Sarah Addison Allen lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.
“It’s refreshing to find a Southern novel that doesn’t depend on
folksy humor or stereotypes but instead on the imaginative use of
magical realism. Just buy it, read it, and recommend it to
others.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Garden Spells is so tender and enchanting, it drew me in on page
one, and held me captivated—without letting me go for even a
minute—until the end. I fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen’s
writing, and her world. She believes in love, and that’s her magic:
She conjures a garden of moon vine and angel’s trumpet, fills it
with characters who need each other, and writes so well you’ll
never forget any of them.”—Luanne Rice
“Sarah Addison Allen has crafted a wonderful story that will cast a
spell on everyone who has the pleasure of reading it. Garden Spells
has a harvest of rich characters, a plot that will have you
checking what you eat, and a heart that is overflowing with the
tangled joys and sorrows of love and life.” —Kris Radish
“Garden Spells is a rare and mesmerizing novel, brimming with light
and fierce joy and the sharp shadows that must accompany such a
tale. I desperately want to go live in Bascom and fall asleep in
the Waverleys’ garden and let the magic and sweetness fill my every
hour with its heady sense of possibility. So will you. This is one
of the most charming books I’ve read in ages!” —Barbara Samuel
“Garden Spells is truly spellbinding, beautifully crafted and as
bewitching as the title suggests. This is Southern charm at its
most beguiling, with characters you’ll take to your heart, a
delicious love story, and a magical garden you’ll wish was in your
own backyard. I devoured it in one sitting and was left eagerly
awaiting Sarah Addison Allen’s next novel.”—Eileen Goudge
“Charming.... [Imbued] with a Southern charm that readers won't
want to resist any more than they would Claire's violet
cake.”—Christian Science Monitor
Two gifted sisters draw on their talents to belatedly forge a bond and find their ways in life in Allen's easygoing debut novel. Thirty-four-year-old Claire Waverley manifests her talent in cooking; using edible flowers, Claire creates dishes that "affect the eater in curious ways." But not all Waverley women embrace their gifts; some, including Claire's mother, escape the family's eccentric reputation by running away. She abandoned Claire and her sister when they were young. Consequently, Claire has remained close to home, unwilling to open up to new people or experiences. Claire's younger sister, Sydney, however, followed in their mother's footsteps 10 years ago and left for New York, and after a string of abusive, roustabout boyfriends, returns to Bascom, N.C., with her five-year-old daughter, Bay. As Sydney reacquaints herself with old friends and rivals, she discovers her own Waverley magic. Claire, in turn, begins to open up to her sister and in the process learns how to welcome other possibilities. Though Allen's prose can lean toward the pedestrian and the romance subplots feel perfunctory, the blending of horticultural folklore, the supernatural and a big dollop of Southern flavor should find favor with a wide swath of readers. (Aug.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"It's refreshing to find a Southern novel that doesn't depend on
folksy humor or stereotypes but instead on the imaginative use of
magical realism. Just buy it, read it, and recommend it to
others."-Library Journal, starred review
"Garden Spells is so tender and enchanting, it drew me in on
page one, and held me captivated-without letting me go for even a
minute-until the end. I fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen's
writing, and her world. She believes in love, and that's her magic:
She conjures a garden of moon vine and angel's trumpet, fills it
with characters who need each other, and writes so well you'll
never forget any of them."-Luanne Rice
"Sarah Addison Allen has crafted a wonderful story that will cast a
spell on everyone who has the pleasure of reading it.
Garden Spells has a harvest of rich characters, a plot that
will have you checking what you eat, and a heart that is
overflowing with the tangled joys and sorrows of love and life."
-Kris Radish
"Garden Spells is a rare and mesmerizing novel, brimming
with light and fierce joy and the sharp shadows that must accompany
such a tale. I desperately want to go live in Bascom and fall
asleep in the Waverleys' garden and let the magic and sweetness
fill my every hour with its heady sense of possibility. So will
you. This is one of the most charming books I've read in ages!"
-Barbara Samuel
"Garden Spells is truly spellbinding, beautifully crafted
and as bewitching as the title suggests. This is Southern charm at
its most beguiling, with characters you'll take to your heart, a
delicious love story, and a magical garden you'll wish was in your
own backyard. I devoured it in one sitting and was left eagerly
awaiting Sarah Addison Allen's next novel."-Eileen Goudge
"Charming.... [Imbued] with a Southern charm that readers won't
want to resist any more than they would Claire's violet
cake."-Christian Science Monitor
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