Book Review: The Moments Between Dreams
The Moments Between Dreams. Judith F. Brenner, Greenleaf Book Group Press, May 3, 2022, Paperback, 304 pages.
Review by Charles Kuner.
If you are looking for a novel that is relatable to the present-day struggles of ordinary people, allow me to recommend Judith F. Brenner's superb debut novel, The Moments Between Dreams. Though the book is a story of the 1940s and 50s, the issues and interpersonal relationships connect to our current times through concerns such as domestic violence, gender roles, disability discrimination, and the lasting scars of an epidemic (polio). Most importantly, the book examines the human need for self-determination. The Moments Between Dreams is emblematic of the saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same," and clearly shows that despite the progress we have made socially since the 1950's we are still struggling with many of the same issues, prejudices, and attitudes.
Brenner's use of a linear time-based approach allows the reader to connect the dots while also permitting a framework within which the reader can gain an understanding of complicated issues and attitudes. Indeed, the novel opens with a story that hits close to the experiences of disappointment between the dream and the reality of freedom in a restrictive and hierarchical world.
The story's protagonist and narrator, Carol, is a mother of two children: a boy (Tommy) and a girl (Ellie). Ellie has contracted polio and is in hospital isolation. Carol's husband Joe is about to head off to serve in WWII, but before he leaves, the reader is introduced to his impulsive and violent temper.
In addition to Joe's violent temper, Carol and Ellie are forced to contend with his entrenched traditionalist gender roles and his tender male ego. For instance, once when Tommy was helping to clear the table, Joe ordered his son to go outside, declaring that he would not allow his son to be "in the kitchen, with girls." Years later, Joe would allow his son to learn how to drive, a skill that he denied to both his wife and his daughter. Joe's temper and his misogyny are deeply rooted in his need to not only control but to dominate his family, a theme that only escalates as the novel unfolds.
Like many abused significant others, Carol had, at the time, no support system outside of her church, a church that ignored her physical safety and held her culpable for not making the "marriage work." Fortunately for Carol, she finds a friend in Sam Kozak, a reporter for the Sun-Times, and finally, she has someone to talk to who supports her.
Joe's violent and controlling nature caused their marriage to be unhappy and dysfunctional. There must be zero tolerance for such abuse and should have led to those around her to support and assist her in leaving Joe. Yet, until Sam, Carol had no one around her to support and assist her in leaving Joe. Instead, she was on her own facing both physical and psychological abuse from within and outwardly from the world at large, leaving her feeling as if, maybe, it was all her fault that the marriage was not working out.
Luckily for Carol, her experience with Sam allows her to realize that she has value which gives her the power to end the cycles of pain and loss. As Carol hides her bruises and does her best to protect and raise her children, she also manages to serve as a positive role model for them. Carol, despite her husband, empowers her daughter Ellie to pursue her dreams, teaching her that there is no limit, even for a disabled person. She even helps her son Tommy learn how to stop the familial cycles of gender violence and discrimination based upon traditional stereotypes of what men and women can or cannot do. Practicing what she preaches, Carol also begins to follow her own long-deferred dreams, eventually finding a path out of her dark and isolated place as she and her children learn to lean on one another for support.
Judith F. Brenner's writing style is smooth and easy, such that it keeps the story moving and invests the reader in the outcome. The language is vivid, sparse, and to the point, not wasting the reader's time. The dialogue is realistic as it is appropriate for each character and their individual stories and creates believable characters in their words and actions. They are people the reader will react to and perhaps identify with. They are not your typical cardboard cutouts but complicated, real people, both good and bad.
The relatively short chapters flow fluidly and help move both the events and the reader along on Carol's journey. The title, themes, issues, and the notes that begin and end the novel create a holistic and cathartic whole. The Moments Between Dreams sets the stage of time and place perfectly, as the author has clearly done her homework on Chicago's geographical, cultural, and historical background in the 1940s and 50s.
There is a supplement at the end of the book entitled "Resources" with contact information on organizations that support women and others who are or have been victims of domestic violence. These are hotlines and websites designed to offer the support and assistance that the 1940s and 50s denied Carol. One criticism of this section is that there are no resources offered to support those with disabilities since this novel does deal with such concerns in the person of Ellie.
The Moments Between Dreams is an ideal book for libraries and book clubs and deserving of group discussion. The book raises important themes and issues that would allow a book club to really sink their teeth in and ferment productive and actionable conversations. I also believe that this book should be read at the least with a friend or neighbor, for it really is worthy of conversation.
In summary, we can learn much from The Moments Between Dreams. We can learn to respect a spouse or significant other and their opinions. We can learn to trust our partners wholly and that trust is the most important part of a loving relationship. We can learn to be strong and allow our partners to be strong because this only strengthens our relationship by creating an environment of openness that allows an honest discussion of feelings. Most importantly, we can learn that we should be forgiving and open to criticism in our relationships and allow our partner's space to breathe when needed.
The author will host a hybrid zoom book launch on May 24. Details are on the website: https://judithfbrenner.com/events/