By Leslie Lindsay
Can a book be both mind-bending and heartfelt? In Diane Chamberlain’s hands, it absolutely can. THE DREAM DAUGHTER is a dash of science-fiction meets a mother’s tenacity for love. Diane Chamberlain talks about how the timing of the book had to be ‘just right,’ how she’d probably never time-travel, and putting a memoir on the back-burner.
But first, the accolades:
“A heady and breathless wonder of a read.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale
Publisher’s Weekly says this about THE DREAM DAUGHTER:“Chamberlain expertly blends the time travel elements with the wonderful story of a mother’s love and the depths of sacrifice she makes for her child. This is a page turning crowd-pleaser.
And Bookstalker Blog follows with this:
“A unique story about time travel and how happy endings aren’t always destined to play out the way we planned. A unique twist as usually time travel novels are about love between a man and woman this instead is a mother and child love story. Wonderful.”
Diane is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 25 novels translated in twenty languages and she’s always held a special place in my heart. Her stories are so multi-layered and genre-crossing and always, always, thought-provoking. But THE DREAM DAUGHTER is so glimmering, so brilliantly different than anything she’s ever written and I am beyond touched to host her again.
The first pages of THE DREAM DAUGHTER are set in 1965 Chapel Hill, NC as Caroline Sears is thrust into her first day of work as a physical therapist [Read an excerpt here]. She meets a man who needs rehab–but many of the other staff say they don’t want to work with him–he’s stubborn and odd and some feel he may be dealing with the aftereffects of a suicide attempt.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Five years later, in 1970, Caroline is married and expecting her first child but soon discovers her unborn baby girl has a fatal heart defect. She’s devastated–it’s 1970 and there’s very little that can be done. But Caroline’s brother-in-law, a physicist, says otherwise. If Caroline could only get to 2001, she could save her baby via fetal surgery. But Caroline is skeptical–and resistant–to his ideas.
Spanning decades and dipping into the years 2001, 2013, 2018, as well as 1970, Diane Chamberlain takes us on an unforgettable mind-bending journey. You will feel every emotion–from fear and courage to disbelief, grief, and a mother’s tenacity to love. The plot is intricate and spellbinding, made richer with Chamberlain’s attention to character development and a textured setting.
THE DREAM DAUGHTER is Diane Chamberlain at the height of her powers; it’s classic, yet fresh–and all for the love of a woman’s unborn child.
Please join me in welcoming Diane Chamberlain back to the author interview series.
Leslie Lindsay:
Diane, it’s a pleasure. I know THE DREAM DAUGHTER has been in your mind for a long time. You needed the stars to align ‘just so’ before you were ready to dive in. Can you talk about your initial inspiration and also how you knew the time was right?
Diane Chamberlain:
Hi Leslie! Thanks for having me back. I think the inspiration for THE DREAM DAUGHTER really began long ago when I was working as a hospital social worker in a high risk maternity unit. This was in the early eighties. Back then, there were many conditions a baby might be born with that would cost them their lives, while today, those same conditions are treatable. That started me wondering: what if a woman learns in 1970 that her unborn baby has one of these conditions, but she’s told by someone she trusts that in the year 2001, the condition could be treated . . . and that there was a way for her and her unborn child to actually travel to 2001? I fell in love with the concept and had a blast writing this book. I believe it’s far more a mother/child novel than a time travel novel, but that time travel element really makes for some fun twists.
Photo by Josh Willink on Pexels.com
Leslie Lindsay:
As a writer myself, I have plenty of stories rattling around. But there’s this thing about ‘timing.’ Others might say, ‘writer’s block.’ When I slow down on an idea—even an active narrative—I get the sense my story is whispering, ‘not yet.’ Can you talk more about that, please?
Diane Chamberlain:
I told my agent about my idea for THE DREAM DAUGHTER many years ago and she definitely said “not yet!” She was right. I needed to get my career to a certain level before my readers would come along with me on a ride like this one. I am so pleased I finally got to write this book of my heart.
“Chamberlain stretches her sense of familial relationships and toe-curling suspense in new directions, weaving in elements of trust, history and time as she explores the things we do for love. ..The Dream Daughter will delight Chamberlain’s fans and hook new readers.”
—Booklist
Leslie Lindsay:
I found THE DREAM DAUGHTER pushes boundaries in a good way, delivering a luminous novel. What did you find most challenging about this one—the scientific research involved or something else?
Diane Chamberlain:
In retrospect, nothing was particularly hard about this book because the bones of the story had been in my mind for so long. I suppose the most challenging part was being sure that I had the technology and other elements of daily life straight in each era. For example, when did people start wearing ear buds to talk into their phones? What was available on the Internet in 2001? I think at times it was as mind-bending for me as it was for Carly.
Photo by Wills M on Pexels.com
Leslie Lindsay:
This question is a little tangential. Just recently, Steve Job’s daughter, Lisa, released her memoir about growing up as his unacknowledged daughter. She states something along the lines of [I’m paraphrasing], “We all have a right to tell our stories as accurately as we see them.” Your character, Joanna, has a ‘thing’ for Apple and even names her dog Jobs. 1) What are your thoughts on memoir and 2) how did Joanna’s character development present itself to you for THE DREAM DAUGHTER?
Diane Chamberlain:
I am fascinated by memoirs, especially since I’ve dabbled in writing my own. Two things stand out for me. One is that our memories are often wildly inaccurate. I have three siblings and when we describe a situation from our childhood, we get four different versions. But what matters is the way our memory/interpretation of that situation impacted us, so even if our version is technically wrong, it doesn’t matter. The second thing is the fine line between writing the truth and bringing hurt to someone else . . . or ourselves. That is why I’ve put writing a memoir on the back burner. As for Joanna, I don’t remember how I came up with her “thing” for Apple. I think it’s one of those surprises in writing fiction: it just appeared for me and I went with it.
Leslie Lindsay:
If you could time travel, would you? Where would you go—to the past or the future?
Diane Chamberlain:
First of all, no, I wouldn’t. With rheumatoid arthritis, I have enough trouble with 2018! But IF I wanted to, I would definitely go backwards. I have little fascination with whatever technology awaits in the future. I would much rather go back to when my grandparents were alive so I could get to know them better. I guess it’s all about relationships for me.
Leslie Lindsay:
What’s on your fall reading list?
Diane Chamberlain:
Well, I have a stack of Advance Reading Copies [ARCs] sitting here that I’d like to work my way through! I’m most interested in the books of some of my October writing buddies, A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Fowler and Becoming Mrs. LewisBecoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry.
Leslie Lindsay:
Diane, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time. Is there anything I should have asked, but may have forgotten?
Diane Chamberlain:
I look forward to hearing how your blog readers enjoy THE DREAM DAUGHTER. So far, the advance reader reviews have been wonderful, and I appreciate my readers for taking the chance along with me to try something a little bit different.
For more information, to connect with the author via social media, or to purchase a copy of THE DREAM DAUGHTER, please visit:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 25 novels published in more than twenty languages. Influenced by her former career as a social worker and psychotherapist, she writes suspenseful stories that touch both heart and mind.
You can connect with me, Leslie Lindsay, via these websites:
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[Cover and author image courtesy of St. Martin’s Press and used with permission]
Leslie A. Lindsay| Writer & Creative 