Living the Dream

by Isabelle Dupuy

In love and happy, with a marriage that back home in Colombia people would kill for, Tom and Naomi Barnes, pursue their dream of prosperity and the perfect family in a London brimming with opportunity.

While Tom works long hours for a super-hedge fund, Naomi becomes the ghostwriter for fellow prep school mum and Haitian immigrant Solange Wolf with whom she shares parallel lives. Tom becomes increasingly successful and soon the family are living the dream. But as money and prestige increase, Naomi can’t shake the paranoia that comes from accelerated wealth and a culture of maledicion.

When Solange suddenly announces that the manuscript they have been working on was all based on secrets and lies, Naomi, whose own life is beginning to unravel, starts to doubt not only Solange’s grasp on reality but her own and she begins to seriously question the very foundation of her love and marriage to Tom, with devastating consequences.

Genres: Fiction

248 pages, Hardcover

Published November 21, 2019

Reviews

[BookOfCinz Reading Retreat Host · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise but lacked follow through

Reading about two women from Cartagena and Haiti who are married to investment bankers living in London and how they made a life for themselves was very interesting. It lost me when the women basically lost themselves in the life they think they deserve vs. the one they want.

Also I thought the author time hopping did nothing for the book and it would have been better had it been chronological.

[Anne Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt so mixed up reading this book - for sections of it I kept thinking I'm really not interested in these people, and certainbly not in reading about them ...
but then as the novel gets more intricate, other things become important that are not just about luxury, wealthy London life and investment bankers wives
so I went up and down liking, intrigued and losing interest throughout.
On balance I found it uncomfortable but a very powerful read.
The story is of 2 Black women (one Columbian and one Haitian) married to wealthy white men in London, who meet at a posh private prep school for their children .......
And I do question why I am more intersdted in reading about people of misfortune than people wioth wealth - there is no guarantee that either is happier of course....
this book made me think about me quite a lot

[Kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pas sûr d’avoir tout compris surtout la partie sur Haïti et la fin ouverte mais pas vraiment.

Belle plume c’est facile à lire et surtout on s’attache rapidement à Naomi équipe mérite tout le bonheur du monde reine intersidéral

for work

[Dmp3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part I really enjoyed reading this book, but I found the ending so unsatisfactory. Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see the point of there being excerpts of Solange's story, as it didn't have any real bearing on the main thread of the book. Why couldn't Solange's story be Naomi's story instead? It was disjointed as we have Solange's background story, but Naomi's present story, and the former has just a few excerpts dotted through the book and doesn't come together with the main story in the end. I wasn't well when I read it so maybe I did miss a big reveal, please somebody let me know if I did! As things stand I think it was an odd decision for the Haitian background not being Naomi's so we have her history and present given the focus her character warrants.

[J B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle Dupuy’s Living The Dream is a masterpiece. Her writing is powerful, thrilling and engrossing. An absolutely clever mirror maze , interweaving deep plotting and immense characterisation. Isabelle’s writing makes the mundane, the everyday feels epic, expansive.

Living the Dream is an intelligent, relentless ride. A must read, and if you don’t fall in love with Naomi (the narrator)... you have not soul left in your bones.

[Rachel Riddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely exquisite.

Dupuy is Evaristo-esque in her ability to capture the emotional and psycho-spiritual development of women through her characters.
She covers various themes through the twists and turns of her story - including immigration, race, class, society and gender roles.
A beautiful but poignant portrayal of a “privileged” life in London... with a multitude of lessons for women: both old and young.

[Lynn Bartels O'Neill Beam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Moral Codes

Astonishing story. Was having a fortune worthy? A light touch of magic or subtle poison? Red eyes, a three story yacht, posh schools for young children, tied to an iPhone, Haitian under/pinnings. An erratic theme and beautifully structured novel. I’m on my second reading.

[Catherine Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Columbian woman, British husband full of love for each other until husband's relentless pursuit of wealth comes first. His wealth dream leads to shocking consequences.

A gripping but painful story.

[Nicoletta · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Living the dream" is a good book, it follows the quite clichèd life of a couple rising in the social hierarchy. As you would expect, they find wealth and lose love, the main character is interesting and the focus on her feelings are painfully real.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting read and enjoyed most of it. However I found the end really disappointing. After everything she had been through, I just found it frustrating, but I enjoyed reading about people's different backgrounds and their journeys.

[Carol Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting first novel but I found it slightly disjointed.

[Caitlin Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/10 ending

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely not my thing - cannot relate but not objectively terrible

[Georgia Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my usual choice of genre. Found I kept switching between being confused, a bit bored and then suddenly really reflecting on the main character’s situation.

[Lauren Harvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 was hooked until I got over halfway, and then my focus were gone. I was bored.
The start was so good that I didn't want to give up on it and but the end was so frustrating. After everything that had happened, not only was I expecting more, I wanted more. I wanted there to be more for her as the character, but myself as the reader. At the halfway point I was ready to give up 3 stars, the problem was instead of getting better it just got worse.
There was no improvement and that bothers me.
Would I recommend? Annoyingly, no. the premise is great but it doesn't make you (the reader) feel any different from reading it. I want a story that is going to change the way I feel, I want it to enhance my emotions and standards that are surrounding the book, topics and ideology.