Overheard in a Dream

A Novel

By: Torey Hayden

Narrated by: Jean Alexander

Bestselling author Torey Hayden's novel is a fascinating study of a fractured family, a troubled child, and a psychiatrist's attempts to rescue them.

Conor, aged nine, arrives in the play therapy room of child psychiatrist James Innes with the diagnosis "autistic". His mother Laura, an aloof, enigmatic novelist, can't handle him. His rancher father, embroiled in divorcing Laura, does not feel there is anything wrong with Conor. His six-year-old sister Morgana insists he really does see ghosts. As James becomes convinced Conor is not autistic, he is drawn first into Conor's strange world of "things the cat knows" and then into Morgana's stories of her friend the "Lion King". James is pulled most deeply, however, into Laura's world; at first that of a lonely, rather difficult woman and then, eventually, into the world of her imagination, an enthralling world that seems almost real - and that hides a terrible secret.

©2008 Torey Hayden (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Strangely obscure

What did you like best about Overheard in a Dream? What did you like least?

It was obscure and almost a fantasy bordering on a Narnia type scenario. I'm quite indifferent.. liked it, didn't like it..

Would you recommend Overheard in a Dream to your friends? Why or why not?

If you are looking for fiction no.. if you think that it's the usual Torey hayden.. no..

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jean Alexander?

yes, her nattation is good. But she does muddle male and female characters at times.

Was Overheard in a Dream worth the listening time?

If you have the time.. yes... but really no..

Any additional comments?

A bland read.. I'm no sure Torey herself knew what to expect while writing it.

Interesting but heavy!!

This story is not for sensitive listeners, and can be explicit.
The audio sound took some getting used to but improved through the book. There are small parts that jump…missing parts of the story.

Amazing story!

I have been a fan of Torey Hayden books for decades. Her books have been truly influential in my career as a teacher. This last book....the first fiction book that I have read by Ms. Hayden, was very different from the other books I have read by her, to be sure. But I hung on every word, and, just like her past books, I was sad to see it end.

The narrator was very skilled. Put me right into the scenes without distraction.

I hope Ms. Hayden writes more like this, as well as more of her non-fiction books about the children she has taught.

Well done....I must simply say....
WELL DONE!

a disappointed fan

I am a fan of Torey and have read some of her other books. I was excited to start this book and walked away very disappointed. It was boring and not really about the child. He was a key to the story but the book focused on a fictional story and the mother. skip this book.

The end was disappointing...(no spoilers)

I loved this book at a 5 star level until the end. The ending virtually ruined it for me but I decided to give the book 4 stars because I enjoyed the rest of it so much.

I very much enjoyed Torey Hayden's nonfiction memoirs so I decided to give one of her novels a try. I was delighted at how skillfully she wrote, both her overall prose as well as her ability to mix genres in a way that was most captivating. With the main character being a child psychiatrist, James, she was writing about a topic she knew and her character seemed to have a believable and interesting approach to treating a troubled family.

I enjoyed her blending of multiple layers, as different family members talked to James and an entire "sub-novel", with its own characters and plot, emerged through one of the character's interactions with him. I have never read anything quite like it and it was skillfully done. I was hooked.

I won't spoil the ending for readers, as I think the book is a worthy read. I will just say that Torey, with her familiarity with mental health work, should have known better than to write it the way she did.

Not what I expected

Long, drawn out. This was not one of the typical Tory Hayden books. Her earlier books were much better.

Absolutely awful

This book was absolutely terrible. More about an unbelievably awful fictional story than about the boy.

Disjointed

The story line was disjointed and the ending was way too abrupt and unclear. What did it all mean? Reality or not?

Fiction is not Cathy Glass’s strong point.

Cathy Glass is one of my favorite authors, but only when she’s writing true stories. This is a terrible novel, unless you enjoy reading about the gritty details of taking care of a dying old man. Cathy should stay away from fiction and stick to nonfiction, where she excels.