Play Book Tag discussion

The Law of Dreams by Peter Behrens - 3* - My Review

The Law of Dreams is historical fiction that follows the journey of Fergus O'Brien, a young Irish lad who loses his family during the Great Famine of the 1840s and is forced to flee his homeland. It captures both the devastating reality of the potato famine and the subsequent journey of survival. Behrens has based this story on his own family’s history.

Fergus is a compelling protagonist who transforms from a naive farm boy to a hardened survivor. His journey takes him across Ireland, Wales, England, and eventually to North America, and through his eyes, we witness the social and economic forces that shaped the mid-19th century. He meets a variety of people along the way – some kind and others ruthless.

The title refers to the driving force that propels Fergus forward — the understanding that to survive, one must keep moving and leave the past behind. This theme recurs throughout the novel. The narrative moves at an uneven pace, with some sections feeling rushed compared to others, and it felt long in places. If I hadn’t read many similar stories, I probably would have liked it even more.