Reviews for Dreamers of the Day

This atmospheric entrée into a bygone time and place provides a first-person peek into the international political machinations that forged the contemporary Arab world. A natural for book-club discussions. Booklist

A remarkably vivid account of a woman’s accidental witness to history as she encounters Churchill and T.E. Lawrence in Cairo, where in 1921 they redrew the map of the Middle East… Russell triumphs on many levels: She crafts a solid interpretation of the event, creates in Agnes an engaging narrator and, in no small sense, offers a fine piece of travel writing as we follow Agnes down the Nile. An inspired fictional study of political folly. Kirkus Reviews

Rapturous and relevant… A wonderful story that brings to life a period of history that has remarkable parallels to our own. Seattle Post-Intelligencer

As America grapples with the fruits of its actions in Iraq, Dreamers of the Day is a timely reminder of that classic dictum: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Business Standard, New Delhi

Russell has created an instantly likable heroine whose unlikely adventures will keep readers hooked to the end. Publisher’s Weekly

Consistently captivating. Library Journal

A deceptively quiet novel… oddly haunting and disturbingly relevant… A rewarding blend of personal and historical events… fascinating.  The Washington Post

Vividly mines a place and time that resonate today. USA Today

Russell perfectly captures the political and social milieus of the 1920s, driving home how important it is to consider history when dealing with present-day issues. As [narrator] Agnes says at the book’s beginning, ‘My little story has become your history. You won’t understand your times until you understand mine.’ The fact that Agnes tells her story – yes – after she has already died does not come across as a literary conceit but as perfectly fitting for this perfectly enchanting tale. BookPage

Dreamers of the Day is at once a fascinating and romantic travelogue and a spiritually challenging journey of self-discovery. Bookreporter.com