Dreaming Maples

by Claudia Ricci

A baby born under a Renoir painting at an art museum? That's one of the climactic scenes from Dreaming Maples, a mother/daughter story that follows bohemian artist Candace Burdett as she attempts to prove a point: that she can do a better job as a mother than her own mother, Eileen. But despite her good intentions, adolescent Candace quickly learns a lesson: she has more of her mother inside her than she cares to admit. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, this mesmerizing first novel weaves Candace's harrowing story around the painfully honest diaries kept by Eileen during her own pregnancy with Candace, reminding readers that heartbreaking family dramas makes circles around each other, wreaking havoc in successive generations. In the end, Candace finds herself in her grandmother Audrey's Vermont sugar maple forest, fighting life and death decisions, and it is there that she finally has to come to terms with her terror, and her mother. Together, these powerfully drawn characters plunge toward an ending that will keep readers spellbound.

427 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Claudia Ricci, Ph.D., is an American Author, an influential and seasoned writer of literary fiction, and an accomplished painter.

Claudia is a former writer for The Wall Street Journal and a prize-winning reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She published her first novel, Dreaming Maples, in 2002 after being nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Seeing Red, her second novel, was released in January 2011, with the e-book version now released Oct. 2002 and Sister Mysteries in 2018. Her new book will be released in the Fall of 2022 titled 'Pearly Everlasting.' Her novels are available on Amazon and featured as her subsequent titles on fine literary sites.

Ricci's short fiction has been published in numerous literary magazines nationwide, including Alaska Quarterly Review, North Dakota Quarterly, Bayou, Yemassee, Barkeater, The Adirondack Review, The MacGuffin, and Another Chicago Magazine. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in The New York Times, Business Week, Parents magazine, the Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.

Ricci earned her Ph.D. in English (Teaching, Writing, and Criticism) from the University at Albany, SUNY, in 1996. She taught English, journalism, and creative writing at the University for 14 years and did a year-long teaching sabbatical at Georgetown University in 2009.

Claudia enjoys reading good books, traveling, canoeing and painting when she is not writing; she and her husband reside in North Egremont, Massachusetts.

(Her abstract paintings are on view on her site: https://www.claudiariccipaintings.com.

Reviews

[Pat Ingellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the right book for this time in my life and that has probably influenced the rating and the review. Ricci writes well and creates a vibrant community of characters the reader comes to care deeply about. You are immediately drawn to these people. The second section is a. It drawn out, but up reflection Candace's journey Ned's this specs to evolve. Mental illness is not something quickly described and dispatched.

The fact that it is also set in my community was just one more reason to enjoy the tale, I would say this is a must read especially in the doldrums of March. Just an aside. Read and enjoy.