Category: Magical Realism

Fiction, Magical Realism

How To Be Remembered, by Michael Thompson

Kristie

“Although 5 January was almost a year away, the Reset hung over him like a guillotine blade, glinting dully as a constant reminder that everything in this life was temporary. And he now had so much more to lose….“

Such is the plight of Tommy Llewellyn in How To Be Remembered, by Michael Thompson, my last read of 2023. A book I only heard about a couple of weeks ago and knew I had to try.

We meet Tommy during his first birthday. He is fawned over by his adoring parents, despite arriving earlier in their “plan” than anticipated. Yet, something happens to him every year on January 5th. He ceases to exist in the memories of all who know him. Records of him vanish. Friends, enemies, and employers forget him. It is a lonely, frustrating life with a bizarre secret he cannot share with anyone.

We become more acquainted with Tommy in his early teens. Naturally, his parents gave him up when he was an infant because they didn’t know who he was, so he ends up in a group foster home for orphaned children. Each year, Tommy anticipates the “Reset.” And, each year, he approaches it with a bit more knowledge and new ideas about how to survive it and still attend to his basic needs.

The best thing about Tommy is that he isn’t bitter. Frustrated, yes. Lonely, yes. But not bitter. While people who have so much more treat each other with greed and disdain, Tommy looks for small ways to insure a legacy and outwit the Universe and its cruel curse. He does this through kindness, service, and self improvement, knowing full well that his deeds will never be credited to him.

How To Be Remembered is a unique, fascinating read and very difficult to put down. I could’ve done without some of the language, but it was not enough to prevent me from seeing what happened to Tommy, a sympathetic character in the best sense of the word. I highly recommend this book. You will think about it for a long time, pondering themes like family, friendship, and the imprint we all make throughout our lives on the world around us and on each other.

9.5/10 Stars

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Women's Fiction

Weyward, by Emilia Hart

Kristie

“The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.”
― Emilia Hart, Weyward

Three women across five centuries are bound by an ancient name, a special gift, a humble cottage, and hardship. This is the story of Weyward, a loving tribute to the strength of females everywhere.

England, 1619. Altha, like many others of her era, has been accused of witchcraft and must stand trial for her alleged crimes. Violet, languishing in her family’s mansion in 1942, longs to know more of the outside world. And Kate, pregnant and afraid, escapes an abusive relationship in 2019, fleeing to a cottage left to her by a great aunt she never knew.

One by one, we learn more about these extraordinary women. We discover their connections to the mysteries of nature and to each other, showing their collective ability to rise above their constraints and the men who try to dominate them. They have their accusers, their predators, and their allies. But first they must endure their separate challenges and tap into the history and secrets that weave their stories together.

Weyward is an exceptional debut novel. It is unique, beautiful, haunting, and uplifting. Be aware that there are definite triggers, such as rape and emotional/physical abuse. But also know that in its storytelling lies the message that overcoming such things is possible. The power is within all of us.

9.5/10 Stars

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Autobiography, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Magical Realism, Series & Collections

November Reads 2022

Kristie

I read ten books in November. Not bad! I did reviews on the ones that had the most impact on me, but here’s a quick summary.

Best Memoir (which is also nominated for a Goodreads award): Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, by Matthew Perry. Both fascinating and heart-breaking. Just be prepared for a lot of F-bombs.

Best Romantic Comedy: Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. This comes out in July 2023, but keep it on your TBR (to be read) list. It’s a winner! A journey of self-discovery and growth while facing challenges and falling in love.

Best Magical Realism: The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden. Word is out on this wonderful story of second chances and glimpses into the future. Everyone I’ve recommended this book to who has read it, has loved it!

Best Book Duo: All That Really Matters and All That It Takes by Nicole Deese. Even though I rated them differently, they’re both excellent and worth your time. Clean, Christian fiction, full of flawed but decent people who learn the value of faith, embracing differences, and serving others.

In my opinion, these are the best of the bunch. Rachel Linden and Nicole Deese are new authors for me, but I definitely want to read more of their books. Hopefully something catches your eye!

Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Women's Fiction

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, by Rachel Linden

Kristie

Oh, those pesky “what-ifs” that we all carry around! “What if I chose that career?” “What if I married that person?” “What if I lived in that place?” “What if I had done/not done that particular thing?”

If only there was a way to know how things would’ve turned out if we’d taken a different path. And if there was a way…would you try it?

Lolly Blanchard is one month away from turning thirty three. She helps her father run their failing family diner in Seattle. It’s been ten years since her mother’s death. Her younger sister, Daphne, is sprouting wings to find her own way. But most of all, Lolly carries the memory of her time with Rory Shaw, the boy who got away. Now, as she reevaluates her life, Lolly comes to the frustrating realization that she has not accomplished anything she wanted to do. So many hopes. So many dreams.

If only.

This is a purposefully short review because I don’t want to get near anything that resembles a spoiler. I will just say that this lovely story touches on regrets and questions which enter every person’s life at some point. No matter how content and grateful we are, we still wonder. Unless…

What a wonderful, unique, redemptive book! I definitely want to read more by this author.

9.5/10 Stars

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Short Stories

Five Goodreads Reviews

Kristie

In an effort to not get too far behind, I’m going to do some copy/pasting from Goodreads.

The best of the bunch, in my opinion, is the Young Adult novel, You’ve Reached Sam. It is about a teenage boy who is killed in a car accident and, when his girlfriend calls his number just to hear his voicemail message…he answers. That’s right. He answers. It’s as tender and goosebump-inducing as it sounds. I loved it.

Available January 17, 2023
Available April 11, 2023
ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Fiction, Magical Realism

Magical Realism Done Right…and Wrong

Kristie

MAGICAL REALISM: Magical realism is a genre of literature the depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic or fantasy. Within a work of magical realism, the world is still grounded in the real world, but fantastical elements are considered normal in this world. Like fairy tales, magical realism novels and short stories blur the line between fantasy and reality. (from Masterclass.com)

When I think of magical realism, I think of a world in which I would like to live. One where unusual things “could happen” but have no real explanation…little coincidences, legends that seem very real, intuitive talents that some people appear to have…unless…IS that our current world? And, while I’m not really a reader of fantasy, magical realism feels just true enough (in the right hands) that maybe, just maybe… Well, it’s a nice thought.

SOUTH OF THE BUTTONWOOD TREE, by Heather Webber takes us to the small town of Buttonwood, Alabama. Legend says that the Buttonwood Tree has answers for those who believe, but only one question is allowed per year–and you’d better follow the advice the tree offers, or else. The main characters, Blue Bishop and Sarah Grace, friends from opposite “sides of the tracks,” are at crossroads in their lives, with their paths intersecting in the most unusual ways. There’s a bit of magic in the wind, in houses, in books, and in a newborn baby who becomes the center of attention. This book is beautifully written. I highly, highly recommend it. 9.5/10 Stars

OTHER BIRDS, by Sarah Addison Allen, available August 30 is mainly set at The Dellawisp building on Mallow Island, South Carolina. Eighteen year old Zoe has traveled there to visit her late mother’s condo. The other residents are an eccentric bunch–part Melrose Place, part Exotic Marigold Hotel–with their own quirky backgrounds and secrets. The problem is the amount of characters and the lack of individual stories for each. Then there are the three ghosts. And the birds. And the imaginary bird. And…it’s odd and kind of a mess. I would love to see this cast of misfits pared down and reworked, but, alas. 7.5/10 Stars

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Fiction, Magical Realism

The Matchmaker’s Gift, by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Kristie

AVAILABLE September 20, 2022

Right now I’m experiencing a combined euphoria and frustration that only happens when I’ve finished a book that is so good, I wonder if I can do it justice. Even explaining what The Matchmaker’s Gift is about does not come easily, but I know it is about things that mean a great deal to me, personally: family, ancestors, tradition, connections, intuition, and a bit of the unknown.

In two brilliantly woven story lines we learn about Sara and Abby. Sara is an immigrant in the early 1900’s. Crammed into New York tenement housing with her traditional Jewish family, she learns early on that she has a gift for matchmaking. A gift that borders on the supernatural. This does not bode well with the community matchmakers, a bullying group of stodgy men who care more about profit than people. Add to that, the fact that Sara is a young, unmarried girl who demands no fee. Most importantly, she is never wrong.

Fast forward to the 1990s. Abby is Sara’s granddaughter. An attorney who works in family law (i.e. divorces and prenups,) Abby has grown up listening to her grandmother’s stories and imparted wisdom. Jaded by her parents’ divorce, her father’s broken promises, and continual office drama, Abby’s expectations for love are pretty low. Thankfully, her innate sensitivity and relationship with her grandmother sustain her.

When Sara dies and leaves Abby several notebooks for her to read, the parallels begin. Side by side we see a young Sara and Abby, the struggling lawyer, navigate a harsh world that is all about the bottom line. Both crusade to improve their own little corners, rallying against others who think they know better. They have their allies, their obstacles and–through a special gift–they have each other.

The more we learn about those they help, the more we see that thread that binds us all. I even found myself making guesses about which characters were destined for each other. “A lid for every pot,” as Grandma Sara would say. And, speaking as someone who met her future spouse in the most unlikely way in 2009, you just never know.

Mark your calendars for September 20 when this book becomes widely available. It’s a gem.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

9.5/10 Stars

Faith, Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance

How to Save a Life, by Kristin Harmel

Kristie
“…maybe love is, at its core, about opening your heart to another person as opposed to taking their love for yourself.”

I could make this review nice and short and just emphatically say Read. This. Book. But I won’t. Instead, I’ll just say that after two frustrating days of starting (even finishing) a few books and being disappointed, finding How to Save a Life, by Kristin Harmel, was worth the wait.

It’s a novella–only 160 pages–but it is amazing how the right story in the right hands does not have to be long to make a significant impact.

Imagine being given the worst possible news. (I’ll let you decide what that will be.) Then imagine being given the gift of resetting one day again and again until you can make things right. For Jill, a 39-year-old pediatric oncology nurse, this is what happens.

I do not want to say too much, except, again, Read. This. Book. It will make you look at your life, your relationships, your time management, and your fears through new eyes. After all, what is “time” anyway, right? An abstract concept meant to measure our day? Or something over which we truly have control? Your opinion might change if you give this book a chance.

9.5/10 Stars

Fiction, Magical Realism, Young Adult

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

Kristie

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Clearly, magical realism needs to be a new category on my site. So let it be done.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender…I’m still trying to decide my feelings about this book as I write this review. Kirkus Reviews expressed it so well: Lyrical magical realism paints four generations of women with tragic lives until a shocking violation fixes everything. (Although I’m not sure I would agree with the word “fixes.” Maybe “ended everything…” And where a female character is involved, the word “violation” can only mean one thing. A bit graphic for a YA novel, IMHO.)

Kirkus Reviews also mentions what so many others have too, which is that the main character, Ava Lavender–if you could call her the main character–isn’t born until nearly halfway through the story, although she narrates it from the beginning. The first half is all about her ancestry, starting with her great grandparents in France. This would be interesting if it were relevant, something only the reader can decide. I did not find it to be so. The tragic genealogy of Ava’s family did not explain the odd fact that she was born with wings, that her twin, Henry, was most likely autistic, or that their mother can predict certain events from their smell.

Like the unique plot, the writing quality is also up for debate. Poetic? Or tedious? I suppose if the writing were truly moving the plot forward, I would’ve appreciated it more, but when so many of the characters at the beginning have no real bearing on the supposed “main character,” I couldn’t help but question the point of the book’s first half. It was like the author was just warming up for the real story…such as it is.

Strange as it may seem, my favorites were Ava’s best friend, Cardigan, and her brother, Rowe. I loved the way they saw beyond her “deformity” and viewed her as just another girl. I also enjoyed the characters of Gabe and Wilhelmina, both steadfast presences in the lives of Ava’s mother and grandmother.

When I’m longing for the “sidekicks” to reappear, that, to me, indicates something is lacking in the story.

This is labeled as a Young Adult novel, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The plot is pretty “out there” and too much is unresolved at the end. (An ending I’m still trying to correctly interpret.)

7/10 Stars