Publication Date: May 26, 2026
For fans of L. M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, a contemporary retelling of the beloved romance that follows a sheltered young woman’s quest for love in New York City—and her search for a rare and elusive bird in the deep Arkansas forest.
What if the life you were meant to live was waiting just outside your door?
New York City, 2013. Emma Jablonski’s life is as dry as the day-old bread at her family’s bakery. Living with her parents and grandmother, she clings to the only escape she knows: a recurring dream that feels more real than her waking world. But when Emma’s eyes are open, she’s reminded of what’s out of reach—Jake, the enigmatic boy-next-door.
After a life-changing diagnosis forces her to face her fears, Emma decides it’s time to truly live—before it’s too late. With Jake and his vibrant friend Vee, she dives into a whirlwind of experiences: a fake engagement, dazzling parties, and an obsession with the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that may not even exist.
But as her daring adventure is coming to an end, Emma begins to embrace a future she never thought possible. Dreams and reality aren’t supposed to mix . . . are they?
A modern retelling of L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, this gentle story of love, resilience, and the beauty of the unknown reminds us to seek joy in the most unexpected places.
Andrea Ezerins contrasts beauty and dreariness in the captivating novel When the Forest Dreams. The serendipitous storyline was pure joy to follow!
Emma’s family is from Poland and lives in a rent-controlled apartment in New York, near Central Park. Yet she is surrounded by wealth, a contrast to the dull routine of her life. Although she is an adult, she still wakes at 4 am and assists her father at the family bakery, unpaid, wondering if life will change.
The only thing that brings newness and hope into her life is birds. As always, she has John Foster’s guidebook, Birds of Central Park, with her as she transitions between the suffocation of her home, shared with her parents and grandmother, and the work she never chose in the bakery. She is a devoted daughter and sees no way out of this life. Her mother has multiple sclerosis, and her grandmother rarely leaves her room. Then, as if this wasn’t enough to keep her down, she begins to have muscle weakness and visits a doctor, wondering if MS is going to become her reality at an even younger age than it did for her mother.
After the doctor’s visit, while trying medication for six months, she decides six months is what she needs to experience life in a much more adventurous way. Turning to her faith, she prays for a sign.
Jake, a gorgeous neighbor, knocks on her door. He is desperate for someone to help his cousin, who needs supervision while he is at work. And just like that, Emma has found herself in a position to break free. The chain of events offers Emma opportunities that keep the reader engaged in a beautiful story of friendship, hard work, hope, and the search for the smallest beauty in the world. Not only does this unforeseen turn of events open Emma’s world, but it also connects her love of birds. As Emma welcomes every bird sighting in Central Park as a ray of sunshine, the reader not only gains bird facts but also really understands the fascination of bird watching.
If you are a “birder,” then When the Forest Dreams is for you. If you have not given a second glance to birds as they flit around, then this book is definitely for you! 
Andrea Ezerins grew up in the small town where she was raised on a small hobby farm. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at University of Connecticut, and went on to spend thirty years working in the insurance industry. She finished Again and Again Back to You, a labor of love, thanks in no small part to the pandemic and an empty nest. Andrea has two daughters and identical twin sons. She resides in Hebron, Connecticut, with her husband.
