Dare you dream? (Dream a Little Dream - Joan Jonker)

Member Name: kiwiii85

Product:	Dream a Little Dream - Joan Jonker
Date:	19/01/09 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy read, funny, emotional

Disadvantages: You don't want to put the book down

I'm a fan of quite emotional books, not so much they depress me, but to think someones gone for a sad life to an improved one. Joan Jonker's books were always full of emotion whether it be laughter, tears or a bit of both.

~~The Plot~~

Robert (Bob) Dennison and Edie Brady both grew up on the same street which consisted of two up, two down houses in Liverpool. They were quite poor and both families always struggled to make ends meet. This is when Bob got his first break and ended up with his own delivery business. This, in turn, has turned Edie, or Edwina as she now prefers, to become a first class snob who refuses to acknowledge where she's from. They have three children, Victoria who takes after her mother and refuses to believe where they were from, Nigel who sticks with his mother and sister for want of anything else to do and Abbie who's as down to earth as her father and classes the housekeeper more of a mother than Edwina.

The housekeeper, Agnes, and cleaner Kitty keep Bob's life from becoming intolerable with their warmth and humour throughout. It's when Nigel sees through his sisters eyes what he's missing that things begin to take a turn for the better. Bob takes them back to their roots but will this make them or break them? Bob dares to dream a little dream, but will his heart and family be broken?

~~My opinion~~

Joan Jonker has a real way of incorporating the characters in the book to real life and you really feel like you know exactly how they feel at every event. Jonker describes easily how the family started out and why Edie has become who she is (although i'd hope i wouldn't react the same). You can see why Bob has made the decisions he has made and the consequences he has had to deal with as a result of this.

It really goes to show what money can do to a person. For a loving woman to turn into a greedy and coniving witch must have been heartbreaking to watch. To see your children taking the same route must be even harder.

It makes it sound like a really depressing read, but believe me, it isn't! Aggie (Agnes) and Kitty are the most hilarious people you could meet. Neither of them are rich, in fact Kitty quite the opposite, but what they don't have in money, they have in love. It sounds like such a cliche, but it really is the case in this novel. You'll love the sense of humour and the little pranks they play on each other. They may not be the most intelligent people in the world, but they really do know how to have fun!

I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes a Catherine Cookson kind of book as she has a similar style to Jonker. There are lots of other Joan Jonker books already on the market that you may also want to try, but there won't be any more as sadly the author passed away.

~~My verdict~~

A perfect book if you want a nice ending and if you like to see nice people doing well in life. It's a romantic comedy but the romance definitely doesn't take over the book so if that's what you're looking for, i'd try something else.

Summary: A definite must for those that love romantic comedies.