Pieces of Dreams

Dean Tudor is a journalism professor at the Ryerson Polytechnical
Institute and founding editor of the CBRA.

Allen, who now lives in Connecticut, has written another popular novel, one that is certain to find favour with her many fans. (She published her first novel in 1976.)

Pieces of Dreams is made up of two alternating stories. The first, set in the United States, deals with a woman’s survival of a near-fatal car crash. As a result of the accident, she is badly disfigured and needs much reconstructive surgery on her face. The second story, set in England, is about an artist who is slowly becoming an alcoholic and whose wife and children die in a plane crash. Both characters show inability to come to terms with themselves. On page 228, they meet in Canada.

The first two-thirds of the book is a bit depressing, while the last third is unbelievably romantic — for, of course, they fall madly in love. Martin is very reminiscent of the Alan Bates character in the movie An Unmarried Woman, and Caley exhibits a strength of character that is rare in someone as young as she is. There is a lot of detail here on settings and on plot advancement, but little on real character development. The stock players could prove to be most effective in a made-for-television movie.