yup, better, i’m thinking a new camera or software… (even though in truth I’m not a lavender brread fan, though I’ve eaten more than once as, well, it does tend to be . When Evanelle brought you something, you were usually going to need it sooner or later, though that cat bed she gave Claire five years ago had yet to find its use. That added some humor to the story, but she’s much more accurate at detecting a person’s emotional needs.

The house they live in, and its surrounding garden has been in the family for generations and also has magical qualities meaning people trust and mistrust the Waverleys. Claire and Sydney are two sisters, complete opposites, with a big age gap which meant that growing up they had not been close to each other. That’s if, like me, you love descriptive prose and sweet stories set in small towns with quirky characters and interesting recipes. Sydney runs into her old friend Henry, who she had shunned in high school after playing with him every day in grade school. But when Claire’s older sister Sydney reappears with a daughter and shadows nipping at her heels, their quiet routines are turned upside down.I’m a sucker for magical realism and this book sounds like it embodies some of the best parts of the genre (though obviously I can’t be 100% on that, not having read it). SARAH ADDISON ALLEN is the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Lost Lake, First Frost and Other Birds. This collection of ancient wisdom is drawn from and inspired by the writings of Claire Nahmad's great-grandmother, a nineteenth-century wisewoman who lived in Yorkshire and used her knowledge to help others. As I read, I felt as if I fell into the story and was swallowed by it, like Harry falling into Dumbledore’s memory in the Pensieve. There’s at least one character who doesn’t believe in the curious effects of the Waverleys’ flowers, and I don’t think he’s exactly convinced of it by the story’s end.

My method for no-knead lavender bread is below, though of course, as is my wont, I enhanced the flavor with some garlic and rosemary from my garden, and of course I had to use some of my homegrown sage to make lavender butter. It smelled strongly of lavender and peppermint, like walking into a Christmas memory that didn't belong to her. For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. The Waverly women have always had a bit of a special gift and Claire’s is the ability to infuse emotion into her cooking with ingredients from her garden.I like GoodReads summary of the novel: “The women of the Waverley family — whether they like it or not — are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their home in Bascom, North Carolina.

Sydney’s philosophy is “you can’t hold on to everything,” and so has a history of very temporary, noncommittal relationships.On the Fourth of July, Claire sets up a booth to distribute honeysuckle wine and she and Tyler share a kiss. I enjoyed the sprinkling of other POVs because it fleshed out parts of the story to create a fuller world for the book. That life on the run had been good enough for Claire, but Lorelei obviously thought Sydney deserved better, that Sydney deserved to be born with roots.

Seller has stated it will dispatch the item within 1 working day upon receipt of cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab . As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. But, instead of the main female character using chocolate to weave magic spells for the people that came to her looking for some kind of solace in their life, here Claire makes use of the continually flowering plants from her garden.He runs off, to the relief of everyone but Tyler, who doesn't know about the legendary power of the apple tree. There’s also the apple tree in Claire’s garden which tries to tempt residents into eating its fruit but which Claire steadfastly ignores, boxing up the apples it drops and burying them. It is a privilege and an honor to lend support to Sarah Addison Allen and her amazing and magical first novel GARDEN SPELLS. The only person she's close to is an elderly relative named Evanelle, who has the gift of giving people exactly what they need before they need it.