THE DREAM LOVER

George Sand's scandalous and passionate life is the subject of Berg's gorgeous historical novel. Narrator Emily Sutton-Smith captures Sand's amorous nature as well as her artistic genius. The listener gets a good sense of just how subversive Sand truly was in dressing as a man, smoking cigars, and having one love affair after another with an actress and a number of famous men. This novel also serves as a good overview of the Parisian artistic elite of the time as everyone who was anyone who was not a lover of George Sand was, at least, her acquaintance. The story never becomes a mere cavalcade of artistic heavyweights, however. Berg's poetic prose and Sutton-Smith's strong performance ensure that it remains fascinating and emotionally involving listening. J.L.K. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2015]