“The Boy Who Gave Dreams” by Luca Di Fulvio

About the book

The dream of a better life: the American dream drove many across the Atlantic around 1900. So does a young Italian mother with her son Natale.

She escapes after being raped, from which her young son is born.

Natale, later Christmas, is everything to her but as she soon discovers, New York in the early 20th century is also a tough place, especially in the 20s. Gangs run around, there is hardly any work and if it is, it is poorly paid. However, Christmas and his mother get along, even if he keeps hanging out with gangsters. He captivates people and he will make this his profession. Fates become entangled and Christmas falls in love with Ruth, whose life he saves. Ruth suffered severe trauma and soon the family moved away. So there is no room for a romance, Christmas has to think about her again and again and finally finds a way that doesn't just win Ruth over.

Our opinion

The book is a mixture of love story, thriller and small-time crook stories. Di Fulvio has a great writing style that is characterized by its versatility. On the one hand, he plays charmingly with words and makes you feel at home in your 20s and on the other hand, you don't want to read or listen any further because he couldn't express himself more brutally or vulgarly.

But it seems real.. The way it would probably be seen in real life and that's why you read on. Soon you forget the harsh words and enjoy the little jokes in between.

At the beginning the book is a bit complicated because there is a lot of jumping around in time, but even then you quickly get the hang of it and just follow the story. Di Fulvio maintains the tension with the entanglement of fates and his writing style.

All in all, a really good book. But contrary to the title, perhaps it doesn't promise anything for dream dancers or the faint-hearted.

In the audio book, Sascha Rotermund brings Di Fulvio's images to life as the narrator. The voice fits perfectly so that you can really listen for hours and find yourself in another world.

Click here for the free audio book.

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