Dreaming Mill Valley charts the course of love—tangled, crazy, destructive, passionate, and tender—in the spring of 1974 when all the rules have been broken and the heart longs for home. As America rolls through political and social turmoil, in the quirky community of Mill Valley, California, marriages have been tossed overboard, children roam freely, and sex is exploratory. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge in the glittering streets of San Francisco, the gay revolution is in full swing and political protest is mandatory. Jess McCarty, from the novel Woodacre, has returned and is determined to give her daughter a stable home as she maneuvers the risky borders of love and an ambition to dance. Daniel Gessler, a Bolinas surfer and law school dropout, uncovers a family secret that focuses him on reclaiming his grandfather’s legacy. Annie Morrison struggles to balance motherhood with a passion to paint. Stewart Merch, a transplant from Michigan and teacher at Old Mill Grammar School, is escaping his past and searching for his future. Through tales of love, loss, and redemption, Dreaming Mill Valley, portrays the emotional landscape of four ordinary people who rediscover the strength of friendship, resilience of the human spirit, and enduring bonds of family.
