The Dust That Falls from Dreams
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Avita Jay
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David Sibley
About this listen
From the acclaimed author of Corelli's Mandolin, here is a sumptuous, sweeping, powerfully moving new novel about a British family whose lives and loves are indelibly shaped by the horrors of World War I and the hopes for its aftermath.
In the brief, golden years of the Edwardian era, the McCosh sisters - Christabel, Ottilie, Rosie, and Sophie - grow up in an idyllic household in the countryside south of London. On one side their neighbors are the proper Pendennis family, recently arrived from Baltimore, whose close-in-age boys - Sidney, Albert, and Ashbridge - shake their father's hand at breakfast and address him as "sir". On the other side is the Pitt family: a "resolutely French" mother, a former navy captain father, and two brothers, Archie and Daniel, who are clearly "going to grow up into a pair of daredevils and adventurers". In childhood this band is inseparable, but the days of careless camaraderie are brought to an abrupt halt by the outbreak of The Great War, in which everyone will play a part.
All three Pendennis brothers fight in the hellish trenches at the front; Daniel Pitt becomes an ace fighter pilot with his daredevil tendencies intact; Rosie and Ottilie McCosh volunteer in the hospitals, where women serve with as much passion and nearly as much hardship as the men at the front; Christabel McCosh becomes one of the squad of photographers sending "snaps" of their loved ones at home to the soldiers; and Sophie McCosh drives for the RAF in France. In the aftermath of the war, as "the universal joy and relief were beginning to be tempered by...an atmosphere of uncertainty", everyone must contend with the modern world that is slowly emerging from the ashes of the old.
A wholly immersive novel about a particular time and place, The Dust That Falls from Dreams also illuminates the timeless ways in which men and women carry profound loss alongside indelible hope.
©2015 Louis de Bernieres (P)2015 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fiona and Joe struggle, save, and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.
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Wow. Wow wow wow!
- By I like to shop on 04-26-16
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Season of Darkness
- By: Maureen Jennings
- Narrated by: Tom Craig
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector. Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. Then one turns up dead.
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much better than average historical detective
- By connie on 09-30-12
By: Maureen Jennings
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South Riding
- By: Winifred Holtby
- Narrated by: Carole Boyd
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In this rich and memorable evocation of the fictional South Riding of Yorkshire are the lives, loves and sorrows of the central characters. There is Sarah Burton, fiery young headmistress; Robert Carne of Maythorpe Hall, a councillor tormented by his own disastrous marriage; Jo Astell, a socialist fighting poverty and his own illness; and Mrs Beddows, the first woman Alderman of the district (like Winifred's own mother).
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Worth Revisiting
- By Ilana on 11-04-12
By: Winifred Holtby
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The Postcard
- By: Leah Fleming
- Narrated by: Elaine Claxton
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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2002, Australia. When Melissa discovers a postcard addressed to 'Desmond' among her recently deceased father's effects, she is determined to discover this person's identity and his relationship to her father. She soon embarks on a journey that will take her across oceans and into the past...
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Meh
- By Summer Layne on 03-06-15
By: Leah Fleming
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After the War Is Over
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Robson
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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After four years as a military nurse, Charlotte Brown is ready to leave behind the devastation of the Great War. The daughter of a vicar, she has always been determined to dedicate her life to helping others. Moving to busy Liverpool, she throws herself into her work with those most in need, only tearing herself away for the lively dinners she enjoys with the women at her boardinghouse.
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More romance than history
- By RueRue on 08-17-16
By: Jennifer Robson
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Lights Out Liverpool
- By: Maureen Lee
- Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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As Britain stands alone against a monstrous enemy, the inhabitants of Pearl Street face hardship and heartbreak with courage and humour. The war touches each of them in a different way: for Annie Poulson, a widow, it means never-ending worry when her twin boys are called up and sent to France; Sheila Reilly's husband, Cal, faces the terror of U-Boat attacks; Eileen Costello is liberated from a bitter, loveless marriage when her husband is sent to Egypt.
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Wonderful
- By Tansy Adderley on 10-03-18
By: Maureen Lee
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Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Vivacious, young Hester Christie tries to run her home like clockwork, as would befit the wife of British Army officer, Tim Christie. However hard Mrs Tim strives for seamless living amidst the other army wives, she is always moving flat-out to remember groceries, rule lively children, side-step village gossip and placate her husband with bacon, eggs, toast and marmalade. Left alone for months at a time whilst her husband is with his regiment, Mrs Tim resolves to keep a diary of events large and small in her family life.
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Life as a military wife
- By Jerri C on 03-09-13
By: D. E. Stevenson
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The Quiet American
- By: Graham Greene
- Narrated by: Joseph Porter
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Alden Pyle, an idealistic young American, is sent to Vietnam to promote democracy amidst the intrigue and violence of the French war with the Vietminh, while his friend, Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, looks on.
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Terrible narrator nearly derails Greene novel.
- By Richard on 07-12-12
By: Graham Greene
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High Rising
- A Virago Modern Classic
- By: Angela Thirkell, Alexander McCall Smith - introduction
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Successful lady novelist Laura Morland and her boisterous young son, Tony, set off to spend Christmas at her country home in the sleepy surrounds of High Rising. But Laura's wealthy friend and neighbor, George Knox, has taken on a scheming secretary whose designs on marriage to her employer threaten the delicate social fabric of the village.
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Beginning of a journey
- By Jerri C on 11-04-16
By: Angela Thirkell, and others
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East of the Sun
- By: Julia Gregson
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn't be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom.
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Indian history takes a back seat to 3 young women
- By Richard on 05-24-16
By: Julia Gregson
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The Forsyte Chronicles, Vol. 3: End of the Chapter
- By: John Galsworthy
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 30 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The third volume of this gripping family saga, End of the Chapter, shifts to the Cherrells - cousins of the Forsytes by marriage. Young Dinny Cherrell in particular cherishes their ancestral home, Condaford Grange, which represents stability in a rapidly changing world. Through his depiction of the lives and loves of this family, Galsworthy throws a brilliant spotlight on the social and political upheavals of the 1930s.
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Very enjoyable
- By Jonathan Kalkstein on 11-28-22
By: John Galsworthy
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Staying On
- By: Paul Scott
- Narrated by: Paul Shelley
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Tusker and Lily Smalley stayed on in India. Given the chance to return ‘home’ when Tusker, once a Colonel in the British Army, retired, they chose instead to remain in the small hill town of Pankot, with its eccentric inhabitants and archaic rituals left over from the days of the Empire. Only the tyranny of their imposing landlady threatens to upset the quiet rhythm of their days.
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A Pleasant Meander
- By Ian C Robertson on 09-22-14
By: Paul Scott
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Birds Without Wings
- By: Louis de Bernieres
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Birds Without Wings is the story of a small town in Anatolia in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire told in the richly varied voices of the men and women (Armenians, Christians, and Muslims) whose lives are intertwined and rooted there: Iskander, the potter and local fount of wisdom; Philotei, the Christian girl of legendary beauty, courted almost from infancy by Ibrahim the goatherd, a great love that culminates in tragedy and madness; and many more.
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Not for the faint of heart
- By a on 01-03-05
What listeners say about The Dust That Falls from Dreams
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sheila McGee-Smith
- 08-23-15
A Good Book, But No Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Any additional comments?
The name of the author drew me to this new release. I loved his last book. I really like The Dust That Falls From Dreams but the story wasn't as compelling. If you like Downton Abbey, this book will appeal - complex drama with interweaving families during World War I.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Louise
- 04-21-17
Hang in there
The first part of the book seemed slow to me but once the war part was over I really enjoyed it
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- Gail Norris
- 05-05-20
Outstanding
There is nothing about this narrated book that is not simply outstanding. The author’s writing, story line, character development and the narration made this book one of my favorite of all time.
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- Paul Harbutt
- 01-03-23
An exquisite and beautifully crafted book
One of those rare books that I just could not put down, and that gave me so much pleasure too read. I honestly didn’t want it to end. A dense, and wonderfully crafted book, that pushed all the buttons, moving, and poetic, I just wanted more!
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- Annie M.
- 08-30-15
WWI-era family saga done right!
What did you love best about The Dust That Falls from Dreams?
Off the top of my head, I'd have to say that I love the detail that the author has put into each character, resulting in a book of quite some length (I adore the long read!). Each character is distinctly created, even the least, such as a house maid.
I am a fan of the era, and greatly appreciate the time the author took to create a story about pre-war England, going into post-war England. I must confess that I had moments of disbelief, particularly when returning veterans of "the war to end all wars" explained, in great detail, the horrors of the trenches and the skies over France to the primary women characters. I can't get my husband to say anything about Vietnam, so it seems highly unlikely that ladies of the times would be exposed to such tales.
Having said that, I'm glad the details are in the book and think the author did it with great creativity and at least made sure such scenes were true to the characters.
I should also mention that this book has very serious sections with very serious characters--and then, just as one family has many different members--the book will veer off into a hilarious scene with the delightful Sophie, a Mort Saul-type character who cleverly plays with words. The narration featuring Sophie is spot-on, and I found myself smiling, even laughing.
All in all, a very satisfying addition to the WWI family saga. I'd put this book nicely next to my most coveted Pat Barker books, as well as the two-volume Louisa Young books, "My Dear,, I Wanted to Tell You" and "The Hero's Welcome." Fans of Anthony Doer's "All the Light We Cannot See" will also get a lot out of this story.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Oh, you must love Rosie and Daniel, the true protagonists, but Sophie, the bubbly, deceptively "dumb" sister, and her husband are absolutely wonderful characters. Sophie brings a little of a Rhys Bowen whimsy to the table.
What does Avita Jay and David Sibley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Each narrator made this book and its myriad, complex characters to life. They both "made" this listen!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I just think this is a really good, solid partner to the above-mentioned novels about this era. I will read/listen again in a few years.
Any additional comments?
If you like Downtown Abbey, and would like to read a family sage that deeply delves into love, loss, and loyalty, you will like this book tremndously.
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4 people found this helpful
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- ECM
- 12-21-15
Not sure what the point was.
This novel presents a fascinating detailed account of The Great War via an English family, full of detailed airplane maneuvers, local and period slang, and large passages entirely in French. However, somewhere around the middle of the book, after the war has winded down and ended, it is unclear what the point of this novel is. It rambles on for several more hours and seems to end rather abruptly (albeit predictably). It's not that anything in this novel was bad, it's just I'm not sure it benefitted by having the bulk of the material present.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-31-15
Great Storyteller
He made they period of history vivid. Well worth it. I also liked Birds Without Wings.
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- Sara C
- 12-23-23
Insights into the impact of WW1 on a family
Author presents a Loving insightful story as the characters go through the impact of WW1 and beyond.
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- Nancy Crawfurd
- 12-28-15
As good as it gets!
Excellent! This book follows an English family into WWI, through the war and then after. It has all that I love in a great read: a compelling story, great characters, first person excitement and pathos, with great writing and superb story telling. Every so often, I come across an excellent print book that is even better as an audio book, and this is one. The readers bring life to the story with their narration and wonderful accents: the upper class and working class British, the French, and the Americans are brought to life with believable voices. This is one of those books I did not want to finish ... I wanted it to go on forever!
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2 people found this helpful
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- traveler
- 02-24-17
Pedantic style
I don't care for the narration or for the episodic chapters in the voice of one character after another. The long and boring letter writing is just designed IMO to fill up the book.
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1 person found this helpful