Russell excels at characterization, and Dreamers of the Day is no exception. The protagonist's journey and maturation are beautifully drawn.

Russell is also a dab hand at describing societies -- their details and nuances -- and here she demonstrates this skill, as well. The historical detail and historical characterizations are rich and fascinating, and it's no surprise that so many of the (currently 86) other reviewers say they were drawn to further reading about the era.

As for her political views and 'preachiness' -- I have no problem with an author sharing her views in a work, so long as she does it well and those views don't interfere with the bookly quality. Russell does such an outstanding job with characterization and setting that her politics, while evident, don't interfere with the story. Plotting can also be destroyed by preaching, but Russell's plots are so measured and stately that it would take a lot more preaching than is present in this book to upset them.

Recommended for lovers of well-crafted, serious historical fiction. ( )

September 2009 selection- The group really liked this one. We liked the author's depiction of historical figures and fictional characters to form this very interesting story.
Pros: Believable charactirizations of historical figures
Cons: can't think of one right off ( )

To take the premise of a nobody hobnobbing with Lawrence of Arabia and Winston Churchill (and a German spy) while they shape the Middle East after WWI, and make it both exciting and believable is an amazing feat.

I'd have left off the final chapter, but it does serve to remind us that we are talking fiction, which I had trouble remembering during the book. ( )

Great book. I love Mary Doria Russell, wasn't as good as Children of God or Thread of Grace, I don't think anything can come close to the genius of those but this book was an interesting read in a different way. 5 stars ( )

The first two-thirds of this book, describing Agnes's early life and travel to Cairo, are well-written and entertaining, and Russell's portraits of the real-life figures of Churchill, Lawrence, and others are fascinating. However, the whole tone of the book is a little too "fly on the wall of history" -- Agnes has no real effect on the unfolding of events, and they in turn don't really do anything to alter the arc of her life. The quasi-mystical/fantasy/religious final segment is completely tacked on and unnecessary. ( )