BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Sarah Addison Allen’s First Frost and The Girl Who Chased the Moon.
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 … 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….
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A super light read with a mystical twist- I read it every summer!
I read this book for our book club and loved it! I have read several books by this author and have enjoyed all of them. Her books have a magical flair.
Sarah Addison Allen ranks high in my list of favorite authors. Being a native North Carolinian, her descriptions of small towns in NC are evocative of the many small towns I know well. You can almost believe in the magic!
Loved the magic in this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of a small southern town and the community that goes with it. As a reader it was extremely satisfying that the characters actually talked about their issues instead of pages and pages of not talking (which so many authors use to drive the plot; not in this case!). What a great blend of magic, engaging …
love all her books, magical realism in the vein of Alice Hoffman. Light and fun to read. Beautiful imagery.
This is my second book by Ms. Allen, and I was a little disappointed. I read ‘The Girl Who Chased The Moon’ and really enjoyed it, however, this book just didn’t strike the same chord with me. While I kind of enjoyed it, it’s one of those books I’ll completely forget about within a week. None of the characters ever felt real to me. One reviewer …
Not a fan of mystical stories but if you are you would enjoy this one.
I absolutely love this book! It makes me want to read the other books by this author. It’s a beautifully magical story.
This was a random pick from the bookstore…loved it and have read all of Allen’s subsequent work. Very much to my taste.
This book is one of my favorites. It doesn’t disappoint.
Not what I expected. I did not care for the language. I did not hold my interest.
Great book, kept me in suspence.
The subject matter was a bit strange, but the writing kept you very interested. I liked this book very much.
Absolutely love this author!
I enjoyed reading this book ! The action of the garden being a living thing was great!!
I loved this book. It was my introduction to Sarah Addison Allen and I have become quite the reader of her novels.
So good. Read the companion novel, too.
Very good
I loved this book so much that I bought it for friends for Halloween gifts. Great characters that I wish I lived next door to. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from the first to the last page. Well done!!