Dream Country

January 1, 2001
A compelling plot and nuanced character portrayals contribute to the emotional impact of Rice's ninth novel, a transcendent story about the power of hope and family love. Daisy Tucker has built a comfortable life with her 16-year-old daughter, Sage, in Silver Bay, Conn., where she has gained a reputation for designing jewelry that seems to have inspirational powers. Combining artistry with her knowledge of Native American myths and legends, Daisy creates pieces that bring people together, heal wounds and serve as talismans. But no combination of gemstones and carved animal bones can assuage the pain in Daisy's life. Sage's twin brother, Jake, disappeared in the wild country of Wyoming during a cattle roundup 13 years ago, when he was three. Fleeing the scene of tragedy with her daughter, Daisy left her husband, James, behind at his family cattle ranch and moved to New England to be close to her sister, Hathaway. Now Daisy faces another crisis when a pregnant Sage runs away with her boyfriend, Ben, intent on a new life with her father at the ranch. Ben has second thoughts and decides to return home, so Sage heads on alone. Hitchhiking leads to danger, and a mysterious, tattooed teenager rescues Sage and agrees to drive her to Wyoming. Daisy joins James in Wyoming, where another teenager, calling himself "The Guardian," is stalking the ranch. Rice (Cloud Nine) creates believable dramatic tension about Jake's true fate, though the suspense lies mainly in whether the other characters will realize what has become of him. Though she overdoes the sentimentality, her fans always welcome the family values her stories celebrate. Author tour. (Jan. 30) Forecast: Among writers of women's fiction, Rice has a loyal following based on her ability to place realistic characters in atmospheric backgrounds and crisis situations. Cloud Nine became a bestseller in paperback, and its popularity could carry over to sales of this novel, which will enjoy national TV advertising on the Lifetime network and print advertising in a variety of venues.

October 1, 2000
Daisy finds happiness in Wyoming until her three-year-old son disappears near the family's ranch. Now, after 13 years, she is chasing his errant twin sister back to the land and the husband she deserted in her despair.

Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2000
The love between jewelry maker Daisy and her husband, rancher James Tucker, seemed so strong that James' father called them snow geese after the birds who mate for life. But love was not enough to keep them together after Jake, one of their three-year-old twins, disappeared during a roundup. Thirteen years after their divorce, Daisy returns to Wyoming after their pregnant daughter, Sage, ran away from her home on the East Coast, heading for the ranch. Along the route, Sage is rescued from a pervert intent on rape by a tattooed young man, who also rescues dogs from puppy mills and kittens from predators. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a psycho called the "Guardian" is mutilating cattle and plotting against the Tuckers. Will James and Daisy reconcile? Will Sage arrive safely? Will James' dad make an honest woman out of his live-in lover of 28 years? Is Jake still alive? Best-selling author Rice once again delivers a wonderfully complex and full-bodied romance, this time working in some Joy Fielding-like suspense. Sage's cross-country coming-of-age tale, the Tucker patriarch's advancing frailty, and the vividly depicted Wyoming Wind River Mountain landscape combine with the difficulties faced by two adults who need to learn to love again to create a story so real it will be deeply etched into the hearts of its readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)