Dreamland Burning Summary
Jennifer Latham

Dreamland Burning Overview

Dreamland Burning, by Jennifer Latham, is the story of two 17-year-olds who live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about 100 years apart. Rowan Chase, a girl in modern times, is the daughter of a black mother and white father. Her family's wealth has largely protected her from the harsh realities of life. William Tillman is a wealthy white boy who lives in Tulsa during the 1920s when racial boundaries were strict. During race riots, a man in William's neighborhood ends up dead. William leaves the body under the floor of his family home where Rowan finds it, almost a century later. The novel addresses themes such as the expectations placed on different races, the vulnerability of the weak, and the experience of becoming aware of life's harsh realities for the first time.