Throw Back Thursday: My Introduction to Magical Realism

Today I'm continuing my monthly feature of going back in time to 2008, my first year of blogging. It's interesting to see how my blog has changed, along with the books I read and the way I write reviews and other bookish posts.

In the summer of 2008 I was introduced to a new author who's first book had come out the previous year (August 2007). It was a fellow blogger who raved about this book and since it was a new genre for me I wanted to give it a try. The author was Sarah Addison Allen and the book was GARDEN SPELLS! At that time I didn't read any fantasy or paranormal type of books and honestly, I had never heard the term 'magical realism' before. I was so curious! 

Once I began reading I was instantly captivated by the story of the Waverly sisters and their special apple tree and all the family secrets that came out in their 'magical' recipes and concoctions. I flew through that book and so began my first adventures into an intriguing genre of books. 

From that moment on, I was a fan of Sarah Addison Allen. Her latest, FIRST FROST, which came out earlier this year is a sequel to GARDEN SPELLS  and though I haven't read it yet, it is on my list. I've read all of her other books and I've loved them all. 

If you enjoy a lighter touch of  the paranormal and great stories of family and friends you must try Sarah Addison Allen's books if you haven't already. They are charming, entertaining and fun. For my review of GARDEN SPELLS from 2008, click here. 

Review: The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert

The Memory Garden
Author: Mary Rickert
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 1402297122 (ISBN13: 9781402297120)
Length: 304 pp

Nan Singer hasn't seen her two childhood best friends, Ruthie and Mavis, in sixty years. She always thought they'd be close their whole lives but a tragedy involving their other friend Eve and the secrets surrounding that tragedy drove a wedge between the girls and they all went their separate ways.

Now an old woman, Nan has been raising Bay, the baby she found in a box on her front steps fourteen years ago. Nan is used to people leaving shoes on her porch for her unusual shoe garden, but never did she ever think someone would leave a baby. Bay is fourteen now and Nan is afraid the secrets from her past are about to be unearthed and with no one else to care for Bay, she reluctantly reaches out to her old friends in the hopes they will be willing to help out.

Nan is not the only one in the big old house keeping secrets. Bay notices someone lurking in the woods  surrounding their garden but is keeping if from Nan.  Bay has always heard the whispers around town that Nan is a witch and Bay has never believed it, but she is beginning to wonder if they are right.  She's noticed herNana has been very stressed ever since she announced these old friends were coming to visit. Once Mavis and Ruthie arrive, things get even weirder. Though Bay would like to know what is really going on, Bay is too afraid to find out what it is and just wants everything to get back to normal, whatever that is.

My Thoughts:

When I read the synopsis for this book, my curiosity was automatically piqued because I do enjoy magical realism and I felt this was right up that alley. There are several aspects of the book that give it great potential for a mysterious, magical story, but I have to say I had difficulty connecting to them, especially in the beginning. I loved the idea of the peculiar shoe garden and how at the beginning of each chapter Rickert included a description and meaning of a flower that was incorporated into that chapter. I felt that was a cute idea and it helped tie the garden into the story.

There is a lot going on in this story and it was difficult for me to follow, especially in the beginning. I believe the author wanted to build up to a big reveal and keep referring to the secrets that were being kept and wanted to keep the reader guessing, but I found myself getting confused and having to go back and re-read pages to make sure I was getting it right. That is the main reason I had difficulty connecting.  At 33% done, I was growing frustrated because I felt the story was just not taking off. Finally at around 55 or 60%, I started connecting and got into the story. Typically, I will give up on a book by that time, but I really wanted to love this book so I kept reading. I am happy to say that I enjoyed the book from that point on.  Eventually the confusion began to clear, I knew who I was dealing with and I finally grasped the idea the author had. I am sorry it took me so long to get there, but at least I did and I can even say that I liked the ending of the book very much.

After finishing the book and thinking back on what I'd just read, the ending and the message it conveyed, I started appreciating Rickert's vision of what she wanted to do with this book. THE MEMORY GARDEN is a book about friendship, secrets, loyalty, regret and forgiveness. Once you finish reading, its for the reader to sit back and decide which characters were real and which characters were not. If you haven't read it, you may not understand that last comment, but that's OK. I'm not going to ger more specific than that because I always try not to give anything away in my reviews. You'll have to read it and see for yourself.

The bottom line for me is that even though I had a rough start with this one, I am glad I stuck with it and I will try more of Ricker's work in the future.

Review: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

A year after losing her husband Matt in a tragic accident, Kate Pheris finally wakes up for her stupor of grief and realizes she must take back her life, not only for herself but for the sake of her eight year-old daughter Devin. Ever since Matt's death, Kate has basically been on auto-pilot, just going through the motions and allowing her mother-in-law, Cricket, to make the decisions in both Devin and Kate's lives.

On the day Kate and Devin are to move into Cricket's house and start the life Cricket has planned for them, Kate finds a postcard from fifteen years ago that her mother apparently hid from her. It was from her great-aunt Eby who Kate remembered from the wonderful summer she spent at Eby's camp when she was twelve. The camp is situated around Lost Lake and though Kate remembers having the time of her young life, there was a falling out between Kate's mother and Eby and they abruptly left. Kate never knew what happened, only that she didn't get the chance to say goodbye to the friend she met there and spent every day of that summer with.

With Kate's mother gone and the discovery of the postcard, it was important for Kate now to go see Eby and explain why she never responded or saw Eby again. For the first time in a year, Kate made a decision about her life without consulting Cricket. She would take Devin and head out of Atlanta to the small town near the Florida border to Lost Lake so Devin could meet her great-great aunt who Kate remembered so fondly. Hopefully at the same time Kate can figure out if she's doing the right thing following Cricket's plan or to make one of her own.

My Thoughts:

It didn't take me long when I began reading LOST LAKE to realize how much I'd missed Sarah Addison Allen's writing. Just like her other books, of which I've read all but one somehow, there's an air of familiarity and comfort to her stories. I always connect to her characters so easily, even the unlikable ones. But mostly, her stories are so heartfelt and genuine that its easy to get caught up in them. Her lyrical prose and the mysterious magical elements she includes in her stories go together like peaches and cream.  I've read many books with that magical realism element but I find that no one does it better than SAA.

LOST LAKE is not just Kate's story - its also Eby's story that began some fifty years ago in Paris while on her honeymoon. Though Kate and Eby are the main protagonists, there are five other pivotal characters with great stories of their own in this book about love, grief and hope and Lost Lake has special meaning for all of them, even if they don't admit it.  As the story unfolds, SAA gives relative background on each of them without weighing it down or straying from the main plot line. Her character development is seamless.  Each of their stories is important to the plot and makes for great reading. Another plus is the diversity of the characters.

As with all of her books, the magical realism elements are subtle and not over the top, which allows them to fit perfectly into the story. Its funny, I've had recurring nightmares of alligators for years and I had no idea there would be an alligator in the storyline so that was a surprise. Though my nightmares are much more scary than the alligator in this story! I thought the symbolism of the alligator was great and tied the story together very nicely.  By the end of the book, I was wishing I had my own Lost Lake and Aunt Eby to go visit for the summer.

Sarah Addison Allen has shown me once again why she is one of the authors I look forward to reading the most. If you're looking for a book that will have great characters with a meaningful message and a little something magical, reach for one of her books - you can't go wrong with them.

LOST LAKE
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: January 2014
Length: 303 pp
Source: Publisher/Netgalley
Recommend? Absolutely Yes!!

Review: Then Like the Blind Man: Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens

This debut novel, mainly set in Kentucky, is a coming of age story told by a young boy who recently lost his father, gained a stepfather and lives in a world he struggles to understand or like.

When Orbie's mother, Ruby, remarries after the death of his father in a factory accident in Detroit, everything changed. Victor, the stepfather, has new dreams in Florida so the family heads south. They stop in Kentucky, where Ruby's sharecropper parents live and Orbie is told he is going to stay there while Victor and Ruby go on to Florida to 'get things settled'. They are also taking Orbie's little sister with them. Orbie feels completely abandoned in this strange place and counts the days until they return to get him.

Orbie blames Victor for the changes in their lives and he senses that he is not the man his mother thinks he is. As the days and weeks go by, Orbie reluctantly befriends a physically handicapped black boy named Willis and he even begins to understand the ways of life in this Appalachian town.  But the most amazing discovery is in meeting a black man named Moses, who is Willis' caretaker. Moses is said to be some sort of medicine/healer man with magical powers through snake charming. Through strange dreams and magical events, Orbie welcomes the visions that appear to him and the messages they bring but he must decide what is real and what to believe.

My Thoughts:

This is a startling debut that tells a riveting story from this boy's perception. Even though Orbie is young, his insights are sharp. He is a bright and loving boy, even in his most stubborn moods. I instantly felt protective of him from the beginning, knowing how deeply he felt the loss of his father. What makes this story so authentic is the perfectly pitched vernacular of the Appalachian people. It may take some readers a few pages to get into the rhythm, but once there, the words flow seamlessly. Freddie Owens painted such a vivid picture of this life with genuine characters, I couldn't help feel as if I was transported back in time.

Though at first I had difficulty relating to the magical elements of the story, I realize it was not the author's fault, but my own. I've read several books containing this element this year and in each case, I resisted the idea at first. I've come to realize that as much as I want to, it takes me longer to appreciate it and accept it into the stories. That said, in the end, I did find it captivating and felt it made this story special. The fact that it wasn't too much or over the top helped.

The mystery surrounding the death of Orbie's father and the business that Victor was embroiled in kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. There was definitely something amiss with him and I like that Orbie wasn't afraid to question it. I also liked how Orbie grew to appreciate and love his grandparents and realized they were very good people.  

As a debut novel, I found THEN LIKE THE BLIND MAN to be a big success and I would recommend it, especially to lovers of Southern Fiction, who can also appreciate magical realism. If you are interested, the Kindle version of this novel is available at Amazon for just .99 at this time.

THEN LIKE THE BLIND MAN: ORBIE'S STORY
Author: Freddie Owens
website: www.freddieowens.com
Publisher:Blind Sight Publications
Published: November 2012
Length: 324 pp

Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

THE PEACH KEEPER is another delightful example of why I love Sarah Addison Allen's books and the magical themes she puts in them. Here is a brief tidbit about the book, and as always I've left all spoilers out, so don't worry if you have't read it - I'm careful to give nothing away.

In the small town of Walls of Water, North Carolina, Willa Jackson and Paxton Osgood live such separate lives, that their paths seldom cross. They've known each other since childhood yet they don't consider each other friends. 


The Jackons and the Osgoods have deep roots in their community and that history is part of the reason these two have a strained relationship. Willa's family used to be very wealthy and help to put Walls of Water on the map with their logging company that employed many of the townsmen back in the day. But as the economy suffered through The Depression, the Jackson's were forced to close the business, therefore leaving most of the employees without an income. The Jackson's themselves lost everything, including their family home known as The Blue Ridge Madam, built by Willa's great-great-grandfather. Willa has few memories of the grand home, but her connection to it tugs at her soul. Paxton's family bought The Madam and has restored it and converted into an elegant inn with a grand opening gala planned. 


Scandal arises when during the landscaping phase of the renovation, skeletal remains are dug up during the removal of an out of place peach tree.  The girls reluctantly team up and approach their grandmothers, who live in the same nursing home for answers, hopefully before the police discover the connection the two older women have to the apparent victim.


My Thoughts -
As usual, Sarah Addison Allen has woven a story rich in southern charm, suspense and that magic she is known for. Right away we get to know Paxton and Willa and realize how different they are and the vulnerabilities they share. There's a lot of self discovery within the pages, not only with Willa and Paxton, but also with Paxton's twin brother Colin and her friend, Sebastian. I really enjoyed those four characters as they grew to know each other better and trusts began to develop. I also enjoyed how each of these characters learned so much about themselves and were able to become more comfortable in their own skin and not be so guarded.

The magical element of the story is subtle but ever-present and gives the book a whimsical feel. Addison-Allen paints a lovely picture of the small town and all it's treasures, including The Madam. I could close my eyes and envision the little town in my mind and almost smell the peaches.  In fact, I did smell peaches while reading this charming book. I'm serious! I was lucky enough to win my copy of The Peach Keeper from Random House on Twitter along with a peach-scented Yankee Candle.  So when the book arrived they were packaged together so that every time I opened the book or turned a page, the scent of peaches found my nose. It was actually quite a clever idea and made the experience of reading the book even more charming!

THE PEACH KEEPER is one of those books that just makes you happier for reading it. I'd like to thank Random House for my copy that I can now add to my Sarah Addison Allen collection. With Spring right around the corner, this would be a fantastic book to read on Spring Break.

THE PEACH KEEPER
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: Bantam
Published: January 2012
Pages: 304
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!

"Waiting On" Wednesday 4.28.10

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted each week by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a fun weekly meme where we share yet to be released books that we're excited about.

This week my can't wait to read pick is . . .

THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE

Author: Aimee Bender

Release Date: June 1, 2010

Publisher: Doubleday

Pages: 304

Here's a description from Harper Collins -

On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother—her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother—tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose. The curse her gift has bestowed is the secret knowledge all families keep hidden—her mother’s life outside the home, her father’s detachment, her brother’s clash with the world. Yet as Rose grows up she learns to harness her gift and becomes aware that there are secrets even her taste buds cannot discern. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is a luminous tale about the enormous difficulty of loving someone fully when you know too much about them. It is heartbreaking and funny, wise and sad, and confirms Aimee Bender’s place as “a writer who makes you grateful for the very existence of language” (San Francisco Chronicle).

I love books with magical realism and I am really looking forward to this one. It will also be my first Aimee Bender book. What is your can't-wait-to-read book?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Sarah Addison Allen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share titles that are soon to be released that we can't wait to read!

My pick for this week's can't wait to read title is Sarah Addison Allen's new book, THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON. Here's a description from Amazon:

In her latest enchanting novel, New York Times bestelling author Sarah Addison Allen invites you to a quirky little Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon. Here two very different women discover how to find their place in the world…no matter how out of place they feel. Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. For instance, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? Why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life.Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes.Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth and in the hope of bringing back the love she fears she’s lost forever. In Julia, Emily may have found a link to her mother’s past. But why is everyone trying to discourage Emily’s growing relationship with the handsome and mysterious son of Mullaby’s most prominent family? Emily came to Mullaby to get answers, but all she’s found so far are more questions.

Is there really a ghost dancing in her backyard? Can a cake really bring back a lost love? In this town of lovable misfits, maybe the right answer is the one that just feels…different.

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON will be published by Bantam Books on May 12, 2009.

Book Review: The Sugar Queen

THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen has a little bit of everything: family drama, friendship, romance, mystery and a little magic to make it even more interesting. It’s the second release from the author of GARDEN SPELLS from last year, which I read and loved. If you’d like to read that review click here.


This story centers around Josey Cirrini, a 29 year old woman who still lives with her mother, Margaret and does everything possible to gain her acceptance, which she’ll probably never get. Josey lives her life for her mother and the hope that the people of Bald Slope, North Carolina will one day forget what a terrible child she was and how horribly she treated Margaret. Because of her mothers’ relentless bossing around and Josey’s desire to make amends, she doesn’t have any friends, unless you count the sweet treats and romance novels she has hidden in a secret space in her closet. Those friends don’t judge her, they make her feel good. Margaret certainly would not approve of these indulgences. However, things start to change when local rough girl, Della Lee shows up in Josey’s closet one day and threatens to tell her secret unless she does a few things for her. Desperate to keep her secret, Josey reluctantly does what Della Lee says and even though Josey doesn’t realize it right away, she begins to change. Through Della Lee, Josey meets Chloe, who has just found out the love of her life has cheated on her. Their friendship grows quickly and Josey becomes someone Chloe turns to and trusts. Chloe has a special relationship with books that brings a whimsical feel to the story.

I liked this story and the cast of characters very much. They each have their own issues, but it all fits in together to tell a complete story with a satisfying ending. As I’ve said before, I’m not big into the fantasy genre but what I like about Ms. Allen’s books is that the magical element is subtle and incorporated into her stories very nicely. As with Garden Spells, it didn’t monopolize the story at all or become to ’out there’. THE SUGAR QUEEN was an enjoyable, quick read and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who enjoy magical realism.

You can also read Lisa's review of this book at Books On The Brain.

THE SUGAR QUEEN
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: June 2008
Pages: 276
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Book Review: Garden Spells

Sisters Claire and Sydney Waverley live in Bascom, North Carolina and they’ve always known their family was considered a little strange by the townsfolk. For one thing, they have a magic apple tree in their garden that produces very special apples. And that tree is desperate to be considered a part of the family.

Claire is the older of the two sisters and she embraces the Waverley traditions while Sydney has tried to run away from them. After all, their mother hated their home town and ran away from it not once, but twice leaving two small children behind the second time. The two girls deal with their mother’s choice to leave them in very different ways. Claire stays in Bascom and learns the treasured family recipes from their grandmother. She uses the flowers from their special garden in her recipes she makes for her catering business, which is very popular in the community even though some prefer to be secretive about it. Sydney, on the other hand, had little interest in the strange practices and felt she didn’t belong, even though she was born in Bascom and Claire wasn’t. So Sydney leaves town and lives very similarly to how she imagined her mother must’ve lived. Wild and crazy with adventure. And ultimately fear. And it’s that fear that sends her and her daughter home to Bascom.

Garden Spells is the most refreshing, entertaining book I’ve read in some time. I breezed right through it and felt the Waverley magic on every page. I also enjoyed all of the interesting and quirky supporting characters. It not only centers on the two sisters, but a whole cast of characters that easily fit with one another. The story itself was fresh and different. It’s about family, friendship and loyalty. I didn’t know what to expect as I’m not a fan of the fantasy genre, so I didn’t know how I’d feel about this magical realism. But I found it was something I really enjoyed. It was not over the top and it was well incorporated into the story. I can say now I am a fan of this type of writing.

This debut achievement of Ms. Sarah Addison Allen is quite captivating and I look forward to reading more books from her. In fact, her new book The Sugar Queen was just released last month and I’ve heard from early reviewers that it’s equally as entertaining and enjoyable.

Click here to visit Sarah Addison Allen’s website to find out more on Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen and other author news.

Garden Spells
Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: Bantam, August 2007
304 Pages
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!