Dream State : 'The Paper Palace meets Jonathan Franzen' Sunday Times Style, Summer Reading

A love triangle. A family story. A book about the magnetic pull of friendship.

🏖 THE BOOK OF THE SUMMER 🏖

An Oprah''s Book Club Pick and an instant New York Times bestseller

''The Paper Palace meets Jonathan Franzen'' Sunday Times Style, Summer Reading

''Moving, funny and utterly engrossing'' Sunday Times, Five Reads for the Beach

''I can''t think of another book I have annotated so heavily, underlining phrases on almost every page'' The Times

''[A] brilliantly panoramic tale of family ties... Puchner tells his tale so compellingly, so engagingly, with such warmth and humor, that it''s not until you set the book down that you can appreciate the brilliance of what he''s done'' Guardian

''[W]hat begins as a high-stakes love triangle tale transforms into an engrossing family saga, spanning 50 years. The magnetic pull between the three characters is enough to sustain a third plotline: the devastating effect of climate change on Montana and the life they have built there.'' Sunday Times, Summer Reads

''A sprawling page-turner'' Grazia, Summer Reads

''I love a slightly oversized American novel, one that''s going to take you on a journey'' Times Radio

''A totally involving and moving literary page-turner'' Clare Chambers, author of Shy Creatures


Cece is in love. She has arrived early at her in-laws'' beautiful lake house in Salish, Montana, to finish planning her wedding to Charlie, a cardiac anaesthesiologist with a brilliant future.

When Charlie asks Garrett, his best friend from college, to officiate the ceremony, Cece can''t imagine anyone less appropriate for the task. After all, Garrett, a depressed baggage handler at the local airport, doesn''t believe in marriage. But as she spends time with him and his gruff mask slips, she grows increasingly uncertain about her future, leading to an impulsive decision that will alter the three friends'' lives forever - the events of that summer reverberating across fifty years and spanning generations.

More praise for Dream State

⭐ One of the 12 best books of 2025 for BBC Culture

''The kind of book you don''t want to put down'' Oprah Winfrey

''A transporting wonder... A rare pleasure'' Ron Charles, Washington Post

''As funny as it is devastating... I haven''t been this dazzled by a novel in a long time'' Lit Hub

''Expansive... explores how we might make meaning of our existence in the face of escalating loss'' New Yorker

''I loved Dream State. I did not stop reading it for three days straight'' Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist