Can you believe that I read The Peach Keeper and The Sugar Queen before I dove headfirst into Sarah Addison Allen’s debut, Garden Spells? Well, I did. And at this point, my blog is starting to feel like a Sarah Addison Allen stan blog, isn’t it? I make no apologies.
I’ve written many glowing reviews before, lauding Sarah Addison Allen as my new favorite magical realism author. After having read her debut, Garden Spells (the first book in the Waverly Family series), I can safely say that my opinion holds true.
If I had found Garden Spells when it was first released, I would have turned into a mouth-breathing fanatic, stalking Allen’s social media until she gave me something else to sink my teeth into.
Garden Spells is more than just a story about a tree that produces prophetic fruit. It’s about the Waverlys, a family native to Bascom, North Carolina, who are tasked with keeping the tree’s secrets. And their own. Claire Waverly—a caterer who makes truly magical meals—and her elder cousin Evanelle are all who are left. But when Claire’s older sister Sydney reappears with a daughter and shadows nipping at her heels, their quiet routines are turned upside down. Haunted by ghosts old and new, the Waverly sisters must come to terms with everything that has torn their family apart and everything that can put them back together.
I have always loved Allen’s ability to weave together multiple storylines, blending friendship, romance, and mystery seamlessly to create engrossing, heart-warming tales. This is one of those books whose story haunts me, even though it’s been a long time since I read the last page and set this book down. This book will always be one that I wish I could read for the first time all over again.
Garden Spells is a truly cozy, healing read that makes its readers wistful for hot, southern nights spent on the porch, watching the fireflies. If you’re looking for something to warm your spirit and take you out of reality for a while, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
You can find Sarah Addison Allen: Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website.
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Ivy Whitaker 