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Dream House on Golan Drive
It is the year 1972, and Riley Hartley finds that he, his family, community, and his faith are entirely indistinguishable from each other. He is eleven. A young woman named Lucy claims God has revealed to her that she is to live with Riley’s family. Her quirks are strangely disarming, her relentless questioning of their life incendiary and sometimes comical. Her way of taking religious practice to its logical conclusion leaves a strong impact on her hosts and propels Riley outside his observable universe toward a trajectory of self-discovery. Set in Provo and New York City during the seventies and eighties, the story encapsulates the normal expectations of a Mormon experience and turns them on their head. The style, too, is innovative in how it employs as narrator “Zed,” one of the apocryphal Three Nephites who, with another immortal figure, the Wandering Jew of post-biblical legend, engage regularly in light-hearted banter and running commentary, animating the story and leavening the heartache with humor and tenderness.
300 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2015
1 person is currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
David G. Pace
7 books24 followersDavid Pace is an author and editor who lives in Utah.
He has received awards for his novel, short fiction and narrative nonfiction and has been published in Quarterly West, ellipsis...literature and art, Alligator Juniper, Huffington Post, The Quarter(ly), and Bangalore Revie,. Sunstone and Dialogue, among other journals and magazines.
His most recent book is "American Trinity and Other Stories from the Mormon Corridor" published by BCC Press (2024).
His debut novel "Dream House on Golan Drive" was published in 2015 (Signature Press). He also appears in the anthologies "The Path & The Gate," in 2023 (Signature Books), "Blossom as the Cliffrose: Mormon Legacies and the Beckoning Wild" in 2021 (Torrey House Press), "Moth & Rust: Mormon Encounters with Death" in 2017 and a biography in "Worth Their Salt: Notable But often Unnoted Women of Utah" (USU Press).
He has received awards for his novel, short fiction and narrative nonfiction and has been published in Quarterly West, ellipsis...literature and art, Alligator Juniper, Huffington Post, The Quarter(ly), and Bangalore Revie,. Sunstone and Dialogue, among other journals and magazines.
His most recent book is "American Trinity and Other Stories from the Mormon Corridor" published by BCC Press (2024).
His debut novel "Dream House on Golan Drive" was published in 2015 (Signature Press). He also appears in the anthologies "The Path & The Gate," in 2023 (Signature Books), "Blossom as the Cliffrose: Mormon Legacies and the Beckoning Wild" in 2021 (Torrey House Press), "Moth & Rust: Mormon Encounters with Death" in 2017 and a biography in "Worth Their Salt: Notable But often Unnoted Women of Utah" (USU Press).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 25, 2016
I'm always glad to find Mormon fiction that is honest. It's very rare, you know. Most of it is propaganda. Or, it's very genre. Fantasy, Chick Lit, Mystery. So, I enjoyed this one for its realistic (with a smidge of magical) depiction of a Utah family in the 70s and 80s-- a family that has its problems as well as its funny and winning moments.
The choice to use one of the three Nephites as the narrator would have worked better if he had been more involved, i.e. editorializing or opining throughout and reminding us always of his unique perspective. But, because he came in and out quite inconsistently I found his insertions jarring. Much of the narration just sounded very normal, not like it was coming from the point of view of a person who is of ancient origins and has been roaming the earth for centuries. But that is a quibble.
The protagonist, Riley, son of a semi-celebrity (in Mormondom) father (he writes church books and travels around various stakes and states giving firesides) is trying to do the right thing, but also has lots of questions --doesn't tow the line. We follow him through his childhood, puberty, on his mission and into marriage and beyond.
There is a strong narrative pull here, and I found myself wanting to read this book quickly. I might have even given it four stars, but the ending left something to be desired. I guess it's because Riley descends deeper and deeper into a kind of miasma of serious mistakes and it gets very postmodern. No redemption for Riley, and even more so a kind of confusing ending that doesn't have the punch that you want it to. In fact, I couldn't even begin to tell you what the ending meant. And I think the end just got a little too extreme, in terms of just how far he had sunk. It didn't really feel like what would happen to the character we had gotten to know.
But still, I did like this book. I'm always thirsty for authentic stories about my tribe.
The choice to use one of the three Nephites as the narrator would have worked better if he had been more involved, i.e. editorializing or opining throughout and reminding us always of his unique perspective. But, because he came in and out quite inconsistently I found his insertions jarring. Much of the narration just sounded very normal, not like it was coming from the point of view of a person who is of ancient origins and has been roaming the earth for centuries. But that is a quibble.
The protagonist, Riley, son of a semi-celebrity (in Mormondom) father (he writes church books and travels around various stakes and states giving firesides) is trying to do the right thing, but also has lots of questions --doesn't tow the line. We follow him through his childhood, puberty, on his mission and into marriage and beyond.
There is a strong narrative pull here, and I found myself wanting to read this book quickly. I might have even given it four stars, but the ending left something to be desired. I guess it's because Riley descends deeper and deeper into a kind of miasma of serious mistakes and it gets very postmodern. No redemption for Riley, and even more so a kind of confusing ending that doesn't have the punch that you want it to. In fact, I couldn't even begin to tell you what the ending meant. And I think the end just got a little too extreme, in terms of just how far he had sunk. It didn't really feel like what would happen to the character we had gotten to know.
But still, I did like this book. I'm always thirsty for authentic stories about my tribe.
December 5, 2015
For this reader, Dream House on Golan Drive, by David G. Pace, was like a gut punch. It buried an honest fist into my center, into my origins, and threw me back to a time so long ago that was bittersweet, stinging, and touched with yearning desire. Like the protagonist of the novel, Riley, I was brought up faithfully in the white-hot diamond center of Mormon Utah where the Y on the mountain points like a divining rod guiding the chosen people to the chosen place to dwell.
America's Mormondom during the 70’s and 80’s is a sedate white bread place filled with characters and plots that on the surface would seem to do no more than bubble with dutiful Sunday school services in pressed slacks, perfect ties, and modest hem-below-the-knee dresses. All in faithful struggle for the eternal blessings that every saint there seeks.
Oh, but there is much more below that surface, and Pace’s story pulls you under where it is shadowy, slick & sticky, where sometimes it is hard to breathe. Riley’s beautiful family is huge, and the individual parts get lost in the day-to-day minutiae of Zion building. We follow Riley through adolescence (and all the requisite trials and guilty pleasures associated with that), through early adulthood, a mission, failed marriage, and a particularly odious parrot.
Mormons and non-Mormons alike will be sucked in by this sensual and hilarious narrative. Pace has with this book gifted us the work of a lifetime. It is a stunning unflinching view of one Mormon family’s journey of following, of blind faith, of searching, repulsion, love, and redemption.
America's Mormondom during the 70’s and 80’s is a sedate white bread place filled with characters and plots that on the surface would seem to do no more than bubble with dutiful Sunday school services in pressed slacks, perfect ties, and modest hem-below-the-knee dresses. All in faithful struggle for the eternal blessings that every saint there seeks.
Oh, but there is much more below that surface, and Pace’s story pulls you under where it is shadowy, slick & sticky, where sometimes it is hard to breathe. Riley’s beautiful family is huge, and the individual parts get lost in the day-to-day minutiae of Zion building. We follow Riley through adolescence (and all the requisite trials and guilty pleasures associated with that), through early adulthood, a mission, failed marriage, and a particularly odious parrot.
Mormons and non-Mormons alike will be sucked in by this sensual and hilarious narrative. Pace has with this book gifted us the work of a lifetime. It is a stunning unflinching view of one Mormon family’s journey of following, of blind faith, of searching, repulsion, love, and redemption.
January 5, 2022
This is a tough one. I'm always really excited to find good LDS-themed fiction (not easy to find). I'm going to give this book 3 stars because there is some really, really good writing at certain points. But, I'm not sure I even liked this book. The Hartley family is not a typical Mormon family - they are fanatics. And I get it; a normal Mormon family is probably much more difficult to write about in an interesting manner. If this book were written as a bildungsroman describing the unfortunate effect of fanatical religion, it would make some sense. But, it wasn't written that way. The intended "rebelliousness" came across trite and cliche. I get the "postum table" as a gag - it is a funny joke. But, it's not culturally realistic and just kept showing up in this book. The Nephite narrator was a stroke of genius. But, as other reviewers have pointed out, ultimately wasted in this book. After observing centuries of human development, his only cultural reference was "Beauty and the Beast"? The narrator's voice just didn't ring authentic until maybe the very last chapter, maybe.
November 25, 2015
Dream House on Golan Drive is a wonderfully crafted story of the search for faith, identity, and redemption told through the framework of a Mormon family. As a secular Jew, I was intrigued by this intimate and detailed glimpse into Mormon culture – it’s virtues, self-righteousness, and contradictions. But ultimately, I was most drawn to the story’s main protagonist, Riley, and his struggle to reconcile Mormonism, his earthly desires, and the diversity and complexity of modern society. The struggle for identity is a universal theme, which Pace draws upon freshly and compellingly. Pace also does an outstanding job developing his characters and moving the reader through their storied lives. Dream House is an enjoyable and enlightening read, no matter whether your destination is Heaven or the nearest Starbucks.
June 22, 2016
The perfect Mormon family in Provo cracks under pressure. I wanted more of Zed the Nephite -- what a great concept.
November 15, 2015
I knew the author of this novel briefly in junior high school in Provo before we went our separate ways to different Provo high schools and on to different lives. I enjoyed reading it for a variety of reasons.
First, having grown up in Provo myself at the same time as Pace, it was fun to compare his description of those days with my own memories of that time. Many things about the town and the local culture were familiar, but some were not. For example, we never had a 'postum table' at our house. We simply called it by the worldly term, 'coffee table'. Although we certainly did avoid coffee and alcohol and even caffeinated cola drinks, none of which you would ever find in our house aside from an old bottle of cooking sherry with a faded label which virtually never got used and was eventually thrown away.
Like Pace, I also attended BYU, and I particularly enjoyed the scenes and dialog which take place with the professor Pace identifies as Roland. They recalled fond memories of thoughtful discussions with both students and professors at that time. Some very interesting ideas arose out of that unique academic environment. Many of these seem crazy to me now, but I still find my world view to be in alignment with some of this thinking.
I'm also very interested in Mormon fiction and have long been a fan of such authors as Doug Thayer and Levi Peterson. I enjoyed the novel _Earthkeepers_ by Marilyn Brown, also set in Provo, and, recently, I discovered the short stories of Jack Harrell. I'm always happy to discover new authors who address Mormon themes in their work.
One of several fun ingredients in the novel was the appearance of Zed, one of the three Nephites who, like John the Beloved, are fated to wander the earth until Jesus Christ's second coming. Riley, the main character, is one of his charges, and he discusses Riley's adventures with his immortal buddy, the Wandering Jew, as he watches over him and attempts to subtly steer him right.
Finally, I'm a big fan of Western landscapes, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Wasatch Mountains and other roadside scenery in the three road trips that happen during the course of the novel.
First, having grown up in Provo myself at the same time as Pace, it was fun to compare his description of those days with my own memories of that time. Many things about the town and the local culture were familiar, but some were not. For example, we never had a 'postum table' at our house. We simply called it by the worldly term, 'coffee table'. Although we certainly did avoid coffee and alcohol and even caffeinated cola drinks, none of which you would ever find in our house aside from an old bottle of cooking sherry with a faded label which virtually never got used and was eventually thrown away.
Like Pace, I also attended BYU, and I particularly enjoyed the scenes and dialog which take place with the professor Pace identifies as Roland. They recalled fond memories of thoughtful discussions with both students and professors at that time. Some very interesting ideas arose out of that unique academic environment. Many of these seem crazy to me now, but I still find my world view to be in alignment with some of this thinking.
I'm also very interested in Mormon fiction and have long been a fan of such authors as Doug Thayer and Levi Peterson. I enjoyed the novel _Earthkeepers_ by Marilyn Brown, also set in Provo, and, recently, I discovered the short stories of Jack Harrell. I'm always happy to discover new authors who address Mormon themes in their work.
One of several fun ingredients in the novel was the appearance of Zed, one of the three Nephites who, like John the Beloved, are fated to wander the earth until Jesus Christ's second coming. Riley, the main character, is one of his charges, and he discusses Riley's adventures with his immortal buddy, the Wandering Jew, as he watches over him and attempts to subtly steer him right.
Finally, I'm a big fan of Western landscapes, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Wasatch Mountains and other roadside scenery in the three road trips that happen during the course of the novel.
December 2, 2015
This novel is a warm, thoughtful, engaging look at growing up in Provo, Utah. Pace's local boy humor seems gilded, with kindness. I am 100 pages in and feel like it's old home week. "Dream House" follows the life and times of Riley Hartley, one of ten children in a devout Mormon household. This is a colorful tour of Utah known to teens who grew up in the '70s in the Land of Zion.
Riley's father dispenses the gospel to family and followers in a charismatic, kindly way. Riley's lovely mother keeps the kids from ongoing fist fights and falling off cliffs. In her coifed hair and polyester slacks, she dispenses mom-isms like "It all comes down to your testimony" and "Watch what you say." In response to this, Riley thinks "what a strange expression that was, 'watch what you say,' as if the words were floating in space and observable. Maybe they turned red when they hit oxygen, like blood."
Pace excels at fresh takes on the everyday. You'll meet Lucy, the slightly radical convert who comes to live at the Hartley's place. Lucy says, "I believe the Lord provides answers, usually through someone else. Someone like your folks who have more faith than I do." You will puzzle out life in the heart of a teenage boy who is helped by the ministrations of a benevolent narrator, Zedekiah—one of the 2000-year-old Three Nephites who wander the Earth. Zed confides to the reader: "Before people become free to do what they want, they take another journey. A guilt trip. Which returns us to our story."
Guilt, curiosity, conformity and its costs, and an insider view of belonging to a very large household bent on salvation—these are the gifts "Dream House on Golan Drive" gives. I can't wait to finish it.
Riley's father dispenses the gospel to family and followers in a charismatic, kindly way. Riley's lovely mother keeps the kids from ongoing fist fights and falling off cliffs. In her coifed hair and polyester slacks, she dispenses mom-isms like "It all comes down to your testimony" and "Watch what you say." In response to this, Riley thinks "what a strange expression that was, 'watch what you say,' as if the words were floating in space and observable. Maybe they turned red when they hit oxygen, like blood."
Pace excels at fresh takes on the everyday. You'll meet Lucy, the slightly radical convert who comes to live at the Hartley's place. Lucy says, "I believe the Lord provides answers, usually through someone else. Someone like your folks who have more faith than I do." You will puzzle out life in the heart of a teenage boy who is helped by the ministrations of a benevolent narrator, Zedekiah—one of the 2000-year-old Three Nephites who wander the Earth. Zed confides to the reader: "Before people become free to do what they want, they take another journey. A guilt trip. Which returns us to our story."
Guilt, curiosity, conformity and its costs, and an insider view of belonging to a very large household bent on salvation—these are the gifts "Dream House on Golan Drive" gives. I can't wait to finish it.
May 17, 2016
It is rare to come to the end of a novel and be so struck with wonder as one may do in the last pages of this wonderful tale.
Dream House on Golan Drive is the story of Riley Hartley, who, raised in a typically devout Latter Day Saint family, questions his faith. All along the way the prophets and everyone else in his sanitized world tell him his uncertainty about the "One True Gospel" is the source of his unhappiness. Growing up in the mid-century on “Snob Hill” in Provo, Utah, (home of BYU) Riley continually struggles with his desire to be not only in the world, but of it.
Accompanying him from a safe distance is Zedekiah - the Mormon version of The Wandering Jew, who incidentally makes an appearance as well - and as Riley tumbles forward, entangled in the bonds of family and faith, Zedekiah mostly steps out of the way.
If the only real story is man’s search for self, Pace gifts us with a compelling, confounding version of this universal truth: we are where we come from. Highly recommended.
Gail WJ
Dream House on Golan Drive is the story of Riley Hartley, who, raised in a typically devout Latter Day Saint family, questions his faith. All along the way the prophets and everyone else in his sanitized world tell him his uncertainty about the "One True Gospel" is the source of his unhappiness. Growing up in the mid-century on “Snob Hill” in Provo, Utah, (home of BYU) Riley continually struggles with his desire to be not only in the world, but of it.
Accompanying him from a safe distance is Zedekiah - the Mormon version of The Wandering Jew, who incidentally makes an appearance as well - and as Riley tumbles forward, entangled in the bonds of family and faith, Zedekiah mostly steps out of the way.
If the only real story is man’s search for self, Pace gifts us with a compelling, confounding version of this universal truth: we are where we come from. Highly recommended.
Gail WJ
April 28, 2016
Dream House on Golan Drive by David G. Pace introduces readers to many well-imagined characters engaged in impressive moments—moments elucidated through meaningful conversation, struggle, and epiphany. Riley, Lucy, Paris, Gus: Each, in their unique ways, express the hopes, flaws, and limitations of the novel’s cultural context.
Of Roland: "The world seemed to him to be a vast puzzle with temporary solutions that worked ‘in context’ but didn't provide universal answers. Ambiguity was beautiful, he liked to say, and ultimately what underscored his faith."
Dream House on Golan Drive is resonant with undertones of belief and its corresponding uncertainty. This book offers readers a journey that explores the existence of God, Mormonism, existentialism, the word—its interpretation and practice.
Enjoy.
Of Roland: "The world seemed to him to be a vast puzzle with temporary solutions that worked ‘in context’ but didn't provide universal answers. Ambiguity was beautiful, he liked to say, and ultimately what underscored his faith."
Dream House on Golan Drive is resonant with undertones of belief and its corresponding uncertainty. This book offers readers a journey that explores the existence of God, Mormonism, existentialism, the word—its interpretation and practice.
Enjoy.
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April 1, 2016This was one of those books that makes me pause and just think for a few minutes, stunned. Despite having a newborn, I stayed up until midnight last night just to read. The baby went to sleep at 9. I'm exhausted today.
April 19, 2016
A gripping coming of age story, kind of like if the Mormon from Angels in America wrote a memoir but from the point of view of an angel (okay, a Nephite), and if Joe Pitt had lived an arc of odd redemption.
February 9, 2016
3 1/2 stars. Interesting and thought-provoking.
December 16, 2016
For anyone familiar with the Mormon community, this novel is a fascinating read! I highly recommend it.
April 9, 2017
I enjoyed every minute of reading 'Dream House on Golan Drive,' even the painful ones. I like Pace's narrative touch - there is a lightness and a kindness and a real understanding of growing up inside the Mormon dream of happy forever families. And he also shows what messes we all can make of our lives. I wished Riley could have escaped further - that indoctrinated beautiful dream is so unreal, it's hard not to be disappointed much of the time with the realities of life. And Riley's good person, one who tries to be honest and real about what his life is. I will keep pondering about why Pace chose to include the guardian angel Nephite, which is a fun element but also gives credence to that Mormon legend of the Three Nephites. I grew up in all of that and took much too long to start trusting my own thinking, and I now am skeptical about any supernatural to-do. But I liked the read, admired Pace's narrative ways, and look forward to reading more of his writing in the future.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews