Magic passed down through generations. An island where strange things happen. One summer that will become legend.Practical Magic meets Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap in this lush, atmospheric novel by acclaimed author Katrina Leno. Georgina Fernweh waits impatiently for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has touched every woman in her family. But with her … that has touched every woman in her family. But with her eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.
Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, falling in love, and the mystery behind one rare three-hundred-year-old bird—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.
Praise for Katrina Leno:
“Leno’s writing is flawless. Readers of all ages will find themselves swept away.” —VOYA
“Charming and sophisticated.” —Kirkus
“Crackles with wit, humor, and enormous love.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Introduces a fierce new presence.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
more
9/10
oh, how i love the magical women trope. this book is no exception. the whole book seems magical, from the cover (somehow) to the sypnosis. the setting is hauntingly beautiful, and the way this was written made me feel like i was really there. the secrets of this book were beautiful, and the ending was stunning and depressing.
keywords: storms, small islander life, maine, birds, mysteries, floods, magic, potions, curses, love
Georgina grew up on the tiny island of By-the-Sea, where all the women in her family were born with extraordinary abilities – except for her. Over the course of one summer, the whole island is changed because of some magic, a missing bird, and a murder.
My favorite part of this book was definitely the atmosphere of the island, which essentially became a character of its own. The writing was so evocative that I could feel the salt in the air, the rain-soaked ground, the windy cliffs. Even when the story ventured into more magical realism territory, it felt grounded in the world because of how solidly the setting was built.
All of the characters in this book were so well done, even the ones that were only on the page for a short time. I especially loved the relationship between Georgina and her mother, which wasn’t central to the plot but was still very sweet. However, there were some points when the pacing felt a little off. And I liked where the story ended up but I wish there had been a bit more setup to make the resolution more satisfying. Still, this is a short and sweet book, one that I read quickly but won’t forget about anytime soon!
In Georgina Fernweh’s family, it’s just accepted: the Fernweh women have magic. Every female in Georgina’s family has received their magic by age of eighteen. Georgina is almost eighteen, though, and she’s shown no sign of getting her magic. Her twin sister, Mary, has floated since birth. Mary and Georgina live on an island, By-the-Sea, which isn’t a regular place to grow up. Strange things happen here: it could snow one minute and be sunny and 70 the next. Their mother concocts sleeping potions when the girls can’t sleep. And every summer people flock to the island to watch a three-hundred-year old bird who may or may not be a Fernweh ancestor. But when something terrible happens on the island, the Fernweh family (and their magic) comes under a suspicious light. And Georgina starts to wonder about her past–and future.
I picked up this book thanks to my Goodreads friend Melanie, whose review convinced me that this was worth reading. I so rarely read a book that wasn’t planned, so thanks! This was totally worth it. This is a beautiful book–it’s well-written, lyrical, and a magical read, both in content and writing.
The storyline on this one is amazing–I have a soft spot for tales about twins. I really liked the dynamic between Georgina and Mary: it was very realistic. The characters are well-developed, and I fell for Georgina immediately. There’s also a wonderful lesbian storyline, which is always a plus. The book weaves a mystical, magical tale–if you can’t suspend disbelief easily, it might not be for you. But it’s so easy to get caught up in the plot, and at its core, it’s a story about families and love.
“‘Well, you won’t have me at college, so you’ll have to make some new friends.’ ‘Ugh. That sounds exhausting. They should assign you friends like they assign you a roommate.'”
There’s also some serious parts to this book and some just freaking amazing quotes related to sexual assault and rape that I wanted to blow up and put on the walls of every high school everywhere. I won’t quote most of them here, due to spoilers, but wow–this is a powerful, powerful novel that had me pumping my fist and cheering for the characters. There’s some real strength here and a message everyone should read, especially in our current times.
“Because there was nothing in a girl’s history that might negate her right to choose what happens to her body.”
Overall, this was a great book. It’s beautifully well-written with excellent characters and a powerful message. This is one where I would love a second book to follow these characters. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars.
Georgina Fernweh is approaching her seventeenth birthday when she will leave the island for the first time ever and live on the mainland and go to college. Going to college is usually a huge event in a persons life, but in Georgina’s case turning seventeen may be even bigger because she still hasn’t manifested her magic. First, she has to get through the summer as the island gets overrun with the Annabelle birdwatchers who arrive annually to catch a glimpse of a very rare bird. In their midst is a beautiful girl and her brother who help change the way Georgina see’s her future and herself.
I loved the mix of magical and reality. Georgina comes from a family of women who are gifted in different ways. Her twin sister’s gift is as mischievous and willful, matching the nature of the girl herself. Georgina, with her lack of magic, is the realist in the family and when tragedy strikes, she finds courage within herself to face the darkness and help her friends and family find the light. This novel dealt with a very difficult subject (rape) but did it in a way that matched the tone of the novel. There’s not much that’s magical about rape, but there can be magic in justice.
Katrina Leno has a magical way with storytelling. The flow of this novel, as with those I’ve read in the past, is very gentle, like the ebb and flow of the surf on the island Georgina lives on. When the conflict hits, that gentle flow is halted with a jerk and then the pace of the novel speeds up increasing your pulse right along with it. I forgot to read the synopsis before I started the book and so the magical bits were a pleasant surprise. Even more pleasant was the surprise that Georgina was secure in her sexuality as a young gay woman. This novel didn’t surprise us with her sexuality, it was built into her character, part of what made Georgina tick and wasn’t the conflict of the plot. It was a sidebar to her lack of magic being the main plot focus making her character feel totally natural. I liked that and I liked her.
If you like good books with a touch of magical realism, I think you should give Summer of Salt a try. You’ll be surprised by the richness of the characters and charmed by the writing. I believe you’ll even track down another of Katrina Leno’s books because you’ll want to see if she can be this good a second time. I’d recommend Everything All At Once!
Add a few great characters and some magical realism, and you’ve got a lovely book. It was sweet and sad, and I wanted to keep reading even though it was already perfect as is.