Past the Size of Dreaming

Past the Size of Dreaming (2001) Nina Kiriki Hoffman

The sequel to A Red Heart of Memories, Past the Size of Dreaming is superior to its predecessor. Which is impressive, because A Red Heart of Memories is very good.

Edmund and Matt and Suki are back at the House, and are gathering together Edmund and Suki’s old friends: Julio. Deirdre. The twins. Matt isn’t sure why they need to gather everyone together, only that they do.

There were many, many things I like about this story. I like the fact that Matt is getting over her need to run away from those who love her. I like Matt’s relationship with Edmund. I like learning about Julio, and who he became. I like the fact that Terry wasn’t quite a good person, but that they accepted her as she was. And I loved the surprises (I won’t tell you what they are, lest I spoil the story. I’ll just say that there were a lot of things I didn’t see coming.

Suki was a little easier to deal with in this story, as she slowly learned to be more comfortable with herself. Also, she was far more in the background in this story. Really, the story belong to Matt, Julio, and Deirdre, even though they were in the background for much of the story.

Past the Size of Dreaming is a very good story–it sucked me right in and made me sit down and finish it–no leisurely pace here. The characters are excellent, and I enjoyed learning more about Julio and Deirdre. Less so about the twins, but they were interesting–especially their relationship with their mother.

Most of all I like the house and Nathan, and how they have changed in these stories. The one thing I didn’t particularly care for was the way that Nathan’s fate was almost an afterthought. I got the feeling that she didn’t quite know what to do with him, but didn’t want to leave us worrying about his future. Either that or she had plans for another book about Nathan, but hasn’t yet gotten around to writing it.

The only drawback to these books is finding them. I picked up my copies from Abe Books, for there are none to be found new. But keep searching, and perhaps if there’s enough demand, they’ll be republished. (And then maybe I can also find a copy of The Thread that Binds the Bones.)

Although I believe that you could easily read this book without have read A Red Heart of Memories, I think that it would be better to read Past the Size of Dreaming after. Partially because the events seem tied more closely together, and partially because I feel that this is the better book, so you’ll want to read it second.
Rating: 9/10

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