversation Margaret had with her husband about why he should be proud of Louise and welcome her baby into their family. These gems of conversations were simply brilliant! I'm disappointed and surprised that so many people gave this fine book such bad reviews. As far as I'm concerned, the book was brilliant!

Once again Elizabeth Berg demonstrates she is a master of the craft with her graceful, witty and detailed creation of characters we want to know and feel we already do. Entering the world of these sisters, their loves and their parents during World War II, we are treated to a dream of a novel that delivers more than we could dare hope. I recommend it highly.

I am surprised to read some of the other reviews of this book, because I found this to be one of Berg's best. As a child of the 60's, most of what I know of WW2 is from a historical perspective. Berg made the second World War come to life for me, and put it in human perspective. It was sobering to realize that the worry about the soldiers in Iraq now is not so much different from how people worried about the soldiers back then. Will we never learn? I've read other novels of WW2, but found it refreshing how Berg allowed the character of Kitty to grow and develop questions about the patriotism of the day. Coming from an Irish family, the accounts of daily life with the Heaney's struck a chord with me.

I have read almost all of Elizabeth Berg's books (the exceptions being The Handmaid and We Are All Welcome Here) and this one is not a disappointment. I found it to be charming and intriguing. The story is simply written and fairly slow, but that is part of its charm. The characters were well presented and the sibling rivalry and arguments rang true. Having watched a documentary recently about wives and girlfriends left behind during World War 2, this book seemed very realistic. I do not understand the negative reviews on here, and would whole-heartedly endorse this book.

but I truly loved this book! First some background: Kitty lives with her five brothers and sisters in a small house in Chicago in the 1940's. She is waiting for the day her boyfriend Julian comes home from the war. But other things are happening in their lives: her sister's unexpected annoucement, one of her brothers does something drastic for the war effort, and Kitty meets another man that could change her destiny forever. Although some people have complained the book is slow, I enjoyed the slowness. It took me back to another time when people weren't such in a hurry and did the best they could with what they had. Also, I noticed in the acknowledgments that Berg had talked to her relatives and other WWII veterans so I felt the book was well researched. Thanks to Elizabeth Berg for a glimpse of what it was like back then!