By Imani Nyame
This article was originally published in the Washington Independent Review of Books here.
“Some stories walk right off the page. They meander down a dark street like drunken men. At the water’s edge they take off their clothes and fold them carefully…When the shelf gives way they begin to swim…You shade your eyes and watch as they disappear into the smear between land and sea. Then all you have is a pile of old clothes and memory.”
– Minrose Gwin
Beautiful dreamers are ordinary. They’re everyday people clinging desperately to utopian ideals of justice, the promise of sweet limerence with a passionate lover, and any semblance of possible escape. But even the ordinary among us can learn extraordinary lessons, and they do in Minrose Gwin’s Beautiful Dreamers. A coming-of-age tale set in the 1950s, the novel unfolds through the eyes of Memory (“Mem”) Feather, a young girl with a withered hand who navigates the complexities of life as she tumbles into womanhood.
At the heart of Mem’s journey is her mother, Virginia. From good Southern stock, Virginia initially follows the prescribed path: She marries the love of her life, a decorated Air Force pilot, and has a baby. But things take an unexpected turn when her husband abandons them both for a far-off French paramour, and Virginia is left to rebuild their lives, starting in a musty room at the El Camino Motel in Mexico. Her determination to make it on her own is admirable but borders on negligence, forcing Mem to find solace in the blissful ignorance of childhood, even as Virginia struggles to keep them afloat.
This fragile existence comes to an abrupt end when a friend intervenes, alerting Mem’s grandparents to the situation. Soon, she and Virginia find themselves along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Belle Cote, Virginia’s hometown, where they reconnect with the lively, queer Mac McFadden, Virginia’s lifelong friend and part of her chosen family. Together, the three form an unconventional household, defying the conservative South as they walk the fine line between rebellion and privilege, embodying the complexities of white saviors who, despite their inherited wealth, sincerely strive to challenge the status quo.
Food plays a grand role in the narrative, serving as a marker for the events that push the story forward. From fried green tomatoes to fresh-shucked oysters and bread pudding, the flavors of the Mississippi Delta enrich the proceedings, grounding the characters’ experiences in the cultural tapestry of the South.
Mem herself spends considerable time in the kitchen, trying to escape her mother’s bean casseroles. Virginia, youthful and spirited, is as much a child as she is a parent, so Mem often assumes a caretaking role. It seems all the adults in her life are searching for something elusive, something more. Mem, however, believes she holds it all in her disfigured hand, which she affectionately calls her “paw.” Through it, she receives messages from plants and animals, adding a mystical layer to the tale (though, arguably, the narrative would flow just as well without it). At her side, her sassy, loyal cat, Minerva — named after the Roman goddess of justice and wisdom — provides the objectivity the passionate humans around her often need.
Things take a significant turn when Tony Amato, the beautiful dreamer himself, enters the picture. Tony’s devilish charm sets off a chain of events that disrupts the delicate balance of their unusual family. Despite Minerva’s warnings, Mem is unable to gain control of the situation. Soon, Virginia and Mac fall under Tony’s spell, excusing his extravagant lies in exchange for the fleeting escape those untruths provide. When an unexpected alliance emerges among them, nothing will ever be the same.
Beautiful Dreamers is a delightful yet melancholy read, a deceptively ordinary story that nonetheless leaps off the page and lingers when it’s over. Gwin invites readers to immerse themselves in the tantalizing meridional world of Belle Cote and witness a young girl’s journey toward adulthood — a journey as enchanting as it is bittersweet.
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