Who is Ella Seaton? Waking face-down in the mud by Seaton’s lagoon, her head throbbing from an ugly wound, a young woman struggles to come to terms with an unfamiliar world. Who is she? Why can’t she remember? Was she on her way to the goldfields at Bendigo? Or escaping from them? All she has are snatches of a dark dream, a dream which holds memories she is too terrified to face. Adam, a handsome young goldfields merchant, befriends her on the road, but Adam is a man with secrets of his own. As she travels from the danger and excitement of the goldfields to polite Sydney society, Ella begins to unravel the threads of her past to confront the startling truth. A truth that will change her life forever.
WHEN I FIRST READ IT
I’m not quite sure when I first read this novel. I know it was over fifteen years ago, so I’m guessing it would have been around the time it was first released, back in 1997.
WHAT I REMEMBERED
I remembered the cover image in brown and yellow and the setting: the Victorian goldfields of 1850s Australia, but my memory of the story itself was patchy. I knew it involved the hero and heroine travelling together to the goldfields and I recalled a scene where a tent store had been set up at the bottom of a hill, opposite a sly grog shop, when they reached the Bendigo diggings.
WHY I WANTED TO RE-READ IT
A recent post by Sarah at Reading the Past mentioned Kaye Dobbie’s latest novel, Colours of Gold. This jogged my memory: I had read a few of Dobbie’s earlier novels written under the pseudonym of Lilly Sommers, but it was The Dark Dream that stood out from the rest. Of all her books read to date, this remained my favourite. However, the main reason I wanted to re-read it was that I couldn’t remember the complete story, particularly the ending, and when I found a copy in the library I just couldn't resist adding it to my reading pile.
HOW I FELT AFTER READING IT
Very pleased I’d taken the time to borrow it from the library. It was as enjoyable as when I first read it. I'd forgotten how patient and caring the hero was and that warm satisfied feeling when the last page was read. And the reason I couldn’t remember the ending? I thought it was the ending to another author's book, one I had read a long time ago too!
WOULD I READ IT AGAIN
I would definitely read The Dark Dream again. I regret not purchasing a copy when it was first published as it is now out of print. Hopefully, it will be reprinted or offered as an ebook in the near future. However, if my search for a good second-hand copy fails, I can always head back to the library!
This is my first re-read for The Re-Read Challenge 2015.
WHEN I FIRST READ IT
I’m not quite sure when I first read this novel. I know it was over fifteen years ago, so I’m guessing it would have been around the time it was first released, back in 1997.
WHAT I REMEMBERED
I remembered the cover image in brown and yellow and the setting: the Victorian goldfields of 1850s Australia, but my memory of the story itself was patchy. I knew it involved the hero and heroine travelling together to the goldfields and I recalled a scene where a tent store had been set up at the bottom of a hill, opposite a sly grog shop, when they reached the Bendigo diggings.
WHY I WANTED TO RE-READ IT
A recent post by Sarah at Reading the Past mentioned Kaye Dobbie’s latest novel, Colours of Gold. This jogged my memory: I had read a few of Dobbie’s earlier novels written under the pseudonym of Lilly Sommers, but it was The Dark Dream that stood out from the rest. Of all her books read to date, this remained my favourite. However, the main reason I wanted to re-read it was that I couldn’t remember the complete story, particularly the ending, and when I found a copy in the library I just couldn't resist adding it to my reading pile.
HOW I FELT AFTER READING IT
Very pleased I’d taken the time to borrow it from the library. It was as enjoyable as when I first read it. I'd forgotten how patient and caring the hero was and that warm satisfied feeling when the last page was read. And the reason I couldn’t remember the ending? I thought it was the ending to another author's book, one I had read a long time ago too!
WOULD I READ IT AGAIN
I would definitely read The Dark Dream again. I regret not purchasing a copy when it was first published as it is now out of print. Hopefully, it will be reprinted or offered as an ebook in the near future. However, if my search for a good second-hand copy fails, I can always head back to the library!
This is my first re-read for The Re-Read Challenge 2015.
