Dreams Are Forever

by William Hayes

About the It is 1956, and Dak Leventhal is a high school senior in a small, historic town nestled beside the Ohio River. When asked to pick a local topic to research for a term paper, he decides to explore the background of a long-abandoned mansion that sits just north of town. His best friend, Johnnie David, agrees to join him in sneaking into the old mansion where they find a secret room and some intriguing relics. However, shortly afterward, things begin to go very wrong. Dak receives anonymous threats, and someone attacks his dog. Dak is frightened but determined. Continuing with his investigation, he finds some rotten wooden planks peeking from an embankment along the river and wonders if they are old graves. Discovering a tie-in between the wooden planks, the mansion, and the Old Slave House, a plantation-like home that was used in the 1850s to house captured runaway slaves, Dak is shocked to learn that there has also been a more recent murder. While listening to The Platters in Johnnie David's junky old Ford, the two boys struggle to avoid someone who is trying to silence them while they untangle the mysteries they have stumbled onto. This gripping story takes place in Shawneetown, Illinois. The oldest town in the state and a gateway to the west, it is a little-known historic jewel. Hayes has explored its tragic history and the culture of the 1950s in this fun, and often moving, account of a principled and resolute young man coming of age while wrestling with some terrifying situations. About the William Hayes, a lover of history and writing, spent his childhood in the historic old town where this novel takes place. After receiving his Master's Degree in Physics from Northwestern University, he did a lot of writing of another kind as part of the team that put man on the moon, developed the Space Shuttle, and put the International Space Station in orbit. For that work, he received the NASA Public Service Medal. Along with his two sons and four grandchildren, he and his wife Jean make their home in Texas.

276 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2008

Reviews

[Happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Hayes has done a great job taking us back to our youth in Small Town America.
Having grown up in similar surroundings, I can relate very well to Dak and J.D.

He displays a talent that so many authors haven’t mastered, in that his story moves well and holds one’s interest until the end.

I wouldn’t hesitate to compare his work to that of Mark Twain and the boys to Tom and Huck.

A must read adventure.

[Bobbie Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping plot. every chapter has interesting facts, and full of suspense

[Norma]

Great book, must read for every young adult!