The Crowd Dreams of Love - and Justice; New Novel Paints "Terrifying Portrait" of Citizen Outrage over Corruption and Greed

    SAN DIEGO, CA, March 27, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Crowd Dreams of Love, a new novel by John Leone published by Blithedale Books, foresees ordinary citizens pulled into an underground revolution to fight a corrupt government that curtails civil rights, manipulates the media, imprisons the innocent and rewards the greedy and the guilty.

A music composer and professor, Dr. Lawrence, is drawn inexorably into the tumult of his times by three women in his life; his search for love parallels the search of the crowds outside his windows for justice. Conjuring Wells, Huxley and Orwell, The Crowd Dreams of Love is a meditation on the collective human need for love amidst growing social unrest.

A popular anti-war politician is assassinated on national television- some suspect by their own government - and ordinary citizens, immigrants, and celebrity activists are imprisoned for speaking out against the repression. The unnamed country and its major cities are thrown into chaos and riots, as underground groups form to fight back and plans are put in place for a mass citizen uprising - a General Strike.

Mirroring current events across the globe and growing citizen outrage with corporate excess and government corruption, The Crowd Dreams of Love is being praised as a timely warning of the shape of things to come:

"An extraordinary book....a terrifying, thrilling portrait of what it means to be alive in our time. We are far closer to the world Lawrence falls into than we realize," said Andrew Schlesinger, author of VERITAS: Harvard and the American Experience.

Life imitating art has not escaped notice in Hollywood. "The crowd is dreaming louder and louder and pretty soon their dreams will spill over and drown the globe. In blood." Said Benedict Fitzgerald, writer of the screenplay The Passion of the Christ for Mel Gibson.

Eric Hamburg, author of Oliver Stone and Me, producer of Oliver Stone's controversial Nixon and Any Given Sunday drew parallels between the novel and what many had feared under the Bush administration. "The recent revelations of Bush administration memos justifying the use of torture, the possible bombing of American homes, and lifting of the First Amendment are a frightening echo of the themes of The Crowd Dreams of Love. This novel is a clairvoyant look at what might have been and what could still be in our future..."

"The Crowd Dreams of Love speaks to the most important message of this time - the control that the power elite have over ordinary citizens and taxpayers," said Joanne Aarstol, Communications Director for Blithedale Books. "But ultimately, this is a story about the power of the people to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, a book about the fundamentals of human nature, and most importantly, universally-healing love."

The Crowd Dreams of Love is published by Blithedale Books LLC, and is available for purchase as a paperback, hardcover or eBook at http://www.crowddreamsoflove.com, as well as all major book retailers and Amazon.com.

About Blithedale Books

Blithedale Books is an independent publishing company, backed by a group of academics, writers, poets, and artists aiming to bring original, undiscovered works of literary fiction to the public. http://www.blithedalebooks.com.

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