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. ( )

In Mary Doria Russell's Dreamers of the Day a 40-year-old spinster schoolteacher from Ohio, Agnes Shanklin, who has lived under the thumb of her over-bearing mother, comes into a modest inheritance and decides to take the "trip of a lifetime" to Egypt and the Holy Land. She arrives in Cairo just as the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference, which created what we know as the modern Middle East, is about to convene. Here she meets the movers and shakers of that time: Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill and Gertrude Bell. She also attracts the attention of a mysterious German who may or may not be a spy, but definitely gives her the first real romance of her life. Throughout it all, Agnes learns to stand up for her own ideas and desires and truly becomes her own person.

This book, however, is more than just an historical novel. Rather, it seems like Russelll is using the genre of historical fiction to put forward her own political views about the Mid East. Depending on whether of not the reader agrees with her views will probably determine how much any given reader will enjoy this book. ( )

horribly, horribly disappointing. ( )

Awful. She's such a good writer, but this was propaganda disguised as a novel. ( )

Her family's sole survivor of the 1918 influenza epidemic, Agnes Shanklin, a forty-year-old Cleveland schoolteacher, travels to the Middle East. Her arrival in Cairo coincides with the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference; she meets T.E. Lawrence "Lawrence of Arabia" and is drawn into discussions with Gertrude Bell, Winston Churchill and other members of the British delegation who find her opinions on colonialism and nation building insightful and charming. An engaging adventure story with a historical setting skillfully told. ( )

Dreamers of the Day is the second book I have received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers Program. I was extraordinarily excited to see Mary Doria Russell's newest work being offered by Random House, and was even more excited to be chosen to receive and review an advance reader's edition. Russell is one of my favorite authors; she is also a wonderful person and (at least from my experience) always responds to fan mail. And I'll finally get a chance to meet her in person on this book tour!

Agnes Shanklin is a forty or so school teacher from Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1910s. When her family dies from the Great Influenza, she finds herself an heiress of sorts. After recovering from the illness herself, and with a new-found freedom from her manipulative and overbearing mother (although, not from her memory), she begins life anew--transforming herself from a timid, self-deprecating old maid to a stylish, sophisticated and confident woman. As part of this metamorphosis she plans a trip to the Holy Land and Egypt. There she meets such luminaries as T. E. Lawrence (more commonly known as Lawrence of Arabia), Lady Gertrude Bell, and Winston Churchill when he was serving as the Secretary of State for Air as well as for the Colonies. In addition to being privileged to see the Cairo Conference from behind the scenes, she also discovers more about herself, and a bit of romance, during her travels.

Dreamers of the Day seems to be much lighter reading than her previous work, even when the subjects it is dealing with are quite substantial (the beginnings of the modern Middle East, for example). I did particularly appreciate her acknowledgments where she discusses some of the materials that were particularly useful to her when researching this book. I certainly learned some history while reading the book, and am interested in learning more about certain aspects of the story, although Russell does hit the reader with some pretty heavy-handed (and not at all masked) political opinions, especially at the end. Overall however, Agnes made a delightful narrator. While the novel might not have had as much depth as I had expected, the story-telling and the story itself was still enjoyable to read.

Experiments in Reading ( )

I love this author. This was better than "Thread of Grace". I loved the history of the association with T.E. Lawrence and Churchill. ( )

Dull and pedantic. All the more disappointing because I am interested in the history and sympathetic to the politics which are the objects of the author's pedantry. ( )

In Maria Doria Russell’s fourth novel and second historical novel (A Thread of Grace) she has once again done a great deal of research to create a vivid portrait of the time. In this case the period is roughly the 1920’s and the story centers on the life of fictional Agnes Shanklin, a timid and homely schoolteacher spinster who comes into her own late in life. Long under the thumb of her domineering mother (today we’d probably call her verbally abusive!) and then reeling from the deaths of all the members of her immediate family Agnes takes her small inheritance and travels to Egypt, the country her missionary sister, Lillian, travelled to. While in the missionary station of Jabail Lillian wrote of how helpful Colonel Lawrence had been. In 1914 T. E. Lawrence was still an archeology student travelling through the Middle East photographing crusader castles for his thesis but he was soon to become “the uncrowned king of Arabia,” as another factual character, Lowell Thomas, refers to him. Lawrence of Arabia is only one of several “real” characters in the book. Agnes happens to travel to Egypt at the same time Britain’s secretary for air and the colonies, Winston Churchill, and other leaders are gathering with the likes of self-appointed Middle Eastern expert Gertrude Bell for the 1921 Cairo Conference that will determine the boundaries, and the fate, of the Middle East. While in Cairo Agnes meets the charming and attentive (fictional) Karl Weilbacher, who may or may not be a German spy collecting information about the conference. Agnes, with her harmless persona and her feisty dachshund Rosie tucked under her arm at all times, seems the perfect confident to all parties. Through Agnes we become observers of Lawrence’s tact and power, Churchill’s belligerence and love of oil painting, and Bell’s overbearing persistence at a time when many women would not travel alone, no less help to formulate a nation’s boundaries. Agnes is a delightful character whose story unfolds as a historic travelogue, a passionate romance, and a political commentary. The slightly far-fetched ending takes away from the story only in the slightest way. ( )

The story is told by a deceased Agnes Shanklin. The year is 1918. The story begins with talk of the war, but quickly turns to describe the incredible devastation of the Influenza outbreak.
In one instant her sister, brother-in-law, brother, niece, nephew and mother are killed. Agnes remarkably recovers from her illness.
The story really begins here. Agnes has lived her single life under the thumb of her domineering, manipulative mother. Now she has come into money. Feeling free at last, she decides to enjoy her new situation. The plot here feels somewhat contrived. Agnes, who has never cared about her appearance, goes to Halle's. Here she gets a complete makeover. She then decides to travel, deciding upon a tour of the Middle East. Her sister had lived there, and Agnes would like to see the sights.
She arrives in Cairo. At her exclusive hotel she meets, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Winston Churchil, and a German spy who later becomes her companion and lover.
She spends her time in the Middle East in the company of such renowned people.
I found the historically accurate detail extremely interesting, and I liked the character of Agnes. ( )

The only member of her family to survive the influenza pandemic of 1918, former fifth grade schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin and her dachshund Rosie set off from Cleveland, Ohio on a cruse to Egypt “…to escape from the sadness.” She arrives in 1921 to find the local population in a state of agitated turmoil over the impending meeting of their new British governors. They are torn between a desire to kill the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Churchill and admiration and awe for the war hero who did so much to liberate the Arabs them from the rule of the Turks, Colonel Lawrence. She also arrives to find that dogs are not welcome in first-class hotels in Cairo.

Fortunately, she is rescued from her predicament by members of the very same English that are causing such a stir, Gertrude Bell and T.E. Lawrence. She soon makes the acquaintance of Winston Churchill and a very charming German gentleman who proves to be a very attentive friend and sympathetic listener. Thus the author skillfully sets the stage to portray the men and women who literally shaped the modern middle-east. As the fictional Miss Shanklin puts it, “my little story has become your history.” She might have added, “and your current struggles.”

Dreamers of the day is a fascinating work of historical fiction and an extremely satisfying read. ( )

This is not a book I would have picked up had I not received a copy through the Early Reviewers Club. As it turns out, I really enjoyed it and have passed it along to others who have enjoyed it as well. What I liked most about the book was Agnes. She struck me as unusual heroine with her own unique path to follow. Mary Doria Russell created an extremely engaging character with Agnes and her traveling companion Rosie. Unlike a lot of the reviewers, I enjoyed the way the book ended. I found it to be unexpected and original. ( )

A bookish spinister, after the deaths of her domineering mother, absent brother, and beloved sister, travels to the mideast, and by chance and family acquaintance, meets T.E. Lawrence and is an observer to the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference. Maria Doria Russell writes an absorbing story. Her narrator, Agnes Shanklin, is an intelligent and sympathetic voice, and her retelling of historical period during and directly after World War I is informative. Having Agnes tell her story from the grave, though, while at first an interesting narrative device, turns to the fantastic at the end of the book, and diminishes the strength and realism of the story. ( )

I was inspired to read more about the period after WW1 and about the creation of Iraq and the Middle East. Some of the books seemed implausible, but I liked the writing style and the history was fascinating. I liked that the author talked about her research for the book in the afterword. ( )

I am a fan of Maria Doria Russell from reading her book, The Sparrow. I thought that book was one of the most original science fiction books I had read at the time, so I was expecting great things from The Dreamers of the Day. While it was not as good as The Sparrow, there were many things to be impressed with. I thought the characterization of the protagonist was very well done. She seemed to be a living, breathing human with strengths, weaknesses, and a lot of growth potential. Her transformation from wallflower to adventurer was inspiring. ( )

This was not as good as The Sparrow. It's an extremely interesting story. It takes place in Egypt after the first world wars the political powers are deciding how the Middle East should be divided up now that the war is over. It's told from the point of view of an Ohio ex-school teacher who lost her family in the influenza epidemic. She travels to Egypt and gets involved in the peace convention, and sort of becomes a Forest Gump type character in that she's an unknown who ends up influencing all these major world events. I learned a lot about the time period that I didn't know, and I had no trouble with the story right up until the end, but then the ending just didn't seem right to me. I didn't mind the concept, even though it was a little strange, but it didn't seem to gel with the rest of the book.

I enjoyed this book mainly for 2 reasons - the characters and the knowledge I gained. Agnes is a great character and her transformation from a feeble woman with an over-bearing mother into a self-confidant world traveler was highly entertaining. I loved the descriptions in the beginning of the book, before she goes to Egypt. In particular, the women playing the stock market and Agnes' makeover with Millie stick out in my mind.

I admit to knowing next to nothing about the history of the middle east and the Cairo conference so this book provided a nice insight into the history which explains much of the unrest still occurring today. It was a nice amount of information without being to overwhelming and taking away from the fictional story telling.

I agree with many other reviewers that the ending seemed superfluous and sort of tacked on in order to dictate some final thoughts. This was the only really negative aspect of the book for me. I have not read all of MDR's books but have read Thread of Grace and was not enthralled by it. So I can say that I like Dreamers of the Day better than that one and think it will stick with me longer. ( )

For me, the best part of this book is the first section, where Agnes is still in Ohio and we learn of her upbringing, the effects of the Influenza epidemic and the First World War.
I was looking forward to Agnes' trip to Egypt, but despite being informative, I found the politics got in the way of the story. I know, I know, the politics is probably the Raison D'etre for the book, but I wanted to find out more about Egypt, and its history.

I'm not sure that I liked what she did with the final section. It felt superfluous. And when I read the sentence "As long as your name is remembered, you are not truly dead" I was transported straight into The Brief History Of The Dead which we read as a group recently. Is it really true that Napolean Bonaparte believed this? ( )

I agree with other reviewers that this book seems very different from Russell's other titles and I struggled a bit with the story but I'm glad I finished it. I loved the character of Agnes Shanklin (even though I'm supposed to forget her name) and found following her around the world a great exercise in vicarious travels. I found her interactions with famous historical figures to be a bit awkward but entertaining nonetheless. I will always reach for Ms Russell's new titles and accept that I will enjoy some more than others. ( )

First and foremost, I should probably apologize to all of my favorite writers. Once I find a book I love, and then find another book by that author that is as good as or better than the first one I read – my expectations for any future works are sky high. Great expectations? HAH!!! Try wildly unrealistic expectations.

That being said, I am very sad to report that my disappointment with “Dreamers of the Day” by Mary Doria Russell is not all of my own making. While I quickly accepted the narrator and the telling of her story from the afterlife…I quickly started to unsuspend my disbelief. This book is so different from Russell’s three other beautifully crafted and haunting works, that a comparison to those would be unfair, but a comparison to the movie “Forrest Gump” seems in order.

The narrator and main character, Agnes Shanklin, takes Gump’s role as the average person who interacts with famous people of her day (Post World War I). Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, etc. populate Agnes’s story – they take her on as a new friend when she travels from her staid upbringing in Ohio. As each new famous person invites her to dinner or takes her on trips…I just found myself saying, “Really? Really?”

Don’t get me wrong, parts of the book were very enlightening. Given the research that Russell does – I was interested to learn more about the great influenza epidemic of 1918.

“The pointless savagery of the Great War forged a generation of writers, so I’ve always found it strange that no one here at home chronicled the Great Influenza or its effects on us…Without literature as a guide, I expect you think of the flu as a homey, familiar kind of illness, not a horrifying scourge like the black plague or smallpox.”

It killed fifty million people – “millions more than died in combat on all sides, on all fronts, in four and a half years of the Great War, itself an orgy of killing.” She’s right – now that we call it the flu and that sometimes it’s just something that keeps us out of work for a few days – it is easy to forget how deadly it can be.

And then her observation on the birth of mass marketing, “The war taught us the power of propaganda,” one of the CPI men said after the armistice. “Now, by God, when we have something to sell to the American people, we know how to sell it.”

And then the book takes another turn as it discusses the creation of the modern Middle East and discusses today’s mess there in thinly veiled terms. I can’t say I disagree with many of the conclusions drawn by Agnes as she watches politicians start the creation of today’s wars…but I wasn’t sure why this belonged in this book.

The characters sound like the talking heads on CNN and MSNBC. “The level of religious bigotry in those regions is staggering! The Persian clergy spends half of its time fostering hatred…”

And this (I promise, this was from a book set in 1918) – “The sheer arrogance of the lies!” he (Lawrence) was snarling. “The relentless concealment! The British public was tricked into this adventure in Mesopotamia by a steady withholding of information,” he told me when I arrived at his side. “They have no idea how bloody and inefficient the occupation has been, or how many have been killed.”

I agree! I agree! But I kept jumping out of the book’s confines and into today’s headlines. (I am glad to say that I now know the difference between a Shi’a and a Sunni, thanks to T.E. Lawrence.)

Sigh. So the book consists of an interesting story about a woman who finally comes into her own, who discovers who finally who she is at 40, broken up by what come across as modern day politics. And then the last chapter REALLY gives your head a spin. Even more historical figures enter the picture – at which point I was really just glad to almost be done.

Again – I agree with what Russell has to say, but by the time I got to this – I was a hopeless case.

“Read to children.”
“Vote.”
“And never buy anything from a man selling fear.”

As I reach the end of this review, I have a sad, sick feeling. I realize that I’ve spent my time and my words ripping this book apart. I did not mean to – there were parts of it I enjoyed – the parts that focused more on the emotional development of Agnes. She was so used to living in the shadows – it was a pleasure reading about her discoveries in and outside herself.

But back to where I started – I had high hopes for this book and I suppose my disappointment comes through more strongly than I had planned.

Mary Doria Russell has written so beautifully of such amazing things (“The Sparrow” – what a lovely, amazing, unexpected jewel of a book. If not for “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Russell’s first book might be my all time favorite) – and in ways that allow the reader to learn even more than s/he is aware (“Thread of Grace”). I will pick up her next book with eagerness and hope – but will cross my fingers that it follows more the pattern of her first three books and of another description of the fictionalized T.E. Lawrence, “Garnett’s scholarship is so easy and exact, so deep, but so unobtrusive.”

I hope her next book is like that…so I can read and learn…and lock my disbelief firmly away. ( )