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Garden Spells Sarah Addison Allen 9780553805482 Books

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Garden Spells Sarah Addison Allen 9780553805482 Books

The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them.

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways.

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future.

My review

I very seldom give five-star reviews.

I cannot begin to find the words to say how much I love Garden Spells and every single thing Sarah Addison Allen has written to date. I'll just mention that First Frost has just been released and it is sort of a sequel about the next generation.

I found Garden Spells in the supermarket. I rarely even look at the books in the supermarket, but I desperately wanted to find something to read. The copy I picked up was a ridiculous $4.99 at a time when most paperbacks were $10.99 or so. Now I own the kindle version.

I adored the description of the story that I read there in the supermarket. Adored it.

Went home and read it that day. I loved it so much that I immediately re-read it. And loved it all over again. I've read it several more times. I was astonished to learn this was her first published novel.

I just can't say enough good things about it. Honestly, I can't.


Tags : Garden Spells [Sarah Addison Allen] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town,Sarah Addison Allen,Garden Spells,Bantam,0553805487,UMP219067,Contemporary Women,Domestic fiction.,North Carolina;Fiction.,Sisters;Fiction.,AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY FICTION,American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +,Domestic fiction,FICTION Women,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction General,Fiction Literary,Fiction Romance Contemporary,Fiction-General,GENERAL,General Adult,Modern fiction,North Carolina,Sisters,United States

Garden Spells Sarah Addison Allen 9780553805482 Books Reviews

Lovely, detailed and thoroughly interesting story of eccentricities and one very cool tree. Southern feel without beating you overe the head with cliches. I enjoyed the descriptions of the family members and their relationships with each other. How those relationships changed with exposure. Sometimes we have to get close to the things (or people) that make us uncomfortable to truly understand and be understood.
This is a quiet page-turner book with likeable characters (bar one) that you certainly want to discover more about. This is not run-of-the-mill fantasy, but rather - "something unusual this way comes". The use of language is both unusual and captivating - almost wilfully mixing up the senses. Would definitely like to read a second book with the same characters grown a bit older. (Luckily there is one.)
But ... you'll have to read all the way to the end, to receive it because ... if you turn to the end first, you may not totally appreciate the gift until you read the story and see just how it is woven between the pages. What a delight!

I’ve come to greatly appreciate the creative mind of Sarah Addison Allen. This is the second book of hers that I have read and I believe I will continue reading more of her material. Seems mystical realism (if that is what it is called) captivates me and soothes my soul.

The book started off with a “Bang” for me and then slowly began to fade. Somewhere along the way, the story became predictable and the character descriptions and unfolding of events lacked the spark that ignited at the beginning of the story. (For this reason, I knocked off one of the stars.)

I loved the character descriptions in this story. Sarah delivered believable characters, rich in descriptions and characteristics that brought them into full view in the minds eye. Each of them were brilliant!

I also loved Sarah’s portrayal of the magic in the garden ... the way the plants come to life and take on their own characteristics as if they're living and responding to their own life force that is in tandem with each of the characters. I wonder ... does my very own garden speak to me in the same manner and I've just never listened or payed attention? Somehow ... I think it does. I will be paying much closer attention ... with all of my senses from here on out! And who doesn’t want an apple tree that bends, rustles leaves and throws apples in order to communicate?! So delightful! ♥
But here’s the thing … this book was a metaphor for me … as all books are, really.

The metaphors were in each of the characters. Sarah has a delightful way of creating interesting people and weaving them into her stories. Here’s what I resonated with in each of the characters;

Claire The person who craves familiarity, structure and comfort. There’s a method to her ways that keeps her safe and protected. She gets attention and recognized for her creations in the kitchen and as a result, she feels valued and important. After all, she continued a family legacy and made it her own. There’s great satisfaction and comfort in being important enough to have others reach out to you for your gifts and craft … even though it’s the very thing that could be holding her back from living a life in full color that is rich, colorful and juicy.

Sydney The person who feels the pull to follow in someone’s footsteps … even though it’s misunderstood and extremely uncomfortable. It isn’t until her pain reaches an unbearable threshold that she begins to listen to the calling of her soul. She has a gift … a VERY talented gift that is put on hold or acknowledged simply because an event happened in her life that required ALL of her attention. But … the soul will never let up until it is given permission and power to be lived out in full color. This is the space in the book that reminded me that I can indeed listen to the calling of my soul and trust that it will blossom when the time is right and to never give up on that vision and dream. All in good time ♥

Evanelle The one who listens to her intuition without trying to reason with it or bring logic into the picture. This woman lives uncompromisingly and true to the stirrings that “Tickle” within. She doesn’t apologize for them or try to comfort those who don’t understand. She just is and owns it! How many of us try to reason with that still, small voice in order to make sense of things, when all along, if we would just love and trust, EVERYTHING will move according to the Divine plan of the Universe. I loved Evanelle for she validated the nudges of my soul and gave me permission to live out loud in full color and determinedly authentically.

Emma Hate her if you must or … try to understand her and get to know yourself as well. Of all of the characters in this book, she is the most insecure even though she craves power. She does all of the things she was programmed to do and as a result, she really doesn’t know if she is loved and accepted or not. I felt for her in my own way, for I have believed for a very long time in my life that my appearance was all that others saw in me and keeping up my image was a grueling and emotionally taxing façade. Bless her heart, she lived in a state of fear for if she lost the one thing that she really felt she had, who would she be then? I believe there’s a little of Emma in all of us and really, until we all become like Evanelle, we will never truly be free.

This was a delicious and satisfying book. I've been invited to consider new, life giving, ingredients into my cuisine and who knows ... I just may receive the blessings and gifts of them! For now ... I think I'll go bake some zucchini bread and add some Lemon Balm and invite the child within to come to life! Oh how magical!!!
The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them.

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways.

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future.

My review

I very seldom give five-star reviews.

I cannot begin to find the words to say how much I love Garden Spells and every single thing Sarah Addison Allen has written to date. I'll just mention that First Frost has just been released and it is sort of a sequel about the next generation.

I found Garden Spells in the supermarket. I rarely even look at the books in the supermarket, but I desperately wanted to find something to read. The copy I picked up was a ridiculous $4.99 at a time when most paperbacks were $10.99 or so. Now I own the kindle version.

I adored the description of the story that I read there in the supermarket. Adored it.

Went home and read it that day. I loved it so much that I immediately re-read it. And loved it all over again. I've read it several more times. I was astonished to learn this was her first published novel.

I just can't say enough good things about it. Honestly, I can't.