Book: Garden Spells (Waverley Family book #1) by Sarah Addison Allen
Edition: Paperback
Description:
In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree 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 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. For the Waverley history is in the soil. And so are their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants -- from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents 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. 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.
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
Garden Spells is a wonderfully enchanting story about family, food, romance, magic and facing your past. The story mainly focused on sisters Claire and Sydney Waverley who for the past ten years have been rather estranged. Claire had been living in their hometown Bascom, North Carolina trying to continue to build a permanent existence but she has made her life so contained that she does not want to let anyone in and certainly not her new neighbor Tyler Hughes. Because to Claire all she needed was her home, her catering business, her garden and her elderly cousin Evanelle. And nothing else.
Meanwhile, her younger sister Sydney had been doing everything she could to avoid the small town. She had traveled around living a wayward life trying her best to live up to the "carefree" lifestyle her mother had. However, she found her life quickly turned to trouble when she met David, he was extremely abusive and controlling. For years she had felt trapped but she didn't want their daughter Bay to stay in this terrible environment and with some much needed help Sydney and Bay were able to escape. And there was only one place she could think of to go, her hometown Bascom.
When Sydney was a teenager she hated living in Bascom just as much as she hated being a Waverley, but turns out the two things she had been running away from would end up being exactly what she needed. I think Sydney and Bay going back to Bascom to stay with Claire was just what Claire needed as well. The sisters had a lot of emotional baggage between them and about their late mother. Initially, Claire was not thrilled with her sister showing up out of the blue but gradually Sydney and Bay's presence in her house and in her life started to feel as if they belong there. Because Claire's life had become too rigid and closed off but thanks to unexpected changes, she also found herself considering the possibility of love even if she was trying her best to dissuade Tyler's affections.
Love and romance were the last thing Sydney was thinking of especially after getting away from David but reconnecting with her childhood friend Henry Hopkins brought with it a renewed friendship and perhaps something more. Despite all the good things that were started to happen in her life, Sydney was still in fear of David finding her and Bay.
I found this story to be very interesting as it focused on the lives of the Waverley family as well as on a few other characters as you see everyone try to face their past while trying to move beyond it. There is a bit of magic that's woven throughout the story such as with Claire being able to use food to change someone's perception and feelings to the sisters' cousin Evanella having this ability where she gives things to people who will need them at some point. Even Bay had an ability but Sydney who had tried her hardest to leave all of this behind didn't think she had the Waverley gifts. But she had one, it was just that she needed to become aware of her gift.
This was a fantastic read, it had a lot of sweet, sad and funny moments along with a few scenes that will make you mad. Garden Spells was an interesting look at how your past can define your life if you let it.
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