Dreamland

A Novel

By: Nicholas Sparks

Narrated by: Austin Nichols, Thérèse Plummer, Nicholas Sparks

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twist you won’t see coming. A love story you’ll never forget. From the acclaimed author of The Notebook comes a powerful novel about risking everything for a dream—and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind.

A POPSUGAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

We don’t always get to choose our paths in life; sometimes they choose us.

After fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, Tommie, Beverly is attempting to create a new life for them in a small town off the beaten track. Despite their newfound freedom, Beverly is constantly on guard: she creates a fake backstory, wears a disguise around town, and buries herself in DIY projects to stave off anxiety. But her stress only rises when Tommie insists he’d been hearing someone walking on the roof and calling his name late at night. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true. . . .

Meanwhile, Colby Mills is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. A failed musician, he now heads a small family farm in North Carolina. Seeking a rare break from his duties at home, he spontaneously takes a gig playing in a bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he meets Morgan Lee—and his whole life is turned upside-down.

The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.

In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.

Critic reviews

“Sparks has the magic touch.”—USA Today

“The love that [Sparks] writes and conveys to the reader, and the intricacy of his stories is captivating. . . . These characters feel like people you know in real life—people chasing dreams while maintaining their responsibilities and the tangible parts of life that chain us to reality. . . . The perfect summer read.”—BookTrib

“From this singular work it’s clear that [Sparks] . . . continues to hone his craft.”—The Cullman Times

“Another fantastic work of Nicholas Sparks, combining elements of finding true love with pursuing one’s dreams, along with hidden family secrets and mental health issues. The author brilliantly presents an idea of a dreamland being not only a wonderful vacation destination, but a person’s state of mind and worldview, as well.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star

“Woven throughout is a suspenseful subplot . . . beautiful, heartbreaking . . . [Sparks's] empathetic characters and their down-to-earth personalities make it easy to get immersed in this world. Readers who love epic romantic sagas will want to snap this up.”—Publishers Weekly

“Sparks's latest appealing novel is filled with plenty of serious situations among the dreams and romance and rewards with a satisfyingly hopeful ending.”—Booklist

Slow start but worth the wait

I spent months struggling to get into this book. I finally told myself to just keep listening. The story line has a twist that almost feels like a thriller. It ended up being absolutely amazing. I would give it 5 stars but the slow start made me drop it to 4

well worth the listen

This is another great book by Nicholas Sparks. Although it is not his best book, I enjoyed it immensely.

worth listening to

loved it, hated having to turn it off to do adult things like work!

Love!!!!

Absolutely Loved! I would love to see this one made into a movie. I became very emotionally invested in these characters.

Best book ever!

An incredible story with an incredible narrator! I could not stop listening. Absolutely loved it! All of it.