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the lost history of dreams
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reviews and praise
Unnatural Creatures: a novel of the Frankenstein Women
“Worthy of comparison to Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea, in Unnatural Creatures, Kris Waldherr moves the lens of the Frankenstein story away from Victor and his infamous monster in favor of the women in his life, and in doing so adds to the myth in a rich, satisfying, and multi-layered tale . . . Literary but also an engaging page-turning read, Unnatural Creatures is a splendid achievement from a writer at the height of her powers.”—Historical Novels Review (Editors’ Choice)
“This book has it all. Unnatural Creatures is an atmospheric, reimagined classic about the lines we cross for loyalty and love.” — Foreword Reviews
“A thrilling, extraordinary tour de force that imagines new depths to the Frankenstein story and brings it to fascinating life in a tale of adventure, love, betrayal, genius, madness, life, death, and good vs. evil. Bravo! I will never see Shelley’s Frankenstein the same way again.” —Syrie James, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and the Audie award-winning The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë
The Lost History of Dreams: a novel
“Scheherazade-like . . . haunting. . . Waldherr avoids cliché in her rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama. Additionally, while most gothic tales offer only darkness and tragedy, a surprising amount of light and joy imbues the ending here. Fitting, perhaps, for a novel that uses stained glass as a symbol for heavenly possibility, even in the face of death. Waldherr writes that “love stories are ghost stories in disguise.” This one, happily, succeeds as both.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“An unexpected delight that grows steadily more compelling as its pages fly by. Waldherr plays with gothic tropes, from the plot devices of misty moors, unexpected fires, and uncovered letters to the gendered conventions of tragic romance. The novel builds into a surrealist, haunting tale of suspense where every prediction turns out to be merely a step toward a bigger reveal.” – Booklist
“Kris Waldherr delivers an accomplished debut novel, The Lost History of Dreams, an atmospheric and hypnotic love story that not even death can end… a sensual, twisting gothic tale that embraces Victorian superstition much in the tradition of A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.” – BookPage
“Wuthering Heightsmeets ‘Penny Dreadful’ in Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreams, a dark Victorian epic of obsessive love, thwarted genius, and ghostly visitations. Eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written, The Lost History of Dreamsis a Gothic fairy-tale to savor.” – Kate Quinn, New York Timesbestselling author of THE ALICE NETWORK and THE HUNTRESS
“The Lost History of Dreamsis a dark, shimmering gem of a novel, glittering with love lost, secrets kept, and long-buried truths revealed. Wonder, memory, death and passion haunt every page of Kris Waldherr’s powerhouse Gothic debut.” – Greer Macallister, bestselling author of THE MAGICIAN’S LIE and WOMAN 99
“The Lost History of Dreamsrefuses to be categorized as anything other than excellent. Within the framework of a gothic, Kris Waldherr confronts our ideas about love, grief, poetry, and the nature of storytelling. With skillfully nested stories, Waldherr has done the remarkable, rendering the ephemeral into something real and tangible. Brooding, romantic, and thoughtful, The Lost History of Dreamsis a rare bird in that it shines throughout with wit. I loved every page of it.” – Erika Swyler, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF SPECULATION and LIGHT FROM OTHER STARS
“Reminiscent of du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel, The Lost History of Dreamsis a complex, haunting and deeply absorbing historical novel that is sure to delight fans of classic Gothic fiction. With luminous prose, stunning poetry and a fascinating cast of characters, Waldherr weaves a wonderfully atmospheric tale. Not to be missed!” – Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME and THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER
“Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreamsis an exquisitely crafted literary gothic. With its labyrinthine twists and turns, it evokes the dark mysteries of the classic Victorian ghost story in all its brooding, atmospheric glory. A riveting, addictive read. Sarah Waters fans will be entranced.” – Mary Sharratt, author of ECSTASY and DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL
“In The Lost History of Dreams, Kris Waldherr delivers a novel of haunting mystery and passion reminiscent of Wuthering Heightsand Byatt’s Possession. Layered within the pages of this gorgeous gothic tale is a story of several loves, each masterfully wrought in dazzling, poetic detail that will leave the reader longing for more.” – Crystal King, author of FEAST OF SORROW and THE CHEF’S SECRET
“In this accomplished debut, Kris Waldherr transports the reader to the fascinating world of Victorian England and its tradition of post-mortem photography with a deft hand. An atmospheric tale of lost love, family secrets, and an inquiry into how our own histories define us, I relished every poetic page.” – Heather Webb, international bestselling author of LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS and THE PHANTOM’S APPRENTICE
“Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreams is very aptly titled, as reading this novel feels indeed like entering into a dream, one from which I have yet to fully awaken. With beautiful prose and poetry, Waldherr weaves a darkly seductive Gothic tale of love, art, death, and obsession. You’ll want to keep reading this one late into the night.” – Alyssa Palombo, author of THE SPELLBOOK OF KATRINA VAN TASSEL
“The Lost History of Dreamsplunges the reader into a sumptuous feast for all the senses. This creepily delicious tale will rob readers of their sleep as it asks and answers its own question: “‘How can there be so much beauty in this world amid so much sorrow?’ The only solution was to create more beauty.” With this novel, Waldherr has done exactly that.” – Clarissa Harwood, author of IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS and BEAR NO MALICE
Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara
“The author of Doomed Queens(2008) examines “princess backlash” and asks: what makes a princess? Vignettes about royals (primarily European) collected under wry chapter headings such as “Princess Wars,” “Those Revolting Royals,” and “When the Tiara Doesn’t Fit” will leave youngsters reeling. Love is not certain, nor are riches. Waldherr’s storytelling voice strikes a fine balance between snarky and sympathetic…. Readers will marvel that anyone’s able to sell the myth of the happily-ever-after princess. Quotes, factoids, illustrations, and photographs complete the compendium and bring youngsters up to the current day, showing them that princesses willing to take the rei[g]ns can, in fact, achieve success. Modern-day examples of royalty include Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Swaziland and Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai, reflecting a more diverse mix of women who embody a new stricture all readers can embrace: “A princess can change the world.” Power to the princesses, right on!”—Kirkus
“Packed with history and context, Waldherr uses an animated, well-rounded approach in this engaging look at princesses in life and lore. After an introduction exploring why princesses remain a source of fascination and influence, subsequent chapters present stories of princesses to examine what being a princess means, including their various characteristics and roles through time, stereotypes and controversies, and ever afters, happy and otherwise…. The conversational tone, droll commentary, and up-to-date pop-culture references (Disney, natch) make for vibrant, engaging reading, and the lively layout, incorporating sidebars, factoids, and tongue-in-cheek illustrations, further enhance the pages. This absorbing, thought-provoking, and intriguing exploration of a perennially popular topic will both entertain and inform.”—Booklist
“A work of nonfiction covering, you guessed it, real princesses. The book is full of facts, pictures, illustrated charts, and more. Readers will learn about Salic law, “princess wars,” how to wed a prince circa the 1800s, and more. For instance, Salic law was not practiced everywhere. It held that only males could inherit the throne. This is a peppy, interesting read; it’s perfect for tweens…. VERDICT: This is a great book to recommend to readers who want a taste of history with a side of fairy tale princesses.”—School Library Journal
Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends, From Cleopatra to Princess Di
“It isn’t often that one encounters a book that invites the reëmergence of childhood fantasies, then eviscerates them in a few words. Even less common is the book that manages to make the process utterly satisfying. Such is the rush I got from Kris Waldherr’s deliciously perverse “Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends from Cleopatra to Princess Di…. “Doomed Queens” is also a concise, humorous, and keenly observed history of women and power…. With all the inane princess stories out there, a collection that highlights the historical downside is a welcome corrective.”—The New Yorker
“If you need an antidote to the Disney-fied princess culture popular among young girls today, this dishy, irreverent book is it.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution
“It’s refreshing to read history from a distinctly female point of view…. And to make the book more universally charming, Waldherr has included paper dolls you can cut out and assassinate over and over and over again. Just pick your poison or bonfire or whatever morbidity strikes your fancy.”—Baltimore Sun
“A smart, sassy overview of the ‘dark side’ of the crown and scepter. It makes a girl glad she was born a commoner.”—Robin Maxwell, bestselling author of Mademoiselle Boleyn
“A fascinating journey through thousands of years of the world’s most dangerous job — being queen!”—Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with the Queen
The Lover’s Path
“Complete with gilded edges and marbled pages, Kris Waldherr’s The Lover’s Path plunges readers into the mysterious and exhilarating world of sixteenth-century Venice . . . the artistry of the book is delightful—passionate love letters are placed in tiny envelopes, fantastical drawings accompany the stories from the journal, and brilliant tarot-card-like imagery flashes across each page… a visual adventure.” —Women in the Arts, the Magazine of the National Museum of Women in the Arts
“With this illustrated novel, Waldherr has spun a wondrous story spilling over with mythological figures, with tarot cards and personal letters. You’re pulled into a vortex of a 16th century romance centered on Filamena Ziani, the younger sister of a famous courtesan in Venice . . . Filamena becomes a singer, a composer and independent, which was unheard of for women of that time. Waldherr, who based her novel on a real-life courtesan, also created the illustrations for her book.”—The Albuquerque Journal
“Prepare to be transported to 16th century Venice from the first page. This novel is a feast—a full-color picture book for adults that tells a wrenching story of eternal love…. This beautiful fable reminded me of Erica Jong’sSerenissima, except without the explicit sex.”—NPR Books
“Voluptuous illustration and enthralling narrative are accompanied by fun-to-open letters, maps, and tarot cards in this extraordinary testament to the strength of the feminine spirit.”—WNBC/B(u)y the Book
Sacred Animals
“Using the elements of earth, air, water, and fire as organizational themes, this splendid book captures the rich diversity of animals as depicted in story, myth, and nature. . . . Glorious, illuminated color illustrations, with exquisite decorative borders are certain to engage.”—Booklist
“This lovely browsing book has wondrous art and just enough information to whet the appetite of fantasy fans. . . . The illustrations are the highlight of this offering.”—School Library Journal
The Goddess Tarot
“The bestselling Goddess Tarot, derived from The Book of Goddesses, reflects the feminism of today, with sales shooting up 500 percent over last year.”—Living in Stamford Magazine
“Possibly the most beautiful tarot deck ever to be created is The Goddess Tarot . . . Each and every card reminds us that women can rise to any occasion with power and grace.”—Barbara Fianco, About.com
The Book of Goddesses
“The Book of Goddessesis the best book yet for young children on the goddess. Gorgeously illustrated, beautifully written, and multi-cultural. A must for every Goddess-centered household. Sure to be a classic.”—Starhawk, Spiral Dance
“A delicious, lushly illustrated book which will lift the spirits of the little women coming up in the twenty-first century!”—Zsuzsanna Budapest, The Goddess in the Bedroom
Persephone and the Pomegranate
“Waldherr’s Pre-Raphaelite characters play out their drama against a vivid sword-and-sorcery landscape. . . . Mother and daughter dance through an enchanted woodland; rearing black horses erupt in fire from a crack in the earth. The dramatic oil paintings are matched by a quality of myth and magic in the prose.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A beautifully done retelling of the major mother-daughter myth.”—Jean Shinoda Bolen, PhD., Goddesses in Everywoman
