Dreamland Burning Audiobook by Jennifer Latham

Summary

A skeleton buried beneath a Tulsa mansion. A city that erupted in flames nearly a century ago. What secrets connect the bones of the dead to the sins of the past? Jennifer Latham’s dual-timeline mystery plunges listeners into both modern-day Oklahoma and the devastating 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, weaving a murder investigation that spans generations and forces uncomfortable questions about America’s buried history.

Audiobook Info

• Author: Jennifer Latham
• Narrator: Luke Slattery, Pyeng Threadgill
• Duration: 10 hours and 47 minutes
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Release Date: April 4, 2017

Review

The dual narration by Luke Slattery and Pyeng Threadgill transforms Dreamland Burning from a compelling read into an immersive auditory experience that demands attention. Threadgill voices Rowan Chase, a modern-day teenager whose discovery of human remains beneath her family’s property launches an investigation into her city’s darkest chapter. Her delivery captures Rowan’s sharp intelligence and growing discomfort as she confronts uncomfortable truths about privilege and complicity. Slattery takes on Will Tillman, a young man navigating the racially charged atmosphere of 1921 Tulsa, and his performance evolves beautifully from naive uncertainty to moral awakening as events spiral toward catastrophe.

Latham’s meticulous historical research breathes harrowing life into the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in American history yet one that remained largely absent from textbooks for decades. The 1921 timeline doesn’t merely serve as backdrop – it pulses with tension, fear, and the kind of systemic hatred that transforms ordinary people into monsters and bystanders into reluctant heroes. Will’s journey through those burning streets, narrated with raw vulnerability by Slattery, captures both the specific horror of that moment and its echoes that reverberate into our present day.

What elevates this audiobook beyond standard young adult mystery fare is its refusal to offer easy answers or comfortable resolutions. Rowan’s modern storyline isn’t simply about solving a century-old murder; it’s about reckoning with how her own family’s wealth and status might be entangled with historical injustice. The parallel structure allows listeners to draw connections between past and present racism without heavy-handed messaging. Latham trusts her audience to make these connections themselves, and the audiobook format – with its intimate, in-your-ear delivery – makes these realizations feel personal and unavoidable.

The pacing strikes an impressive balance between mystery-driven suspense and reflective historical fiction. Clues emerge organically through both timelines, and the eventual revelations carry emotional weight precisely because listeners have invested in understanding both eras. At nearly eleven hours, the audiobook takes its time building atmosphere and character depth, which some listeners may find deliberate in the early chapters. However, this patience pays dividends as the climax approaches and the threads connecting past and present draw tight.

Dreamland Burning is essential listening for young adult audiences ready to engage with difficult American history, but it resonates equally with adult listeners seeking fiction that illuminates rather than exploits historical trauma. Fans of dual-timeline mysteries, readers interested in the Tulsa Race Massacre, and anyone who believes understanding the past is crucial to navigating the present will find this audiobook both haunting and necessary.

Download & Listen

Experience Jennifer Latham’s powerful exploration of history, justice, and moral courage in Dreamland Burning. Download this gripping dual-timeline mystery today at KTAudiobooks.com and let the exceptional performances of Luke Slattery and Pyeng Threadgill transport you between two eras united by buried secrets waiting to be unearthed.