Garden Spells

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm torn between wanting to hate this book and absolutely loving it. The plot was nothing unexpected or even original, but the characters were charming and quirky. There was a lot of personality in this book and I adored it for that reason. I didn't like the poor (and in some places, corny) writing. This was a good, light-hearted read and for that reason I gave it three stars.

Pub. Date: April 2008

Synopsis: 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.

Recommended Reading:
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas