Book Review and Giveaway: Powder Dreams, A Novel by David Ward-Nanney

How many times, in the course of growing up, are we told by our mothers, our fathers, our teachers and various adults in our lives, “Never judge a book by its cover.” As far as adages go, this one is universal. As a mom with children of my own, I know I’ve said it to them. And still, how easy it is to fall into the trap and judge.

When I received my Advance Reading Copy of Powder Dreams by David Ward-Nanney, I took one look at the cover and decided I didn’t like the typeface. I flipped it over and decided I didn’t like the text on the back. I still don’t like either, but I really enjoyed reading David’s novel. I couldn’t put it down. Here’s why.

1) Powder Dreams is about a lot more than skiing.

While skiing and the life of a young ski bum Bo Grayson provide the back story to the protagonist’s early 20s, the book doesn’t dwell on the powder, the drugs or the terrible living conditions endemic to the ski bum life. The novel spans the 1980s through the mid-2000s, and Bo is only a ski bum for eight years.

Ward-Nanney recounts this time with an economical eye for detail that borders on the autobiographical. For anyone who has skied or lived in the Colorado and Utah mountains, it feels like coming home. Reading it, I thought to myself, “I know this guy and he knows those mountains.” Not Bo, the main character, but David Ward-Nanney, the author.

2) Powder Dreams is about learning to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

In a passage early in the book, Bo has hitchhiked home to Tennessee to attend the funeral of an elderly friend and mentor. Bo reunites with his closest friend from childhood, by now a self-made millionaire (or more) and his boarding school shrink, Dr. Kalb. Bo recounts,

I tried to explain the beauty of Colorado in the winter and exactly what I’d been up to….”Fantasyland,” (Dr. Kalb) had called the resort atmosphere of the Rockies. ”I know,” I finally said, “it sounds like a frivolous existence.”

Dr. Kalb put a hand on my shoulder and asked, “Are you having fun?”

“Yes,” I said. “I am.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just go and have fun,” he said. “You’ve got plenty of time to grow up. I meant the comment as a long term warning. Don’t ever forget that it is Fantasyland.”

We drank a toast to growing up on our own terms.

The irony of Powder Dreams and what makes it such a compelling story is that Fantasyland can be anywhere. For a while Bo perfects his fantasy in… to read more of Brave Ski Moms review click here