They Dream in Gold - by Mai Sennaar

About the Book

"When Bonnie and Mansour meet in New York in 1968--his piercing gaze in a downtown jazz club threatening to carry her away--their connection is undeniable. ... As Mansour's soaring Senegalese melodies continue to break new ground, keeping time with the sound of revolution and taking him and Bonnie from Paris to Rio and Switzerland, it seems as though happiness might finally be around the corner for them both. Then Mansour goes missing. His Spanish tour was only meant to last three weeks, but three months later, he and his band have not returned. In his absence, Bonnie reckons with her memories of him, and comes to understand that the hopes of so many women--her mother and grandmother; his mother, aunt, childhood friend--rest on her perseverance. Stirred by the life growing inside her, Bonnie puts a plan in action to find him"--

Book Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize 2024

"Extraordinary . . . a powerful and poignant exploration of the African diaspora and global Black identity . . . This book moves like the storm Sennaar begins it with." --New York Times

A Real Simple Best Book of 2024 - A Washington Post Best Book of Summer - A TIME Best Book of July

A "luminous" (Tara Conklin) literary debut following two dreamers, one intercultural family, and the diasporic pursuit of home.

When Bonnie and Mansour meet in New York in 1968--his piercing gaze in a downtown jazz club threatening to carry her away--their connection is undeniable. Both from fractured homes, with childhoods spent crossing the Atlantic, they quickly find peace with each other. And as Mansour's soaring Senegalese melodies continue to break new ground, keeping time with the sound of revolution and taking him and Bonnie from Paris to Rio and Switzerland, it seems as though happiness might finally be around the corner for them both.

Then Mansour goes missing. His Spanish tour was only meant to last three weeks, but three months later, he and his band have not returned. In his absence, Bonnie reckons with her memories of him, and comes to understand that the hopes of so many women--her mother and grandmother; his mother, aunt, childhood friend--rest on her perseverance. Stirred by the life growing inside her, Bonnie puts a plan in action to find him.

Spanning two decades and moving through the hotbeds of the African diaspora, They Dream in Gold is an epic yet intimate exploration of the migrant hunger for belonging and a powerful, intergenerational testament to our shared humanity, for lovers of Tara Stringfellow's Memphis and Abi Daré's The Girl with the Louding Voice.

"Epic and hauntingly beautiful." ―Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
"Wholly original." ―Thao Thai
"One of the most beautiful debuts I've ever read." ―Dawnie Walton

Review Quotes

Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize 2024

A Real Simple Best Book of 2024 - A Washington Post Best Book of Summer - A TIME Best Book of July

"Extraordinary . . . a powerful and poignant exploration of the African diaspora and global Black identity . . . This book moves like the storm Sennaar begins it with, revealing how we are all interlinked in a global community, just as these characters, timelines and narratives are entangled." --New York Times

"Wow. What a book! They Dream in Gold is a gorgeous symphony of voices and cities and art, tied together by a stunning love story and a mysterious disappearance. In luminous language, with characters who sweat, bleed and sing, Mai Sennaar has written a debut that soars and kept me turning pages long after my bedtime. What a thrill to read a new writer with this much heart and vision." --Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics

"Throughout this sweeping story, a vivid ensemble of women's voices express the search for home. Playwright and filmmaker Sennaar has created a cast of inedible characters, from Paris to Brazil to Switzerland, and across America, to populate this rich debut novel about Black identity." --Center for Fiction (First Novel Prize 2024 Shortlist)

"Exquisitely written, They Dream in Gold is an epic and hauntingly beautiful story, each page shimmering like gold, woven by Mai Sennaar's astounding talent as a debut author whose work I look forward to reading during the years to come." --Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally best-selling author of The Mountains Sing

"Expansive, evocative . . . Sennaar's writing is eloquent and transportive as she conjures each scene with depth and detail, whether describing a sumptuous meal or the intensifying crescendo of a song . . . A dynamic and impressive debut by a talented new novelist." --Booklist, starred review

"A symphonic feat of wisdom and breathtaking verve, They Dream in Gold is a revelation of a novel that readers won't soon forget. Spanning continents and decades of sociopolitical changes, this wholly original, whirlwind story deftly illuminates the tensions of art and humanity with fresh language and vivid characters. Mai Sennaar is a rare, daring talent who wrings emotion and beauty from each page, each word, and leaves you thirsting for more still." --Thao Thai, author of Banyan Moon

"A remarkable chronicle of a young couple separated by mysterious circumstances and their families' attempts to forge better lives in the American South and Senegal . . . Sennaar impresses with her colorful cast of characters and deep well of stories. It's a stunner." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"They Dream in Gold is one of the most beautiful debuts I've ever read--musical, magical, and full of tenderness for the unique histories and identities entwined in love." --Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

"Playwright and director Mai Sennaar's debut novel, They Dream in Gold, crackles. Her prose is elemental, flowing like a river at times, then burning like fire, heightening the reader's senses until all five mingle into one . . . Sennaar moves swiftly back and forth across continents and generations to tell a vividly realized story of family, identity and love . . . Unreserved and confident, Sennaar's piercing narrative voice reverberates through a novel pulsing with all the intensity it takes to compose a life and make it sing." --Melissa Brown, Bookpage

"They Dream in Gold sends us on a journey around the world with a remarkable cast of women in search of belonging and the realization of their dreams. Sennaar tells their story with a musician's ear for rhythm and subtlety, and indeed, music and love beat strong in the heart of this powerful debut. I would follow these characters anywhere." --Laura Warrell, author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm

"A tender romance that spans decades, generations, and continents . . . In detailing their plight, Sennaar unveils a story about motherhood, the African diaspora, and the resilience of Black women." --TIME

"They Dream in Gold is a roving and kaleidoscopic masterpiece. Mai Sennaar writes toward all that is inexplicable, impossible, paradoxical about diasporic longing, regret, ambition, and redemption." --Elysha Chang, author of A Quitter's Paradise

"An around-the-world adventure . . . exploring how our geographic history shapes us." --Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Real Simple ("Top Picks for Book Club & Beyond")

"A joyful journey that will have you yearning to seize life with all your heart." --Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

"[Sennaar] weaves cultural and musical references to Senegal into what begins as a love story but extends as a tribute to both the resilience of Black women and the enduring presence of the Black diaspora." --BmoreArt

"A mouthwatering delight. A reader traverses half the globe through this story, becomes a singer and a dancer and a chef; and is welcomed into a formidable community of women where love is the unshakeable glue. Subtle yet striking, They Dream in Gold is a remarkable comment on motherhood, diaspora, and ambition." --Sarah Jessica Parker, SJP Lit

"Building a remarkable tapestry of lives buffeted by fate, this lyrical, tender epic explores migration, diaspora, motherhood, and ambition." --Bookseller (UK)

About the Author

Mai Sennaar is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The Smithsonian Affiliate Museum of the African Diaspora, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Classical Theatre of Harlem are among the venues that have presented her plays. Her short film Wax Lovers' Playlist premiered at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center and was an Official Selection of the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. She is the book writer for Carry On!, a new musical by Broadway composer Diana Wharton Sennaar and the creative director of the performing arts company MWPLive. They Dream in Gold is her first novel. She lives between Baltimore and Dakar.