Waking up to Italy—the art of dreaming

The protagonist Sophia in “Dreaming Sophia” at first rejects the idea of traveling to Italy and following in the footsteps of her mother. Gradually, however, Sophia awakens to the idea after a series of encounters with muses that appear to her in her daydreams.

Here is a little teaser from
Dreaming Sophia: Chapter 11

Sophia awoke when she heard her traveling companion opening the window. Coming fully to her senses, she looked up. Dawn had broken.

The girl in the purple dress pointed out the window. “Look!” she said, “We are getting close to Florence.”

Sophia blinked and stood up. In the early morning light, she had her first glimpse of Italy. They were now descending into the plains of Tuscany. Together the girl and Sophia slid the glass higher, letting the fresh morning air wash over their faces, and gazed with delight at the mist-drenched fields.

As the train slowed to take a curve, Sophia leaned into my companion, and they laughed out loud in unison. The train righted again, pushing relentlessly onward. Sophia swayed forward with the motion, knowing with every fiber of her being that she was on the right track, moving in the right direction. 

She rubbed my eyes removing the last traces of sleep, elated to be waking up in Italy. Somewhere over the Alps her dreams had turned into reality. 

Leaning farther out the window, Sophia cried, “Ciaoooooo Italiaaaa! Sei bellissima! You’re more beautiful than even I could have imagined.”

“Dreaming Sophia” is the story of a young American painter named after La Loren, the legendary movie actress. At the start of the novel, she is a woman blindsided by fate and must come to terms with a devastating tragedy. But, “Dreaming Sophia” is also a joyful story, at times even “divertente”—funny and “capriccioso”—whimsical. It ultimately tells how Sophia emerges from a very dark place by tapping into her creative, imaginative powers. In Italian, a person who daydreams is said to “sognare ad occhi aperti”—to dream with eyes open. And this is what my character does. Through “sogni” Sophia meets famous Italian personalities and they each give her a gift and a bit of advice, urging her to follow her heart to Italy.

Dreaming Sophia is now available on Amazon in print and e-pub versions. The e-pub book has links to art, music, and film clips mentioned in the book so you can experience the book visually and aurally. You can also find Dreaming Sophia on Facebook, Pinterest, and the web at MelissaMuldoon.com where the author will be posting more stories about Florence, Italy, and art.

Melissa Muldoon writes the dual-language blog StudentessaMatta.com in Italian and English. She also produces Matta Youtube videos in Italian and Podcasts and co-leads Italian Language Immersion programs in Italy as well as organizes Homestays with Italian teachers to improve language skills and learn more about Italian customs and culture.