Overheard in a Dream

by Torey L. Hayden

Book Overview

Bestselling author Torey Hayden's novel is a fascinating study of a fractured family, a troubled child, and a psychiatrist's attempts to rescue them.

Conor, aged nine, arrives in the play therapy room of child psychiatrist James Innes with the diagnosis "autistic". His mother Laura, an aloof, enigmatic novelist, can't handle him. His rancher father, embroiled in divorcing Laura, does not feel there is anything wrong with Conor.

His...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0007260938
• ISBN13: 9780007260935
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 466 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Nothing is Real

Child therapist James, divorced father of two is nonplussed upon meeting his 9-year-old client, Conor McLachlan. Diagnosed with autism at 2, Conor's speech remains negligible and he is inordinately attached to a stuffed cat. He also insists on coming equipped with wirelike attachments fastened around his waist. His sister Morgana, 6 appears to have some understanding of Conor's cryptic form of communicating. James is equally nonplussed by Conor's mother, Laura Deighton. A renknowned author, Laura is initially described as distant, but proves to be anything but. Her marriage is at an unstable point, although the husband Alan, takes an active part in the childrens' lives. Conor approaches treatment as cautiously as he appears to approach life in general. He uses his stuffed cat as a "scanner" and often talks through it. Clearly bright, Conor reads labels and correctly identifies each object in the playroom. He expresses his fears which center around a "ghost man" under his rug; death and finding trees on the moon. He identifies this place as "terria," which has the Latin root for "earth." It makes readers wonder if it is the world in general the boy finds frightening. Over time, James learns more about Conor's cryptic view of the world. On an eerie note, Conor's mother reveals a paracosm she created as a child. Her paracosm, or "parallel fantasy world" was quite involved with highly developed characters; language and society. The era in which her paracosm, or "parallel world" is set appears to be a pre-Christian era or possibly the early 1000s, the days of Viking raids. Torgon, a carter's daughter elevated to holy status was the figure with whom Laura most identified. Indeed, Torgon and the Forest World in which she lived became deeply enmeshed in Laura's own life. The paracosm is as wide-spread as the Forest in which it is set and involves many people. James has his work cut out for him. He, his two children, Becky, 8 and Mikey 4-5, become involved with Laura and her family. Their children play together and in time, they all develop the tools they need to see the Forest for the trees. This book makes me think of the Beatles' 1967 classic "Strawberry Fields," when John Lennon sang, "Strawberry Fields, nothing is real and nothing to get hung about, Strawberry Fields Forever." Readers are left to determine for themselves what is "real" to the characters and what is "metaphysically" or "intrinsically" real to them. Readers might also view this as a bit of a philosophical book. This is an excellent work of fiction that has been created from a gifted and fertile imagination. This is an unusual novel in the sense that it incorporates many elements of good fantasy, such as those of Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea quadrilogy. It is always a real treat to see authors being given a chance to spread their literary wings and soar into different genres instead of being boxed into only one.