Dream State by Eric Puchner is a beautifully observed novel set in Montana, where wide lakes and sweeping mountain ranges do far more than provide a scenic backdrop. The landscape shapes the mood, memories and lives of the characters who gather there.

The story opens in the early 2000s, just weeks before Cece’s wedding to Charlie. Although the couple have built their life in Los Angeles, Cece travels ahead to Charlie’s family holiday home in Montana to finalise the plans. Helping her is Garrett, Charlie’s closest friend, who is also due to officiate the ceremony – a sign of how closely their lives are connected. Garrett and Charlie share a tragedy from their recent past, creating an undercurrent that adds depth to what should be a joyful occasion.

From these sun-filled days of anticipation, the novel moves forwards in time. Children arrive, careers shift and relationships are tested in unexpected ways. The Montana landscape changes too, casting a nostalgic glow over that earlier summer when everything felt full of promise. The sense of reflection – comparing who these people were with who they become – gives the story much of its emotional strength.

Puchner balances humour with tenderness throughout. The domestic details of family life sit alongside the gradual transformation of the natural world, carefully woven together to create a story that feels both intimate and expansive. The characters are warm and believable and the sense of place is so vivid you can almost feel the stillness of the lake and the mountain air.

At its heart, Dream State explores love, friendship, grief and the way time reshapes both people and places.

Dream State is available in hardback at £18.99 and will be released in paperback in May.

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