Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Bantam Discovery (2008), Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it. . . . The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures. A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants�??from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys�??except for Claire�??s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before. When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire�??s quiet life is turned upside down�??along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy�??if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom�??or with each other. Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own. . . . BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Sarah Addison Allen's First Frost and The Girl Who Chas… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member brendajanefrank
I LOVE the idea of a garden with plants bearing magical properties, like the garden owned by Claire, the protagonist in Garden Spells. Claire is a caterer in great demand, since she makes things like honeysuckle wine, which enables people to see in the dark.
The primary theme of Garden Spells is
My only complaint about Garden Spells is that it ended too soon. The Dark villainous former boyfriend of Sydney, Claire's sister, lurks throughout the book, promising to add drama and tension, but this story line is just left dangling, with no development or resolution. A similar theme occurs in Fried Green Tomatoes, but with the development and resolution lacking in Garden Spells.
Nevertheless, Garden Spells is a fun book worth reading just for the magical properties of The Garden and recipes made from its produce.
The primary theme of Garden Spells is
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Love, with a side of Passion, all wrapped in whimsical magic. This intertwines the histories of the families living in the small, Southern town of Bascom, North Carolina. Family defines individuals. The Waverly women are strange and mysterious. The Hopkins men all married older women. The Clark women all were very sexual. My only complaint about Garden Spells is that it ended too soon. The Dark villainous former boyfriend of Sydney, Claire's sister, lurks throughout the book, promising to add drama and tension, but this story line is just left dangling, with no development or resolution. A similar theme occurs in Fried Green Tomatoes, but with the development and resolution lacking in Garden Spells.
Nevertheless, Garden Spells is a fun book worth reading just for the magical properties of The Garden and recipes made from its produce.
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LibraryThing member MerryMary
When I hit the last page, I immediately started reading this one all over. It is that good. This is a story of sisters, of reconciliation, of finding where you belong, of making peace with your past and embracing your future. It is also a story of magic and fate.
The Waverly women have odd gifts
The characters are delicately drawn and live and breathe. The magic is subtle and quirky. The romance is warm, wonderful, and sometimes sets small fires. Magic doesn't solve all the problems - in fact it causes some. The characters are not perfect, and they deny, run, twist and turn trying to escape what fate has in store. This books is so worth your time.
The Waverly women have odd gifts
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that set them apart from the rest of their small town. Claire settles into the security of the old home, and is determined never to leave and never to trust the permanence of relationships. Sydney has chased the excitement of the open road, lied and stolen her way from coast to coast, and never known what it is to be loved. Bay knows where things belong, and she can't understand why her mother doesn't see as clearly as she does where they should be. Cousin Evanelle worries about others and doesn't realize how lonely she herself is.The characters are delicately drawn and live and breathe. The magic is subtle and quirky. The romance is warm, wonderful, and sometimes sets small fires. Magic doesn't solve all the problems - in fact it causes some. The characters are not perfect, and they deny, run, twist and turn trying to escape what fate has in store. This books is so worth your time.
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LibraryThing member KathyWoodall
A modern fairy tale set in North Carolina. 2 sisters Claire and Sydney Waverley who come to terms with their troubled pasts. Claire owns her own catering buisness and Sdyney is the mother of 6 year old Bay. At the center of this tale is an apple tree. What makes the apple tree special is that the
An absolute enchanting story that keeps the readers hooked up to the end. Only thing that bothered me was that it ended way to quick.
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apples are prophetic. An absolute enchanting story that keeps the readers hooked up to the end. Only thing that bothered me was that it ended way to quick.
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LibraryThing member Doey
Glad I didn't pay for this one. Makes me wish we could rate by negative stars. Or at least by black holes.
LibraryThing member countrylife
This is a fun little beach read about sisters and the things in life that really matter. Big sister Claire Waverley, 34, inherits her grandmother's Queen Anne house and its mysterious garden which includes an apple tree whose fruit can enable the eater to see his future. Little sister, Sydney, has
Claire can cook, and uses her garden's abundance to concoct dishes that fit. She set up a table on the front porch and served turkey salad in zucchini blossoms. She knew Tyler was immune to her dishes, but Rachel wouldn't be, and zucchini blossoms aided in understanding. Rachel needed to understand that Tyler was hers. At the end, From the Waverley Kitchen Journal, gives notes about the various flowers and herbs in her garden. One listing is Dandelion – A stimulant encouraging faithfulness. Frequent side effects are blindness to flaws and spontaneous apologies.
Nothing more than a quick, fun little walk through a garden of magical realism, but I enjoyed it. (3-1/2 stars)
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come home with her daughter to escape an abusive relationship and the sisters become close as they never were in childhood, when being a Waverley meant nothing more than being the strange ones in the community. Predictably, the sisters grow into their name and embrace those things which make them different, as each Waverley has her own special gift. Claire can cook, and uses her garden's abundance to concoct dishes that fit. She set up a table on the front porch and served turkey salad in zucchini blossoms. She knew Tyler was immune to her dishes, but Rachel wouldn't be, and zucchini blossoms aided in understanding. Rachel needed to understand that Tyler was hers. At the end, From the Waverley Kitchen Journal, gives notes about the various flowers and herbs in her garden. One listing is Dandelion – A stimulant encouraging faithfulness. Frequent side effects are blindness to flaws and spontaneous apologies.
Nothing more than a quick, fun little walk through a garden of magical realism, but I enjoyed it. (3-1/2 stars)
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LibraryThing member sunfi
Good story, you could feel the humidity in the air and smell the fresh flowers just reading this one. It took me a chapter or so to get into it but I really enjoyed it once I did. The story was just very charming.
LibraryThing member snat
In Bascom, North Carolina, everyone is destined to live up to their family name. Clark women are lascivious femme fatales, Mattesons will be wealthy and will put family duty first, Hopkins men always marry older women, and the females of the Waverley clan always manifest a quaint magical talent.
Sydney grew up a Waverley, but didn't embrace the stigma associated with her name in the way her sister, Claire, did. Sydney's been everywhere, man, but her free spirit has finally been trapped by an abusive husband and her commitment to her 5 year old daughter. When Sydney finally musters the courage to escape, there's only one place for her to go--back to Bascom and a sister who despises her. When Sydney returns, she must confront the past, mend her relationship with Claire, and embrace what it means to be a Waverley--all the while knowing that trouble is most likely following her and could threaten the very lives of those she loves the most.
Garden Spells is a nice little book. Just awfully darn nice. Everything's beautiful and brimming with Southern charm, the characters could have been pulled off the street in Mayberry and sprinkled with pixie dust, and we know there's a happily ever after awaiting everyone. I'll give Allen credit--there were some unexpected thorns and rough edges amid a plot that was as insubstantial as an Angel Food Cake (this also means that I laughed my ass off when I read the 1 star reviews on this book to find so many readers of "wholesome" novels were disgusted and couldn't go on when the first F bomb was dropped or during the first sex scene), but it was predictable and sweet and light-reading. It was the perfect book for vacation because I didn't have to think much and I could easily pick the plot line back up after being distracted. However, that's generally not what I'm looking for in a novel, so I don't think I'll seek out any more Allen books (although I already have The Sugar Queen on my shelf--it may go with me on my next vacation, but that will probably be my last encounter with Allen's particular brand of magical realism). There were some groan-worthy moments (such as when Ariel Clark is described as smelling like "peaches and cottonwood"--wtf kind of fragrance is that? Who smells like a cottonwood?), but there were some characters who held some undeniable charm for me. The most interesting character, unfortunately, wasn't a main character (I found the Waverley sisters to be rather tiresome). It was Evanelle, an elderly relative of the Waverley sisters, whom I found the most interesting. Evanelle's peculiar talent manifested itself as a compulsive need to give things to people--specific things which always turned out to have a purpose, though Evanelle never knew what that purpose was when giving (at one point she was overwhelmed by the need to give a woman a box of condoms, even though the woman's husband had been left impotent after a WWII injury--it turns out she had been having an affair and ended up pregnant because she didn't accept Evanelle's gift). The chain of events that would occur after Evanelle presented a gift to someone were often the best stories in the novel.
Many of the other reviews have compared this novel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, another magical realism book about two polar opposite sisters from a magical family, and some other readers have gone so far as to suggest that Allen has plagiarized Hoffman. I don't think that's quite the case, but the similarities are hard to ignore. However, I enjoyed Practical Magic immensely because there was an undertone of darkness and menace, which Garden Spells lacks. Also, Hoffman includes a little more magical realism while the magic in Allen's book is pretty light. In fact, Allen might be best labeled as "Hoffman-Lite." And that's why I think I'll stick with Hoffman from this point on.
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Fate is heavy-handed in Bascom. There's no escaping your name and there's no escaping your heritage, even though Sydney Waverley, just like her mother before her, has tried.Sydney grew up a Waverley, but didn't embrace the stigma associated with her name in the way her sister, Claire, did. Sydney's been everywhere, man, but her free spirit has finally been trapped by an abusive husband and her commitment to her 5 year old daughter. When Sydney finally musters the courage to escape, there's only one place for her to go--back to Bascom and a sister who despises her. When Sydney returns, she must confront the past, mend her relationship with Claire, and embrace what it means to be a Waverley--all the while knowing that trouble is most likely following her and could threaten the very lives of those she loves the most.
Garden Spells is a nice little book. Just awfully darn nice. Everything's beautiful and brimming with Southern charm, the characters could have been pulled off the street in Mayberry and sprinkled with pixie dust, and we know there's a happily ever after awaiting everyone. I'll give Allen credit--there were some unexpected thorns and rough edges amid a plot that was as insubstantial as an Angel Food Cake (this also means that I laughed my ass off when I read the 1 star reviews on this book to find so many readers of "wholesome" novels were disgusted and couldn't go on when the first F bomb was dropped or during the first sex scene), but it was predictable and sweet and light-reading. It was the perfect book for vacation because I didn't have to think much and I could easily pick the plot line back up after being distracted. However, that's generally not what I'm looking for in a novel, so I don't think I'll seek out any more Allen books (although I already have The Sugar Queen on my shelf--it may go with me on my next vacation, but that will probably be my last encounter with Allen's particular brand of magical realism). There were some groan-worthy moments (such as when Ariel Clark is described as smelling like "peaches and cottonwood"--wtf kind of fragrance is that? Who smells like a cottonwood?), but there were some characters who held some undeniable charm for me. The most interesting character, unfortunately, wasn't a main character (I found the Waverley sisters to be rather tiresome). It was Evanelle, an elderly relative of the Waverley sisters, whom I found the most interesting. Evanelle's peculiar talent manifested itself as a compulsive need to give things to people--specific things which always turned out to have a purpose, though Evanelle never knew what that purpose was when giving (at one point she was overwhelmed by the need to give a woman a box of condoms, even though the woman's husband had been left impotent after a WWII injury--it turns out she had been having an affair and ended up pregnant because she didn't accept Evanelle's gift). The chain of events that would occur after Evanelle presented a gift to someone were often the best stories in the novel.
Many of the other reviews have compared this novel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, another magical realism book about two polar opposite sisters from a magical family, and some other readers have gone so far as to suggest that Allen has plagiarized Hoffman. I don't think that's quite the case, but the similarities are hard to ignore. However, I enjoyed Practical Magic immensely because there was an undertone of darkness and menace, which Garden Spells lacks. Also, Hoffman includes a little more magical realism while the magic in Allen's book is pretty light. In fact, Allen might be best labeled as "Hoffman-Lite." And that's why I think I'll stick with Hoffman from this point on.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
This book was just what I needed for a busy holiday weekend. I loved meeting the Waverley sisters. Claire lives in the family house in Bascam, NC. She cares for the garden and has many of the mysterious talents of previous generations of Waverleys, talents that no longer surprise the people of
This was an enjoyable story with an interesting supporting cast. I suppose that one might categorize this book as magical realism, but it was done with a light touch. I found that I cared about the Waverley sisters less because of their unique talents than because of they way that they cared for one another. It was rooting for the two of them that made me stay up into the night to find out what happened next.
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Bascam. Sydney left Bascam as soon as she could after high school, but when she is faced with trouble, she brings her daughter back home. Claire and Sydney bring out the best in each other, but will they be able to protect each other? Answering that question made me turn the pages quickly in this debut novel.This was an enjoyable story with an interesting supporting cast. I suppose that one might categorize this book as magical realism, but it was done with a light touch. I found that I cared about the Waverley sisters less because of their unique talents than because of they way that they cared for one another. It was rooting for the two of them that made me stay up into the night to find out what happened next.
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LibraryThing member little-sparrow
A fun, light, easy read whose storyline combines magical herbs, foods and flowers. Similar to the book Practical Magic.
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
What a surprisingly enjoyable book! I listened to this one on my evening commute, and was hooked in much faster than I'd expected. I hadn't read anything else by this author before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect... and I find magical realism so hit-or-miss that I was a bit nervous about
The story is a family drama with a hint of magic, which actually sounds really boring when I think about it... when the main character's long-lost sister returns to their hometown, Claire has to deal with her past wounds and closed heart, and a curious town full of interfering busybodies. The sisters are the last in their family line, who are endowed with a special gift (in fact, it seems many of the town's residents have "special gifts") -- and as cheesy as that sounds, the talents/gifts possessed by the characters are subtle and seamlessly woven into the narrative.
My favorite character of the whole thing was, however, the apple tree. There were moments when the tree's antics threatened to throw the story out of proportion, but I Allen was able to rein it in just enough to keep the storyline believable and consistent.
While I empathized with Claire throughout many parts of the story, my only complaint is with the two (three?) sex scenes in the story. They weren't bad or anything, just... a little bizarre, considering the ethereal nature of the rest of the story. They jarred me out of the narrative, and I think they could have been completed with a lighter touch or perhaps a fade to black a bit sooner than they did.
But on the whole, a lovely and satisfying read.
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whether it would be worth the time. Well, it was, and I plan on picking up more from this author in the near future.The story is a family drama with a hint of magic, which actually sounds really boring when I think about it... when the main character's long-lost sister returns to their hometown, Claire has to deal with her past wounds and closed heart, and a curious town full of interfering busybodies. The sisters are the last in their family line, who are endowed with a special gift (in fact, it seems many of the town's residents have "special gifts") -- and as cheesy as that sounds, the talents/gifts possessed by the characters are subtle and seamlessly woven into the narrative.
My favorite character of the whole thing was, however, the apple tree. There were moments when the tree's antics threatened to throw the story out of proportion, but I Allen was able to rein it in just enough to keep the storyline believable and consistent.
While I empathized with Claire throughout many parts of the story, my only complaint is with the two (three?) sex scenes in the story. They weren't bad or anything, just... a little bizarre, considering the ethereal nature of the rest of the story. They jarred me out of the narrative, and I think they could have been completed with a lighter touch or perhaps a fade to black a bit sooner than they did.
But on the whole, a lovely and satisfying read.
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LibraryThing member DoingDewey
I've only read two books by Sarah Addison Allen (this and Lost Lake), but I can already tell that I like her style. As with my first review, I should say that this book is tailor made for me. It has everything I love in a book and was the perfect light read for while I was (am!) busier than ever
5. It requires no explanation. When I read fantasy, I generally like the magical system to obey clearly defined rules. With magical realism, I still like the magic to be internally consistent, but I feel like I can relax more and just accept that the magic is what it is.
4. It is an explanation. At the same time, magical realism often makes it make sense that everything will work out perfectly. While I enjoy books where everything comes together neatly at the end, sometimes that becomes too unbelievable. A pinch of magic helps explain why everything would work out.
3. It helps make quirky characters. Magical realism is always the addition of a pinch of magic to our world and I find that the best authors make that magic a part of their characters' personalities. The magic suits them, it helps define who they are, and it makes them even more quirky and unique.
2. It's always creative. The fusion of magic and reality to create an entirely new world usually leads to something that feels different from anything else I've read. Some of the least derivative books I've read are part of this genre.
1. It inspires a sense of wonder. As I said in my Lost Lake review, I like happy stories and there isn’t much that’s more optimistic than magic that you almost believe could exist. My very favorite thing about magical realism is the way it transforms the everyday into something amazing.
All of these elements are part of why I fell in love with Garden Spells and can't wait to read the sequel First Frost this week!This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey.
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writing the first paper for my thesis. That said, this book will probably work best for you if you share my love of quirky characters, interconnected stories, and plots where everything works out neatly. SAA does all of these things well. She also does an exceptional job incorporating all of the things I love about magical realism in general, which include:5. It requires no explanation. When I read fantasy, I generally like the magical system to obey clearly defined rules. With magical realism, I still like the magic to be internally consistent, but I feel like I can relax more and just accept that the magic is what it is.
4. It is an explanation. At the same time, magical realism often makes it make sense that everything will work out perfectly. While I enjoy books where everything comes together neatly at the end, sometimes that becomes too unbelievable. A pinch of magic helps explain why everything would work out.
3. It helps make quirky characters. Magical realism is always the addition of a pinch of magic to our world and I find that the best authors make that magic a part of their characters' personalities. The magic suits them, it helps define who they are, and it makes them even more quirky and unique.
2. It's always creative. The fusion of magic and reality to create an entirely new world usually leads to something that feels different from anything else I've read. Some of the least derivative books I've read are part of this genre.
1. It inspires a sense of wonder. As I said in my Lost Lake review, I like happy stories and there isn’t much that’s more optimistic than magic that you almost believe could exist. My very favorite thing about magical realism is the way it transforms the everyday into something amazing.
All of these elements are part of why I fell in love with Garden Spells and can't wait to read the sequel First Frost this week!This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey.
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LibraryThing member bastet
I'm obviously the odd person out here. I don't know what all the hoopla was about regarding this book. Barnes and Noble acted like it was the greatest book of the year. (It did this to me with "The Double Bind," too, which I found very manipulative and irritating.)
This book tries too hard to sound
I have to say this, the characters were great and she did a wonderful job with them.
The plot was not so great, and the ending had a very clunky feel.
So, a very average book that's getting some un-earned hype.
This book tries too hard to sound
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like Alice Hoffman without putting the subtle touches in that Hoffman uses to make her magical realism so haunting. Allen just dumps the magic in front of the reader with no lead-up at all.I have to say this, the characters were great and she did a wonderful job with them.
The plot was not so great, and the ending had a very clunky feel.
So, a very average book that's getting some un-earned hype.
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LibraryThing member CasualFriday
Allen's debut novel involves a North Carolina family with unusual gifts, an unusual garden and a very unusual apple tree. Claire Waverley, a self-contained spinster, has stayed in the family homestead and supported
herself with a catering business based on edible flowers. Her wares are delicious,
Claire seems to have a Samantha Stevens-like desire to deny her own powers, but suddenly her careful, quiet life is upended by the arrival of Tyler, a handsome new next door neighbor, and then by her prodigal sister Sydney,
fleeing an abusive lover.
This was a charming premise in the service of what turns out to be a very pedestrian romance. I would have liked much more tree, and much less Tyler. The tree had more personality.
herself with a catering business based on edible flowers. Her wares are delicious,
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and also, incidentally, magical. The apple tree in the yard bears the most powerful magic: its fruit shows the eater the most important thing that will happen in his or her life.Claire seems to have a Samantha Stevens-like desire to deny her own powers, but suddenly her careful, quiet life is upended by the arrival of Tyler, a handsome new next door neighbor, and then by her prodigal sister Sydney,
fleeing an abusive lover.
This was a charming premise in the service of what turns out to be a very pedestrian romance. I would have liked much more tree, and much less Tyler. The tree had more personality.
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LibraryThing member stephaniechase
This book was utterly enchanting -- I could not put it down! Allen perfectly mixes the trials and tribulations of everyday life with a healthy dose of magic, with perfect results. I found myself rooting for characters as if they were my own neighbors; they were so well-crafted. Certainly one of the
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best books I've read in 2008. Show Less
LibraryThing member bremmd
She's done it to me again. I was minding my own business ~ really I was minding the business of Clair Waverley, her sister Sydney, and their cousin Evanelle ~ and sneaky old Sarah kept me awake all night. This is my second novel by this author and I'm absolutely in love with her stories. She really
"Garden Spells" tells the story of the Waverley sisters and the cousin. All have a certain talent that make them stand out from and sought out by the people of Bascom, North Carolina. Clair can use the mystical flowers and herbs growing in the Waverley garden to help people calm their children, remind lovers of past good times, or discourage the amorous intentions. Cousin Evanelle has always been driven to give people things, unusual items to unsuspecting recipients whose uses become clear. Enter long lost sister Sydney and her daughter Bay. After 10 years on the run from a family legacy she didn't thing she wanted Sydney is back trying to forget the dangerous life she left behind. Sydney soon discovers her Waverley gift and that Bay is a Waverley too.
There's a lot of love and magic and happiness in this story. The character are flawed but lovable and I found myself hoping they all have a happy ending. The love interests and secondary characters all help to make the story richer and more interesting. Plus who doesn't love a story with an ornery apple tree whose apples will make you see the most important event of your life and wants to tell you so much it will throw it's apples at you.
I've been swept away by both of Sarah's books. The third one is one the waiting list at my library and I'm waiting to get all three books she's published through Paperback Book Swap. She has a new one coming out soon but not soon enough for me. Please Sarah hurry and write faster. I need another night I don't get to bed until 2AM.
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works her magic over me and both her books so far are just filled with magic."Garden Spells" tells the story of the Waverley sisters and the cousin. All have a certain talent that make them stand out from and sought out by the people of Bascom, North Carolina. Clair can use the mystical flowers and herbs growing in the Waverley garden to help people calm their children, remind lovers of past good times, or discourage the amorous intentions. Cousin Evanelle has always been driven to give people things, unusual items to unsuspecting recipients whose uses become clear. Enter long lost sister Sydney and her daughter Bay. After 10 years on the run from a family legacy she didn't thing she wanted Sydney is back trying to forget the dangerous life she left behind. Sydney soon discovers her Waverley gift and that Bay is a Waverley too.
There's a lot of love and magic and happiness in this story. The character are flawed but lovable and I found myself hoping they all have a happy ending. The love interests and secondary characters all help to make the story richer and more interesting. Plus who doesn't love a story with an ornery apple tree whose apples will make you see the most important event of your life and wants to tell you so much it will throw it's apples at you.
I've been swept away by both of Sarah's books. The third one is one the waiting list at my library and I'm waiting to get all three books she's published through Paperback Book Swap. She has a new one coming out soon but not soon enough for me. Please Sarah hurry and write faster. I need another night I don't get to bed until 2AM.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I listened to this book on audio. I picked it out because it sounded interesting, magical, and had gotten wonderful reviews. I am very glad I listened to it; it was a wonderful book unlike anything I have read before.
The Waverly family has magic. There are two sisters; Claire can make people feel
This was a beautiful book, there is no other way to describe it. It is written in such a way that you can smell the flowers and see their beauty; the description is wonderful. The characters are beautiful too; they are flawed but always striving to obtain happiness and do the best that they can to make others happy.
I wasn't sure if I would like this book. It seems more aimed at middle-aged women than anything else. Even though the women involved are older, I grew to love them and the grace with which they struggled through life. There is quite a bit about love in this book, not exactly romance, but love between family members, mother-daughter, and about finding new love.
The book has a light sense of humor throughout and really tugged at my emotions. Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud, sometimes angry, and sometimes almost in tears. It takes a great writer who can write engaging characters to evoke all those emotions in a reader and Allen suceeded at this.
You'll love the complex, intelligent women in this book. You'll cherish the struggles they go through; you'll read about how wonderful life can be when you strive to make it so. The actual magic in this book is subtle but definitely one of the driving influences in these women's lives. There is even more magic in the every day struggles the characters go through both with their personal issues and their past histories.
Loved this book. Different from what I normally read and aimed at an older female audience. Still I think many people will enjoy this book; there is a lot of subtle magic here, beautiful description, and it ends happily. Definitely a feel-good book. I will most likely check out some other works by Laura Addison Allen when I get the chance.
The Waverly family has magic. There are two sisters; Claire can make people feel
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things with the flowers she uses in her cooking and Sydney can make your hair look better than it ever has. Sydney's daughter, Bay, knows where things below and where they should be. Evelyn, an older cousin to the sisters, knows when people need will need something and gives people strange things that they do eventually need. It is mostly passive magic and is subtly woven in throughout the story. The bigger part of the story deals with these women and their lives, as well as their quest to find happiness. Claire is set in her way and doesn't want to change for anything or anyone, least of all for a man. When Sydney arrives with Bay in tow, fleeing an abusive husband, Claire's routine is sent askew. Claire's nice life is further disrupted when her neighbor claims he is in love with her and tries to win her heart. Oh and let's not forget the magical apple tree that keeps secrets of its own.This was a beautiful book, there is no other way to describe it. It is written in such a way that you can smell the flowers and see their beauty; the description is wonderful. The characters are beautiful too; they are flawed but always striving to obtain happiness and do the best that they can to make others happy.
I wasn't sure if I would like this book. It seems more aimed at middle-aged women than anything else. Even though the women involved are older, I grew to love them and the grace with which they struggled through life. There is quite a bit about love in this book, not exactly romance, but love between family members, mother-daughter, and about finding new love.
The book has a light sense of humor throughout and really tugged at my emotions. Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud, sometimes angry, and sometimes almost in tears. It takes a great writer who can write engaging characters to evoke all those emotions in a reader and Allen suceeded at this.
You'll love the complex, intelligent women in this book. You'll cherish the struggles they go through; you'll read about how wonderful life can be when you strive to make it so. The actual magic in this book is subtle but definitely one of the driving influences in these women's lives. There is even more magic in the every day struggles the characters go through both with their personal issues and their past histories.
Loved this book. Different from what I normally read and aimed at an older female audience. Still I think many people will enjoy this book; there is a lot of subtle magic here, beautiful description, and it ends happily. Definitely a feel-good book. I will most likely check out some other works by Laura Addison Allen when I get the chance.
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LibraryThing member lina_em
This is such a beautifully written story! The writing is absolutely exquisite hitting all the right emotion. It left me crying, laughing, sighing, and melting with desire. One of the best books I've read! The story is sad, uplifting, and strong but all the while, it brought out old memories and
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made you want to build new memories with all the right recipe. Show Less
LibraryThing member CynWetzel
This was a fun read, just what I wanted at the end of a summer term of graduate classes!
LibraryThing member bookgal123
Lovely and charming. I'm not usually a fan of magical realism, but there's just something about Allen's characters and setting that pulled me in. A must read for fans of Alice Hoffman.
LibraryThing member cherpy
A bewitching tale of sisters with a herbalist view. Reminiscent of the movie Practical Magic
LibraryThing member thornton37814
This is a delightful book. Sydney Waverley had always wanted nothing more than to get out of her town of Bascom, North Carolina. After being involved in an abusive relationship, she finds herself heading back there to provide safety and security for her daughter Bay. She moves in with her sister
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Claire who has never been involved in a romantic relationship. There is an apple tree in their yard with magical powers, a colorful relative named Evanelle who has quite the instinct for gift-giving, and several other memorable characters. It was a fascinating read that held my attention as I waited on the inevitable to happen. I do caution fellow Christians that the book contains premarital sex and characters who live alternative lifestyles. Show Less
LibraryThing member MuseofIre
I am in love with this book, which is all about love and loss and hurt and happiness. It's about families, about small towns where you carry the baggage of all your ancestors, and about sisters. It's about wanting to belong, and what happens when you don't. It's about magic, and some seriously
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tasty-sounding food. Go read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member onyx95
The house of Waverley had always held something magical for the women who lived in it and the town that lived around it. Claire had made good use of the flowers that bloomed under that magical apple tree, she had made a good career catering to the whims of the town, now that her sister had come
This is the debut novel for Sarah Addison Allen, WOW, this book is so good I can’t write out a synopsis because I am so afraid of giving away too much. The character dynamics are fantastic, I fell in love with Claire, Tyler, Evenelle and all the rest. I really enjoyed the magical elements to the apple tree, the gift giving, the sense of placement and belonging. They were so subtle at times that it made you believe in the possibility of it all. I felt chills, laughed out loud, cried, cringed and even yelled at the book, I was so enveloped in this book I was talking to the apple tree myself. Absolutely wonderful and magical book of romance, family love, and acceptance.
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home, and a new man had moved in next door, her world had been turned upside down.This is the debut novel for Sarah Addison Allen, WOW, this book is so good I can’t write out a synopsis because I am so afraid of giving away too much. The character dynamics are fantastic, I fell in love with Claire, Tyler, Evenelle and all the rest. I really enjoyed the magical elements to the apple tree, the gift giving, the sense of placement and belonging. They were so subtle at times that it made you believe in the possibility of it all. I felt chills, laughed out loud, cried, cringed and even yelled at the book, I was so enveloped in this book I was talking to the apple tree myself. Absolutely wonderful and magical book of romance, family love, and acceptance.
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LibraryThing member Lost_Lenore
Wonderful, charming and delightful. A story that will warm your heart and give you a smile, best of all, try reading it in a nice garden...i'm sure you'll feel the magic :)
LibraryThing member cybrarian_wi
This book was quite a surprise. Very likeable characters and the plot kept my attention. I haven't read a lot of "southern fiction" but I would describe this as very "southern" because of some of the quirkier elements. It didn't feel so much like fantasy (an apple tree is a primary character in the
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book) as it felt like a regular work of fiction with some unusual components. Show Less
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — Women's Fiction — 2008)
Southern Book Prize (Winner — Fiction — 2008)
Language
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
320 p.; 6.94 inches
ISBN
0553590324 / 9780553590326