Review: Land of Dreams by Kate Kerrigan

Land of Dreams

by Kate Kerrigan

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 336

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Set in 1940s Los Angeles, the compelling final installment in New York Times bestselling author Ellie Hogan’s sweeping immigrant trilogy begun in Ellis Island and City of Hope—a story of family, love, danger, and ambition in Hollywood during World War II.

Irish immigrant Ellie Hogan has finally achieved the American Dream. But her comfortable bohemian life on Fire Island, New York, is shattered when her eldest adopted son, Leo, runs away, lured by the promise of fortune and fame in Hollywood. Determined to keep her family intact, Ellie follows him west, uprooting her youngest son and long-time friend Bridie.

In Los Angeles, Ellie creates a fashionable new home among the city’s celebrities, artists, and movie moguls. She is also drawn into intense new friendships, including talented film composer Stan, a man far different from any she has ever met, and Suri, a beautiful Japanese woman and kindred spirit, who opens Ellie’s eyes to the injustices of her country.

While Leo is dazzled by Hollywood’s glitz, Ellie quickly sees that the golden glamour masks a world of vanity and greed. Though she tries to navigate them around the dangers of their new home, she will not be able protect them from an even more terrifying threat: war.

Kritters Thoughts:  Ellie Hogan has been living in America for quite some time and now she is a single mom of two boys and trying to raise them in the best way.  One of her boys has been thinking about a life in LA as an actor and decides to up and leave boarding school and head there on his own.  Ellie isn't happy with his decision and follows him there where they set up a home and help him follow this dream.

While the LA dream was the main storyline, I loved how the author weaved in other historical moments that were occurring at the same time and same place - the moments of Pearl Harbor and the effects from this time to the Japanese Americans.  I also loved the inclusion of the workings of early Hollywood and the invent of the actor's agent and how the studios were formed and their early workings.  

The one thing that I found super weird was the many mentions where Ellie had the money to live and not work.  I felt like as the reader I was reminded often as to where Ellie had acquired her money and why as a twice widowed woman she was able to live the way she did.  

The third in a series and unfortunately I hadn't read book one or two, but I felt like I could read this one on its own - it had enough content and thankfully the author provided a few moments of back story so I felt like I wasn't missing anything from the previous two.  My only debate is if I want to now go back and read book one or two, has anyone read book one or two?  

Rating: definitely a great read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.