Rita Woods

Rita Woods' The Last Dreamwalker explores the complicated legacies of a Gullah family in which third daughters of third daughters are dreamwalkers: able to enter, experience, and alter the dreams of others. When the mother of central character Layla dies, Layla discovers she's a dreamwalker—as was her mother, who kept her gift hidden after abandoning her Gullah family. The ability to dreamwalk is dangerous, and dreamwalkers run the risk of pushing others' dreams too far, perhaps becoming trapped in them.

There's also a second living dreamwalker in the family. This woman, Charlotte, sees Layla as a threat to the family's ownership of their Gullah island and to Charlotte's personal safety. Almost immediately, Layla finds herself under attack by this much more experienced dreamwalker. The Last Dreamwalker is built around this struggle between Layla and Charlotte.

Woods does a complex and convincing bit of world-building in the first two-thirds of the novel. Readers, who know as little about dreamwalking as does Layla, learn alongside her—and face the threats of Charlotte's rage with her. Magic is afoot, a magic that is the legacy of a family of former slaves and their descendants.

The Last Dreamwalker came close to being a five-star read for me. What fell short was the novel's end, where a resolution that is not a resolution is less than convincing and leaves too many questions unanswered.

Did I enjoy The Last Dreamwalker? Yes. Would I recommend The Last Dreamwalker to others? Yes. But the pleasure lies in the gradual build of knowledge and action within the novel and not with its resolution. I'll have an eye out for what Woods writes next. The Last Dreamwalker has so much in it for readers to savor, and I'm trusting that Walkers' future books will allow readers to savor her work through to the very end.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (más)

Layla’s mother has recently passed away. They had a tumultuous relationship at best. So, when she discovers several secrets her mother kept hidden, Layla decides to learn more and do what her mother refused to do.

I so enjoyed the characters, especially the aunts. But, Layla is no slouch. She gets tougher and tougher as the novel moves along. I also loved reading about the Gulah-Geechee culture. Talk about a novel full of just about everything imaginable…this one has it all!

Now, to be honest…this book is out there…but is it really?!? I mean, dreams are weird. I am definitely still thinking about this. I am not a huge dreamer, but when I do dream…it is different and sometimes I visit with a few of my relatives, past and present. And this is pretty much what Layla encounters in her dreams. Except sometimes hers get violent and she ends up with bruises.

The narrator, Nedra Marie Taylor, is amazing. She had great voices for each of the characters and really made this story come to life!

Need a novel which will have you thinking…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.… (más)

After Layla's mother dies, her estranged aunts enter her life to tell her that she has inherited an island house that has been in her family for generations. In an alternate voice, we learn that the house was a former plantation signed over to a slave who used her magical ability to enter her master's dreams to obtain his property. In the present, Layla travels to the house she never knew about and is confronted by another relative who refuses to allow Layla entrance. As Layla gradually realizes her own dreamwalking powers, and becomes closer to her aunts, she claims her own place in this family of strong women along with her artistic self.… (más)

At first, this book seems like a fairly standard braided mutiple time period narrative, with a little magical realism thrown in. Then it takes a turn for the ... interesting, and I can see where comparison's to Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad come from, although Whitehead's imagination far outpaces Woods's.

Our braided narratives are about Gaelle (current time), Margot (1857), Abigail (starting in 1791), and Winter (starting in 1852). Margot's, Winter's, and Abigail's stories all come together in Remembrance, a very special town of freed blacks in Ohio. Their stories weave together to form a full picture of their lives and their need for Remembrance to protect them, and for them to protect Remembrance.

It is Gaelle's portion of the story that feels superfluous. In the end, I understood why Woods chose to incorporate a current day perspective, but her interpositions into the historical narrative felt intrusive, and the payoff wasn't equal to the promise.

Setting the current day portion of the story aside, though, this is a solid historical novel. Margot, Abigail, Winter, and their compatriots are all believable, well-written characters.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.… (más)