Her Daughter’s Dream
This generational saga continues after the bestseller, Her Mother’s Hope, with Carolyn now married but bitter after struggling with physical illness and family turmoil. A common trait continues in this novel: mothers see weakness in their daughters and treat them toughly in order that they will survive what is often a challenging world. History proves that reality to be true, but the question arises as to where the line is between instilling toughness to live realistically and that which wounds and scars the emotions and soul.
The story spans from the 1950s to the present day, covering the Vietnam War, 9/11, the Afghanistan War and the Iraqi wars. Caroline’s family suffers losses, and family members have to live with the memories of these historical realities. It is May Flower Dawn, Caroline’s daughter, who grows up being pulled between her mother and grandmother. Education, travel, jobs, living arrangements, and marriage become battlegrounds for possessive love. Dawn decides the bitter, divisive contest must stop, not an easy task by any means.
Francine Rivers is an author who knows how to not only hold but hook a reader’s interest as the various parts of the conflict unfold and characters are forced to develop and move into and even beyond unconditional love. This is a unique presentation about relationships between mothers and daughters, but oh so much more in the fleshing out of hopes and dreams achieved through amazing tenacity and drive. This second novel, as well as the first, makes for great reading, a story to get lost in and ponder long afterward.
