Sarah Addison Allen

On a small island in South Carolina, buried behind the highly tourist-focused main street is a building made up of five condos. When Zoey Hennessy moves into her deceased mother's old condo, she has hopes of both connecting with the mother she barely knew and making some new friends. What she doesn't expect is that the death of one of the other tenants in the condo building will unravel the secrets of several of her new neighbours.

This was a really charming piece of magical realism with a strong theme of found family. All of the characters Allen crafts are deeply sympathetic and there are several reveals that occur over the course of the book that surprised me (although several I saw coming). If you're looking for a soothing read, that provides similar vibes to sinking into a warm bath, this might just be the read for you.… (lisätietoja)

Fun fantasy romance.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 plantsÂ¥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 WaverleysÂ¥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 downÂ¥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 legacyÂ¥if they are ever to feel at home in BascomÂ¥or with each other. Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own.From the Hardcover edition.… (lisätietoja)