Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I have a wonderfully wicked surprise for you! This morning, I am featuring an author I was meant to read when this novel first published – as the publisher sent me an ARC copy of the novel. However, due to health afflictions & life as it evolved that particular year, I unfortunately never had the chance to finish reading it! Shifting forward – I put in a request for the audiobook at my regional library which was accepted and for this lovely blog tour, I not only resumed whence I had left off with the story *but!* I also listened to the audiobook version my library thankfully purchased for me!
Mind – the audiobook is quite popular and I had to wait for it to come back round to me in order to complete it for this tour, as well! I am thankful I originally knew about it via the publisher as it made accepting hosting this blog tour for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours quite a bit easier!
The reason reading ”The Lost History of Dreams” appealled to me:
After reading “Once Upon A River”, I felt I have a good knowledge of the direction this Gothic tale might spin and it is such a unique premise, I felt it would be an interesting and captivating read. I wish there had been a Discussion Guide or Author Interview attached to this page for the book as I thoroughly enjoyed reading those for the former title. However, what was revealled seemed to fit my reading tastes as best as I could tell.
Being an appreciator of Forensic stories – either through medical examiner dramas on television such as Quincy, M.E.; Crossing Jordan; Murdoch Mysteries; NCIS & NCIS: NOLA or through narrative fiction such as the Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber – I am drawn into stories which centre round the examination of the dead. This is one of two stories I found by #newtomeauthors this year – the second, is “The Undertaker’s Assistant” by Amanda Skenandore – whilst I look forward to continuing my readings of the Lady Darby series as well.
This particular story offered an interesting approach to the context of the subject being explored – as it is not through the lens of the ME we’re focusing through but rather the photographer of the dead instead. Quite a curious leap I felt, as I knew there were photographs of the 19th Century which parlayed into this particular field – of where families wanted an after death reminder of the person they loved – the photographs in this instance are not for the examination of a crime or the cause of the deceased’s demise but rather a fitting tribute to the person who once lived.
In this instance, I felt Waldherr had a wickedly original plot and I was most compelled to seek it out to read! I was very grateful to be amongst the book bloggers who received this novel and I couldn’t wait to uncover the mysterious answers to the unique questions which would become alive as I read the story!
The Lost History of Dreams
by Kris Waldherr
Source: Direct from Publisher, Scribd | Audiobook Subscription
Narrator: Fiona Hardingham, Matthew Lloyd Davies
All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.
When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams.
However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.
As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.
Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781982101015
ASIN: B07L3D1L3F
Published by Atria Books
on 9th April, 2019
Format: Audiobook | Digital, Paperback ARC
Length: 12 hours and 12 minutes (unabridged)
Published By: Published By: Atria Books (@AtriaBooks)
{imprint of} Simon & Schuster (@simonschuster)
Converse via: #LostHistoryOfDreams, #HistNov and #HistFic
+ #Gothic #HistoricalMystery or #GothicSuspense
Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook & Ebook
About Kris Waldherr
Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers. Kris Waldherr works and lives in Brooklyn in a Victorian-era house with her husband, the anthropologist-curator Thomas Ross Miller, and their young daughter.
Photo Credit: Robert Presutti
What originally drew you into stories which are set within a Gothic thematic and/or a historical background? What do you love most about the aesthetics of both and what makes them distinctive in your mind from your own reading perspective?
Waldherr responds: I love both! To my mind, Gothic novels are about emotion (in particular, what I call the two D’s: Dread and Desire), while historicals are about context. As a child, I spent a lot of times reading Victoria Holt, the Bronte’s, and du Maurier for their Gothic sensibility as well as their vivid sense of time and place. ] I suppose it was natural that I would harken back to these early inspirations when I wrote The Lost History of Dreams. I also love exploring how my characters are influenced by history; a major theme in Lost History is how women are constrained by societal expectations for their gender.
Your favourite overall novel is Jane Eyre – why did you classify it as ‘Feminist ur-text’ and why do you think it has endured a passionate following with readers all these centuries forward? Is there a particular scene you’ve appreciated the most which sums up your own passion for the story?
Waldherr responds: I consider Jane Eyre the feminist ur-text because Jane dares to have an inner life containing hopes and dreams that conflict with what society would expect; when it was first published in 1847, this was considered rather shocking. I’m convinced the popularity of the book is due to the integrity and spirit of Jane’s character; from the very first scene, it’s clear Jane is not going to be like other Victorian heroines we’ve read.
For example, when Jane asked by Mr. Brocklehurst what she must do to avoid hell, she replies, “I must keep in good health, and not die.” As far as favorite scenes, how can one resist the proposal scene in the garden? it also contains my favorite quote, which I know is a favorite of many: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you.” (Go, Jane, go!)
When it came to researching Lost History what sources did you pull from to gain the identifying markers readers would notice about how you’ve set its world-building behind the lives of your characters? How did you want the texture of the historical constructs to read and feel to readers?
Waldherr responds: Though I read a lot for my research, I found travel to be the most helpful in terms of world building. I can’t really write a book in depth until I’ve personally experienced the landscape and architecture surrounding my characters. I especially love walking in their footsteps, getting those sense memories. While writing The Lost History of Dreams, I took several research trips to England and France, which were invaluable.
What was the most challenging bit of undertaking writing Lost History in the method of the craft you took on from your love of Diane Setterfield’s style of stitching in ‘a story within a story’? Was it hard to balance the layers or did you find a hidden rhythm where they all folded together and expanded in the ways you envisioned?
Waldherr responds: It was extremely tricky! I knew from the beginning I wanted The Lost History of Dreams to have a nested story structure akin to Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale and A.S.Byatt’s Possession. After several experiments, I ended up writing each story-line separately, then combining them into one document using Scrivener.
One story-line is written in a close third person, the second in a more omniscient point of view that occasionally breaks the fourth wall. Finally, I revised the novel for pacing, plot, and tension—I needed to have each story-line hand off to each other in a way that felt organic. I also made a spreadsheet diagramming the two timelines, to keep all the details straight.
When it comes to post-mortem photography – how did you initially discover this process and what did you find most fascinating about the history of its use? Did anything shock you from your research?
Waldherr responds: Much of my interest in post-mortem photography, as well as Victorian mourning rituals, was spurred by the unexpected death of my mother-in-law in 2009. Victorian mourning rituals included hanging fabric over mirrors to prevent souls becoming trapped in the glass, and braiding locks of hair into jewelry; unlike flesh, hair never decays, proving the departed once lived. However, Louis Daguerre’s 1839 invention of the first commercially available method of photography offered bereaved Victorians a new way to memorialize their dead. These photographs were displayed in albums just as we now display prom or wedding pictures. In terms of shock, I was surprised to learn that how the daguerreotypists would use teaspoons to adjust the focus of the corpse’s eyes—something I definitely find a bit disquieting.
I love that you sought out to etch in some Light within Lost History – for those more sensitive readers what can you share about the darker edges where the story tucks out of the Light and highlights the other side of the story itself? How dark did you want it to go, and how did you bridge the two ‘light vs dark’ as you were writing the scenes?
Waldherr responds: I’m glad you liked the light within the dark! It was very tricky to find that balance. Initially, I feared the book was going to be incredibly dark—after all, I was writing about a post-mortem photographer who’d suffered a devastating loss! Luckily, the story that unspooled while I wrote grew into something a lot more hopeful than I expected. Ultimately, The Lost History of Dreams is intended as a parable about how we can heal from past sorrows.
What was the key reason you wanted to base Lost History on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, for those not recognising the origins of that myth?
Waldherr responds: The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favorites—so romantic and tragic! It also offers a potent warning about the dangers of living in the past; after all, if Orpheus hadn’t looked back to check on his wife, he’d have been able to hold onto her. In addition, some of my favorite works of art were inspired by Orpheus: Jean Cocteau’s film Orphée, the musical Hadestown, and even Hitchcock’s great thriller Vertigo.
Of all your gathered research on photography – did you collect any vintage cameras or new cameras which still operate in a vintage styling of photography? I was curious if you tried any techniques of crafting pictures that is non-traditional in your pursuit of seeking the 19th Century processes? In lieu of that – what do you love most about taking your own photos and aligning your muse through the lens?
Waldherr responds: I did not collect any vintage cameras or take any classes, though I’d wanted to. In lieu of this, I visited the George Eastman Museum of Photography in Rochester, which was a treasure trove of cameras and equipment, and consulted Louis Daguerre’s technical writings. I also read widely and watched instructional videos from the Eastman Museum. I do love using my iPhone for photography, and really enjoy the TinType app, which allows me to create photographs that have a decidedly 19th century aesthetic.
Which character in Lost History was the most challenging, and which secondary character did you enjoy the most?
Waldherr responds: Isabelle, the teller of the “story-within-a-story”, was the most challenging to write, though also the most rewarding. She’s such a trickster! I loved writing her narrative voice, which was so world-weary yet poetic. As far as secondary characters, I had a lot of fun with Grace, the maid. She was so lighthearted compared to the rest of my cast; comic relief if you will.
What were your first thoughts when you heard the narrators Matthew Lloyd Davies and Fiona Hardingham bring your story to life? What did you enjoy most about their performances?
Waldherr responds: My first thought was of immense gratitude that my publisher chose them as narrators! Matthew read the chapters that featured my protagonist, Robert; Fiona read the chapters associated with Isabelle, who tells the “story within a story.” They’re both such incredibly talented actors. I really enjoyed the nuance they brought to their characters, the sense of mystery.
Do you regularly listen to audiobooks? If so, what kinds of stories do you gravitate towards and which narrators do you enjoy listening to the most?
Waldherr responds: I must admit I don’t listen to audiobooks. I live in NYC and work at home—I think if I lived somewhere that I had to commute, it would be a very different story. That said, I’ve heard wonderful things about the audiobook for Daisy Jones and the Six, which my friend Elise Hooper recommended to me. One day!
When you’re not researching, writing or creating art – what renews your spirit the most?
Waldherr responds: I love listening to music, traveling, and spending time with my family and our Bengal cat, Finnick, who has quite the social media following! My daughter is a “theater kid”, so I’ve really grown to appreciate musical theater: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown. I also love spending time in my garden, where I grow lilies, herbs, and lilacs. I even write out there in warm weather!
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{SOURCES: Book cover for “The Lost History of Dreams”, book synopsis, author biography and author photograph of Kris Waldherr as well as the HFVBT badge, blog tour banner and “The Lost History of Dreams” promo banner were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Audiobook sampler of “The Lost History of Dreams” was provided by embed codes provided by SoundCloud. Book Trailer provided by embed codes provided by YouTube. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2020.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
.@joriestory ?NEW #Interview
feat. @kriswaldherr & #TheLostHistoryOfDreams!?#GothicSuspense
?A LOVE story OR a GHOST story or both?
?Notes about the #audiobook
?How this relates to Orpheus & Eurydice??https://t.co/DJGR8vWso5
?#HistFic #bookbloggers | #writingcommunity pic.twitter.com/nHYD9TEpFh— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ?? (@joriestory) March 25, 2020
What a great interview! I am reading this book now and it’s phenomenal! Thank you for hosting the blog tour, Jorie!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours