{"product_id":"9781982101022","title":"The Lost History of Dreams : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Kris Waldherr\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets from the past that may hold the key to his future in this “sensual, twisting gothic tale…in the tradition of A.S. Byatt’s \u003ci\u003ePossession\u003c\/i\u003e, Diane Setterfield’s \u003ci\u003eThe Thirteenth Tale\u003c\/i\u003e, and Emily Bronte’s \u003ci\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/i\u003e” (\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll love stories are ghost stories in disguise. “This one happily succeeds at both” (\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eReviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained-glass folly set on the moors, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so too does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since a tragic accident three years earlier and the origins of his morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t...things from beyond the grave.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Blurring the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e is “a surrealist, haunting tale of suspense where every prediction turns out to be merely a step toward a bigger reveal” (\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\"There is a Scheherazade-like structure to Isabelle's tale, and the haunting beauty of the love story makes Ada and Hugh come alive as characters. As in many gothic stories, the moldering old house that represents family tragedy is a fitting, creepy backdrop to the mysteries of the past. Waldherr avoids cliché in her rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama. Additionally, while most gothic tales offer only darkness and tragedy, a surprising amount of light and joy imbues the ending here. Fitting, perhaps, for a novel that uses stained glass as a symbol for heavenly possibility, even in the face of death. Waldherr writes that 'love stories are ghost stories in disguise.' This one, happily, succeeds as both.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Waldherr’s gripping debut mystery takes its inspiration from gothic-romance classics like \u003ci\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/i\u003e…Waldherr plays with gothic tropes, from the plot devices of misty moors, unexpected fires, and uncovered letters to the gendered conventions of tragic romance. The novel builds into a surrealist, haunting tale of suspense where every prediction turns out to be merely a step toward a bigger reveal.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kris Waldherr delivers an accomplished debut novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e, an atmospheric and hypnotic love story that not even death can end… a sensual, twisting gothic tale that embraces Victorian superstition much in the tradition of A.S. Byatt’s \u003ci\u003ePossession\u003c\/i\u003e, Diane Setterfield’s \u003ci\u003eThe Thirteenth Tale \u003c\/i\u003eand Emily Brontë’s \u003ci\u003eWuthering Heights; \u003c\/i\u003ethe mystery is slyly developed, while the love story is tastefully titillating.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] tense, atmospheric and sensual Gothic thriller.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003ePenny Dreadful\u003c\/i\u003e in Kris Waldherr's \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e, a dark Victorian epic of obsessive love, thwarted genius, and ghostly visitations….Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e is a Gothic fairy-tale to savor.\"  --Kate Quinn, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Alice Network\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Huntress\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS refuses to be categorized as anything other than excellent. Within the framework of a gothic, Kris Waldherr confronts our ideas about love, grief, poetry, and the nature of storytelling. With skillfully nested stories, Waldherr has done the remarkable, rendering the ephemeral into something real and tangible. Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Reminiscent of du Maurier's \u003ci\u003eMy Cousin Rachel\u003c\/i\u003e, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a complex, haunting and deeply absorbing historical novel that is sure to delight fans of classic Gothic fiction. With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!\"\u003cbr\u003e“In THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS, Kris Waldherr delivers a novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of \u003ci\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/i\u003e and Byatt's \u003ci\u003ePossession\u003c\/i\u003e. Layered within the pages of this gorgeous gothic tale is a story of several loves, each masterfully wrought in dazzling, poetic detail that will leave the reader longing for more.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"In this accomplished debut, Kris Waldherr transports the reader to the fascinating world of Victorian England and its tradition of post-mortem photography with a deft hand. An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page. Mesmerizing, lyrical, and deliciously brooding, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a terrific contribution to Gothic literature.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e plunges the reader into a sumptuous feast for all the senses. Through the perspective of a very Victorian yet empathetic male protagonist, Waldherr cleverly depicts the confining roles women of the era were forced to play. This creepily delicious tale will rob readers of their sleep as it asks and answers its own question: \"'How can there be so much beauty in this world amid so much sorrow?' The only solution was to create more beauty.\" With this novel, Waldherr has done exactly that.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Kris Waldherr's \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e is very aptly titled, as reading this novel feels indeed like entering into a dream, one from which I have yet to fully awaken. With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You'll want to keep reading this one late into the night.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Kris Waldherr's \u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e is an exquisitely crafted literary gothic. With its labyrinthine twists and turns, it evokes the dark mysteries of the classic Victorian ghost story in all its brooding, atmospheric glory. A riveting, addictive read. Sarah Waters fans will be entranced.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Mary Sharratt, author of\u003ci\u003e Ecstasy \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDaughters of the Witching Hill\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Lost History of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e is a dark, shimmering gem of a novel, glittering with love lost, secrets kept, and long-buried truths revealed. Wonder, memory, death and passion haunt every page of Kris Waldherr's powerhouse Gothic debut.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Greer Macallister, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Magician's Lie\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWoman 99\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781982101022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Atria Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40591784542414,"sku":"9781982101022","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_85308fdf-2d80-4c9a-9929-13f300215bd4.jpg?v=1637757306","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781982101022","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}