Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★

On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree’s trunk, they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping–including the most important one: Friends forever, come what may.

But life can waylay the best of intentions….

Nine years ago, a humiliated Larkin Lanier fled Georgetown, South Carolina, knowing she could never go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she realizes she has no choice but to return to the place she both loves and dreads–and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home.

Ivy, Larkin’s mother, is discovered badly injured and unconscious in the burned-out wreckage of her ancestral plantation home. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly fifty years–whispers of love, sacrifice, and betrayal–that lead back to three girls on the brink of womanhood who found their friendship tested in the most heartbreaking ways.

“We are made by those who have built and broken us.” Set in gorgeous South Carolina lowcountry, DREAMS OF FALLING is about the strongest friendships and the painful secrets that test their bonds.

This is a multi-generational story told in both the past and present. In the early 1950s, three friends, Ceecee, Margaret, and Bitty, hide their wishes in the trunk of a magical tree, but the outcome was nothing like they’d expected. Be very careful what you wish for! Keeping secrets, even with the best intentions, can be so harmful even many years down the road.

In present day, Larkin returns to Georgetown, South Carolina, after nearly a decade in New York. Her mother Ivy is badly injured, and Larkin believes she wants to tell her something – about the past, their ancestral home, and Larkin’s grandmother. She’s been kept in the dark for so long that learning the truth will finally be a reprieve…

DREAMS OF FALLING is beautifully written Southern fiction with a Gothic touch, and a bit of mystery and romance too. It took me a few chapters to really get into the flow of things, especially trying to keep characters straight (ages, relationships, etc.), but once I was familiar with everyone, the story flowed nicely. The ending is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.