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Animal Dreams
Animal Dreams
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
"Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Co...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780060921149
ISBN-10: 0060921145
Publication Date: 8/1/1991
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 500

4 stars, based on 500 ratings
Publisher: Perennial
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Readnmachine avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 1472 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
While less a tour de force than "Poisonwood Bible", this is still a powerful and engaging novel about memory and family and coming to terms with reality.
UALabGeek avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 46 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
I love all things Kingsolver and this was no exception. It's written in that style of her earlier stuff (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven)...great dialogue, memorable characters and the kind of casual profundity that makes a person wriggle with delight and think "I wish I'd said that first."

Cody Noline loses her beloved sister and soulmate to missionary work in Central America, finds herself having an existential crisis, and goes back to her childhood home of Grace, AZ, to hide out. She drifts into town, ostensibly to teach for a single year, but more than that to surround herself with her past.

I love Kingsolver's newer books, but they're heavier. Animal Dreams is light in the best sense of the word. It is populated with characters that you'd love to meet and is a story that makes you feel good about humanity. I wish these people were my neighbors.
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Codi Noline returns to the sleepy mining town of Grace, Arizona, to care for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is a bad time for her: disappointed in her personal life, she has closed down her emotions in defense against a heart that cares too easily. "I had quietly begun to hope for nothing at all in the way of love, so as not to be disappointed," she muses. In Grace, she finds friends, allies, and a love that endures. This strong second novel confirms the promise shown in The Bean Trees (LJ 2/1/88), a deserved critical and commercial success. Kingsolver's characters are winners, especially the women, who take charge of life without fuss or complaint. Her novel compares to those of Ann Tyler in its engaging people and message that is upbeat but realistic. Kingsolver's dedication to complex social and environmental causes enriches the story line. Highly recommended
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 41 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I loved Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer but this book really did not do much for me. I didn't really get into the characters or the story at all.
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
After a while Barbara Kingsolver's books seem to all read alike. This happened to be the fourth of her books that I read. Unfortunately, it had nothing new.
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Sianeka avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 114 more book reviews
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.

Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Sianeka avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 114 more book reviews
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.

Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Sianeka avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 114 more book reviews
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.

Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
bookgoddessme avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 106 more book reviews
Excellent tale with interesting characters that I really grew to love. Love this author's fiction work. Barbara's tales are set in magical locations in the American Southwest, but characters take us on adventures way beyond. An uplifting and beautiful story. Recommend!
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 6 more book reviews
"Animals dream about the thins they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 11 more book reviews
This author creates really deep characters. It was very thought provoking. I enjoyed it!
thewritetouch avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 5 more book reviews
Once again Barbara Kingsolver snags me into her writing and I can't stop until I reach the end. This mystery is full of twists and turns and just when you're pretty sure you've figured out where she is headed, she jumps in with something unexpected. I liked The Poinsonwood Bible because of the character development, but Animal Dreams is a close 2nd in my opinion.
reviewed Animal Dreams on + 24 more book reviews
I picked up this book because of the title. It was a good book, but it had nothing to do with the title. There were only a couple references to what a dog dreams about, other than that it was a story about a young woman who goes back to the town she grew up in. It was enjoyable reading even though it turned out to be completely different than what I expected.
Sianeka avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 114 more book reviews
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.

Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Sianeka avatar reviewed Animal Dreams on + 114 more book reviews
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.

Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.


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