Tag Archives: Garden Spells

Suspend Belief and Enjoy “The House at the End of Hope Street” by Menna van Pragg

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9781410461346_p0_v1_s192x300   As a fan of magical realism in literature, I thoroughly enjoyed an old book by an author new to me – The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Pragg.  The idea for the story was inspired by van Pragg’s yearning to establish a house for female artists to give them a year to fulfull their artistic ambitions.  This house, however, exists in its own dimension, only appearing to those who need it.

Van Pragg’s story revolves around three women who need motivation to follow their dreams – Alba, the youngest woman admitted to Cambridge who is betrayed by her family and her university advisor; Greer, who at thirty-nine has yet to achieve her goals of becoming an actress and a mother; and Carmen, the sexy singer with a murderous past.

Taking a cue from the Harry Potter books, van Pragg has portraits on the walls coming alive to speak and give advice.  These pictures, however, are of famous women,  from literary giants – Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Parker, Sylvia Plath, Agatha Christie  – to esteemed scientists and suffragettes.  The stream of prominent women marching through the plot adds to the fun as each of the main characters faces her challenge and moves on to a better life.   Words stream by in banners, notes mysteriously drop from the chandeliers, colors surround characters in auras of emotion.  The House mysteriously and suddenly provides whatever its occupants need: a magical wardrobe (a nod to C.S. Lewis), shelves of books with titles constantly refreshed, a baby grand piano.

If you enjoy the tales of Erin Morgenstern, Sarah Addison Allen, and  Alice Hoffman, you might add Menna van Pragg to your list of happy diversions – magical realism with a British flavor.

When I discovered van Pragg had written a book with the irresistible title of Men, Money, and Chocolate (2009) – with recipes, I ordered it immediately as an ebook ($1.99).  The story is a little too heavy on schmaltz and not my style, but the recipes may be worth trying.    Van Pragg’s The Witches of Cambridge, (2016) looks like more fun  and is on my list, as is her latest from England to be published in the United States soon – The Lost Art of Letter Writing.  Unknown-2

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Lost Lake

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9781250019806_p0_v5_s260x420When Sarah Addison Allen offered her free short story online (Waking Kate) as the teaser for her new book Lost Lake, I anticipated an emotional story with a little magic and some romance.  In a recent interview, Allen discussed her recent health issues – as she does in the acknowledgments at the back of the book – and noted that although her writing helped her through a tough time, she was not writing about it.  Instead, Allen stayed with her successful formula from past books, creating relatable characters who overcome adversity and heartbreak to find a new life with the help of quirky magical happenings and, of course, true love.  Laced with just enough drama, the predictable plot is comforting and enjoyable.

In Lost Lake, Kate and her daughter Devin, return to her great-aunt’s holiday campground just as she is about to sell the property to a villainous, greedy land developer.  Recovering from the recent death of her husband, Kate has delayed starting over, until she finds Wes, her first teen love of fifteen years earlier, who has never left the lake.  Allen changes the rules of the formula romance by adding her trademark magic, daring the reader to suspend belief and enjoy the moment.  In this case, a boy reincarnated as an alligator communicates with Devin to save the day.

I’m a fan of Allen since reading Garden Spells, and always enjoy her stories – this latest brought me out of my reading slump.

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Waking Kate

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waking-kate-coverA free short story from Sarah Addison Allen – Waking Kate – that I downloaded to my iPhone has done its job well.  Although the story can stand on its own, the promise of how Kate will continue teases the reader to want to continue the tale in Allen’s newest book – On Lost Lake, due to be published mid-January.

As Kate is waiting for her husband to come home from working at his bicycle shop, her elderly neighbor invites her to help him mark his retirement from Atlanta’s oldest men’s clothing store.  Over a cup of butter coffee, he tells his history, prompting Kate to think about her own life, and foreshadowing major changes soon to come.

Who could resist a free story from the author who charmed readers with magic and romance in Garden Spells.  Have a cup of coffee and check it out – it’s free.

 

The Peach Keeper

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Be careful where you dig; you just might find some bones.

Just when I need a little magic, a little comfort, a happy ending –  Sarah Addison Allen writes another book.  The author of Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, and The Girl Who Chased the Moon, creates another romantic Southern mystery in her latest – The Peach Keeper – full of secrets, a murder, and the powerful forces of friendship.

In digging up an old peach tree to make room for a more stately oak at the historic Jackson estate under renovation, Paxton Osgood discovers a skeleton and an iron frying pan.  The dead remains connect Paxton to Willa Jackson, whose grandmother has been keeping a secret for seventy-five years about Tucker Devlin, a charmingly ruthless traveling salesman.

Only their two grandmothers, old friends who are now in a nursing home, know the real story, which eventually unravels, connecting the next generation and reestablishing the power of the past.  Allen’s books always have some illusions in them, and in this one, she weaves in a few strange asides – shopbells that ring when no one is there; the smell of peaches in the air; cherries eaten out of pictures.   It doesn’t matter to the plot whether you believe or not.

The Peach Keeper is a fast, sweet read – an afternoon delight.

For more Sarah Addison Allen books:   The Girl Who Chased the Moon