How important are Cassie's dreams of Two Oaks in 1955 in connecting the two narratives?

How important are Cassie's dreams of Two Oaks in 1955 in connecting the two narratives?

I have to tell you, I found this book VERY SLOW in the first half .... I even flirted with the idea of not finishing. By the time the ghosts started appearing, I thought the narrative also became more compelling. Not sure if it was the ghosts who brought it together for me or the narrative itself just started to gel, but I thought the ghosts, especially those of the whole town, were a big plus for the story. The visual impact at that point became one I actually thought would do well on a Broadway stage.

The house Twin Oaks being a character in the book was both original and fascinating. Instead of a third person narrating the past or flash backs to take the reader back to the past it was dreams. Cassie lived 1955 through these dreams. The dreams gave her first hand knowledge of the past. To Cassie it was like watching an old movie. I loved the book.

The dreams start the narrative from the past, give Cassie information she could not have received from anyone else. Linda was the only person alive who knew what had happened and she was
t a part of Cassie's present yet. The dreams also connect Cassie to the house and make her feel at home.

The dreams brought past and present together. Once they expanded beyond the house they pulled me more in.

The dreams were a bridge that connected past and present giving Cassie clues to the mystery presented to her with the arrival of those Hollywood types.

I agree with charlenem that having the house be a character was original and compelling. I felt that it really helped connect the narratives.

Obviously, the dreams were a vehicle for the author to work in a flashback in a new and different method. This seems to be the trend in books now - no more linear storyline. So often an elderly person recounting past history; alternating narrators in chapters, flashbacks, different type to indicate different voices. Sometimes it might be refreshing to read a story from start to finish.

The dreams were what led Cassie to look into the past and try to find the answers. I am usually not fond of having ghosts appear in my books. I believe in this case, it was the only way the author could find to bring the two times together.

I enjoyed the mystic quality of Cassie's dreams. The house was such a presence in the story that it made the integration of the two time periods very compelling.