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91st out of 485 books
—
613 voters
Dream When You're Feeling Blue
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg takes us to Chicago at the time of World War II in this wonderful story about three sisters, their lively Irish family, and the men they love.
As the novel opens, Kitty and Louise Heaney say good-bye to their boyfriends Julian and Michael, who are going to fight overseas. On the domestic front, meat is rationed, children part...more
As the novel opens, Kitty and Louise Heaney say good-bye to their boyfriends Julian and Michael, who are going to fight overseas. On the domestic front, meat is rationed, children part...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
May 1st 2007
by Random House
(first published 2007)
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Jul 12, 2007
Amy Formanski
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Chicagoans, Historical fiction fans
I picked up this one for our summer reading program. Of course it's fun to read about the city I live in during a different time period. This is Chicago in 1943 during the second world war, when so many young guys were being shipped overseas. Three Irish sisters, Kitty (the glamour girl), Louise (the sensible one), and Tish (the youngest and flirtiest), deal with life at home while their boyfriends go off to fight. Louise is in the most serious relationship. Her boyfriend proposes before he leav...more
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I listened to this on CD. It was one of the most delightful books I have listened to. Elizabeth Berg narrated it, and she has the perfect voice for this story.
From the moment I began to listen, I was hooked. The story begins with two sisters seeing their boyfriends off to World War II. It made me think, I wonder how my parents felt when my dad left for the war. Although I have thought of him in the war before, I never thought of this aspect of it in quite the same way as the book made me think o...more
From the moment I began to listen, I was hooked. The story begins with two sisters seeing their boyfriends off to World War II. It made me think, I wonder how my parents felt when my dad left for the war. Although I have thought of him in the war before, I never thought of this aspect of it in quite the same way as the book made me think o...more
I've enjoyed many of other Elizabeth Berg's novels, which are well-written summer "quick reads" with satisfying endings, but thought that this one was a clunker. The story revolves around three Irish Catholic sisters in Chicago during World War II. Berg's novel shouts, "I did research on World War II -- at the expense of creating a flowing narrative or an interesting plot!" The ending is entirely unbelievable.
7 likes · like · see review
Mar 12, 2008
Jana Anderson
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who know little about WW2
Recommended to Jana by:
My mom
Okay, it is a nice beach read, but here is my beef with this book.
1) In order to take the reader back to the 1940's WW2 era, they threw in every random fact about life on the home front into this book. (Not actual quote...) "I left my victory garden to go bake the sugarless cake I would be sending to Bud in France for his birthday. I had better bake this cake now so I don't miss Roosevelt's Fireside chat tonight, and I don't want to miss the USO dance tonight either! At the dance I am supposed t...more
1) In order to take the reader back to the 1940's WW2 era, they threw in every random fact about life on the home front into this book. (Not actual quote...) "I left my victory garden to go bake the sugarless cake I would be sending to Bud in France for his birthday. I had better bake this cake now so I don't miss Roosevelt's Fireside chat tonight, and I don't want to miss the USO dance tonight either! At the dance I am supposed t...more
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I've never been over the moon for any Elizabeth Berg book I've read, but sometimes they hit me at the right time and they're the perfect light read. This was not one of those books, and I really wanted it to be. It's set in Chicago, on the home front, during WWII. if nothing else, I expected to like the details that emerge in the background of these types of stories--the music, the dances, the clothes, etc. But those details seemed canned. The story revolves around the three sisters in the Irish...more
4 likes · like · see review
This book takes place in Chicago during WWII and tells the story of 3 sisters who correspond with friends and lovers who have gone to war. Lots of description of what it was like to live in the times and you do get transported into the era.
I actually listened to this book, and glad of it, as there was a lot of description and daydreams that I would have skimmed thru to get to the "meat" of the story if I had read it. At first with the flowery and long descriptions (read surprizingly well by the...more
I actually listened to this book, and glad of it, as there was a lot of description and daydreams that I would have skimmed thru to get to the "meat" of the story if I had read it. At first with the flowery and long descriptions (read surprizingly well by the...more
5 likes · like · see review
I like Elizabeth Berg's books, and I didn't plan on reading it because I heard the ending sucked. My grandma liked it and told me I should give a try anyway. She grew up in the era Berg writes about in this book, and told me her mom and stepdad were so happy that she was old enough to qualify for coffee stamps because they couldn't get enough of it. It's hard to imagine having to ration anything, let alone coffee.
After reading it: The ending pissed me off way too much to enjoy it the way I would...more
After reading it: The ending pissed me off way too much to enjoy it the way I would...more
8 likes · like · see review
Berg's latest offering of cozy, snuggled-up-with-cocoa reading is a flawed but still beautifully written story of an Irish-American family in Chicago homefront during World War II. The three enchanting Heaney sisters spend every night writing letters to soldiers – stoic Louise to her fiancé Michael, caring Kitty to the man that she hopes will propose, and flirty Tish to the many men she meets at USO dances. The central character is redheaded Kitty, who longs for the cocky Julian to marry her, bu...more
I had to dry my tears to come add this lovely book to my list. It is an engaging story of 3 Irish sisters in Chicago during World War II. Debbie, you will love this book.
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I found this to be a great little read. I mean "little" because of the amount of pages, not quality. I have always been interested in the World War II era, and this story made me feel like I was truly there in the moment, writing countless letters to young soldiers fighting in Europe or the Pacific, hoping that my words would lift them from whatever suffering and loneliness they had experienced daily. I loved the writing, the small, distinct storytelling, taking great care in choosing words that...more
Another Elizabeth Berg book-I am really on a streak! It seems as if when I go to the library and I don't really have a book in mind to read-I can wander over to the 'B's' and she always has a book on the shelf. This novel is about the Heaney family during World War II. The Heaney family has 6 children: 3 girls and 3 boys. The book details the struggles of the war at home, saying goodbye to the men they love who are fighting, and the constant letter writing back and forth to one another. It was i...more
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This book was SUCH a disappointment. I'd heard of the author, kept seeing the book around, and decided to give it a shot. It started out okay and got better as the story moved forward. Some of the period references got old (for example, instead of just mentioning rations, the author went on and on, describing the different ways this affected their lives), but I was willing to overlook that because I was drawn into the lives of the main characters. When I neared the end, I thought how much I was...more
8 likes · like · see review
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6 likes · like · see review
Elizabeth Berg is a wonderful story teller. This is set in Chicago during WWII and it's an engaging story about three sisters. I couldn't put it down once I began it. I cried, and laughed, and just enjoyed the story. The only thing I didn't like about it was the ending. It seemed rushed, and a bit incongruent with the story. I liked the book a lot, and I definitely still recommend it, but I do wish the ending had been a little more satisfying.
Sisters Louise, Tish and Kitty Heaney are living in Chicago during World War II. As Kitty and Louise see their boyfriends off to war, their lives become intertwined and their daily thoughts, chores, and prayers revolve around the war. The girls go to work during the day, USO dances in the evening and their nights are spent writing endless letters to servicemen overseas, as it has become their patriotic duty. Louise longs to see Michael again and loves him more and more with each letter written b...more
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I'll be honest. I picked up this book based on its title (a line from a 1940's Johnny Mercer song) and its cover. I briefly skimmed the back and thought, this sounds good. I'm a sucker for 1940's war-time nostalgia (hello Swing Kids anyone?) and DREAM WHEN YOU ARE FEELING BLUE definitely fit the bill, right down to the meat rationing, coffee coupons, pin curls and period slang.
The Heaney sisters, Louise, Kitty and Tish, are daughters of Irish immigrants living in Chicago during WWII. Doing their...more
The Heaney sisters, Louise, Kitty and Tish, are daughters of Irish immigrants living in Chicago during WWII. Doing their...more
I thought the first half of this book was so sweet that there must be nothing there -- like whipped cream or meringue. As I read further I found there to be a real story here, but I'm not sure I buy the ending. The last 10 pages of the book seemed completely unrealistic to me, but perhaps that's me.
"Dream When You're Feeling Blue" is historic fiction set during 1943-45 in Chicago. Of course my mom would call it her life, since she was the age of the Heaney sisters at this time. My dad fought in...more
"Dream When You're Feeling Blue" is historic fiction set during 1943-45 in Chicago. Of course my mom would call it her life, since she was the age of the Heaney sisters at this time. My dad fought in...more
This is a bit different than what her novels usually are. It is set during World War II in Chicago, around an Irish Catholic family, the Heaneys. Besides the parents, Frank and Margaret, there are 3 girls Kitty, Louise, and Tish along with 3 younger boys. Louise and Kitty having been seeing two young men that are now shipping out to war. Louise and Michael become engaged, while Kitty remains unsure of Julian's intentions. Besides their own two young men, the sisters write to other young soldiers...more
Oh! How I wanted this book to be five stars but it wasn't! ARRRGGHH! This is what I loved: the accurate depiction of life as a young woman during WWII, especially in regard to the men they loved. I'm a sucker for accurate romance and I feel like this was very well done -- Kitty's thoughts toward Julian and Hank, Louise's toward Michael -- all tender and believeable and GREAT! I also like the emotional trauma of what it meant to wait on the war to be over -- the suffering from all points of view....more
World War II era story about three sisters in a lively close knit Irish family. In those days, girls usually did not move out of their parent’s homes until they were married. The three sisters share a bedroom (and one bed) in their parents’ home. In those days, brother and sisters all listened to and respected their parents. (At least it wasn’t unusual.) The sisters sat around the table together in the evening. It was their duty to write letters to the soldiers. Their time together was—you have...more
Mar 09, 2012
Tinkerbell - Blog MyImaginarium
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009
A minha Opinião:
Bem gostei tanto d’ O segredo de família, da autora, que decidi ler outro livro dela.
Quando estiveres triste sonha, é um livro que retrata como a guerra afecta todos, não só os que combatem activamente no campo de batalha mas também, as famílias, amigos e as comunidades envolventes. Nesta história temos uma família, em que duas raparigas, e irmãs, namoram com dois rapazes que se alistaram para combater na 2ª Guerra Mundial, com pensamentos ingénuos sobre o seu acto patriótico Jul...more
Bem gostei tanto d’ O segredo de família, da autora, que decidi ler outro livro dela.
Quando estiveres triste sonha, é um livro que retrata como a guerra afecta todos, não só os que combatem activamente no campo de batalha mas também, as famílias, amigos e as comunidades envolventes. Nesta história temos uma família, em que duas raparigas, e irmãs, namoram com dois rapazes que se alistaram para combater na 2ª Guerra Mundial, com pensamentos ingénuos sobre o seu acto patriótico Jul...more
Elizabeth Berg is one of my all time favorite authors, even though I am almost always a book behind her current book (only because it takes so long for them to show up in paperback). I'm pretty sure this book is only one behind, but now I'm mad that I waited so long to read it (and mad that I don't have the newest one to just pick up and move onto). Because it was lovely, just deep-sigh-of-contentment lovely. Although I see now that there have been some other reviewers who take issue with the en...more
This book is very different from what I would normally read and frankly, I can't remember how I came to own it. It's about an Irish Catholic family in Chicago during the the time of WWII focusing mostly on the 3 daughters ages 17 - 22. It opens with two of the daughters saying goodbye to their boyfriends at Union Station as they depart to serve in the war.
Although there were flaws in the book it did a very good job of bringing the reader back to that era and gave me a feeling for what it was lik...more
Although there were flaws in the book it did a very good job of bringing the reader back to that era and gave me a feeling for what it was lik...more
I'm so sad to rate this book by Elizabeth Berg so low as she is still one of my favorite authors, and sadly if this had been my first Berg book, I doubt I'd be reading another. I tried reading this book back in 2007 when it first came out, but couldn't get into it, still I thought I probably didn't give it enough of a try, so I was eager to read it this time. But it still took me forever to get through it. It didn't hold my interest, and then in addition to that, I had to read and re-read parts...more
Dream When You're Feeling Blue was awesome... until the last few chapters. The entire novel was written in a way that was really relatable and easy to get into. It was a story that, as I read the synopsis on the back, I at first thought would be very monotonous. However, Berg found ways to keep the plot fresh and alive with each chapter, which is why I really enjoyed it.
Kitty is a somewhat self-absorbed character, yet there is not doubt of how much she loves her family, especially her younger s...more
Kitty is a somewhat self-absorbed character, yet there is not doubt of how much she loves her family, especially her younger s...more
For most of the book, I felt the author had a good grasp of what it might have been like in the 1940's in wartime Chicago, my favorite city in the whole world. Then, sometimes I felt she was letting her 21st. century PCism interfere with attitudes from that time: e.g. unwed motherhood, which, more than likely, was highly scorned and steps were taken to hideaway a daughter, etc. Anyway, I realize and appreciate the great skill of the author and her ability to explain human feelings. Finally, when...more
A loving tale of the Heaney family in Chicago during WWII, in particular the sisters Louise, Kitty and Tish. Details of the wartime homefront include rationing, USO dances, women transitioning to work in defense industries, nightly letter-writing to soldiers. A touching look at the lives of young women growing and maturing as they overcome hardship. The family survives crises and celebrates triumphs together as the war progresses. The story incorporates famous Chicago institutions and landmarks...more
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Not my favorite of her novels. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE her style, her voice, her characters, and the way she writes. I love WHAT she writes, time and again!
The setting in this novel was very realistic in the beginning and middle. what happened during the war was spot-ON, and the characters were amazing. the research the author did for this time-period made me SO happy!
but... the ending was all wrong. there was NO WAY someone would make the decision one of the sisters did, not in real life.....more
The setting in this novel was very realistic in the beginning and middle. what happened during the war was spot-ON, and the characters were amazing. the research the author did for this time-period made me SO happy!
but... the ending was all wrong. there was NO WAY someone would make the decision one of the sisters did, not in real life.....more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Berg/Anne Tyler, Compare/Contrast | 1 | 11 | Jul 07, 2012 09:02am |
Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including We Are All Welcome Here, The Year of Pleasures, The Art of Mending, Say When, True to Form, Never Change, and Open House, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 2000. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, and Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for the ABBY Award in 1996. The w...more
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“Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.”
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“Just one look and then I knew that all I longed for long ago was you”
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