The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

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Gordon Dahlquist's debut novel is an epic tale that captures the attention of fans of literary fantasy. The story opens with Celeste Temple receiving a "Dear Jane" letter, signaling the end of her engagement. Driven by curiosity, she follows her fiancé to London, where she uncovers a hidden secret. Dahlquist shares the origins of this suspenseful literary romance in a note to readers. He recounts being selected for jury duty in 2004, coinciding with Martha Stewart's trial nearby. While he anticipated enjoying excellent lunches in Chinatown, a severe ice storm trapped jurors in the jury room for hours. During this time, he experienced a vivid dream involving a friend dressed as one of the novel's characters, Doctor Svenson, as they confronted a mystery in a dark Victorian building. Although he rarely remembers dreams, this one lingered, prompting him to write about a determined young woman from the West Indies whose fiancé has mysteriously abandoned her. By the end of the trial, he had crafted the first chapter. A playwright by trade, Dahlquist had not written prose fiction in nearly two decades but found himself captivated by the story and characters, ultimately dedicating himself to completing the book within a year.