Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Magical Realism, Paranormal, Fiction
First Published: August 30, 2022
Book description: An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go.
Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.
Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.
When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at the Dellawisp she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a young woman with a past, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and a lonely chef, and three ghosts. The sudden death of one of Zoey's new neighbors sets off a search that leads to the island's famous author and to a long-estranged relative of the sisters.
Each of them has a story, and each story has an ending which hasn't yet been written
Review:
This story touched my heart. It was all about the power of found family, one of my favorite troupes. The characters were so real and raw, with their own struggles and pasts that left them broken and hurt. But together, they found a way to heal and move forward. There were moments of loss and grief, and times when they didn't quite understand each other, but in the end, they came together to help each other through it all. And even though there were a few ghosts along the way (get it?), they all found a sense of belonging and purpose that they never had before. It was indeed a beautiful story.
The author's attention to detail and ability to create a captivating story is truly impressive. The way they weave together characters and plot is masterful, and the end result is an imaginative and moving tale that is sure to stay with me for a long time. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this book and can't wait to see what else this author has in store.
Each of the characters has their own struggles. We start off with 19-year-old Zoey just arrived at Mallows Island and at the apartment complex. She inherited the apartment from her late mother. Her aspirations are understandable but very unrealistic, that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt you as the reader when she realizes her disappointment. But she still wants to make the best of the journey.
The residents and manager of the property seem to be carrying a lot of emotional baggage that prevents them from enjoying life fully. It's quite clear that they are all dealing with feelings of sadness and loneliness, but they try to hide it from others. However, these feelings seem to be quite evident, almost like a cloak that they just can't take off. One of the residents, a grumpy and bitter woman, passes away shortly after Zoey moves in. Despite her initial disinterest, Zoey becomes curious about this woman and her life. Frasier asks Zoey to go through her apartment to find some missing papers and clean up the mess she left behind. With the help of her neighbor Charlotte, who has trust issues, Zoey manages to get to the bottom of things and forms a close bond with Charlotte in the process. There is also Mac, the big, redheaded chef who seems to be hiding secrets and dealing with his own emotional pain. And then there's Lucy, the sister of the deceased woman, who is so reclusive that Zoey never sees her during the day. It's clear that everyone in the building has their own story to tell, and Zoey is determined to uncover them all.
On top of that, each one of the residents seems to have a ghost on their life, not all the residents are aware of it but they have some idea. Charlotte is running away from her past, and she has a collection of witch balls. The Witch balls are believed to trap ghosts or spirits in their interior- so it's not exactly a surprise she does not see any ghosts in her apartment, she doesn't believe in that stuff. Zoey has an invisible bird, Pigeon, who is always making herself known and moving things around as a sign of distress or when she doesn't agree with Zoey's decisions. Marc is very aware of his ghosts, he has a very funny way of noticing. When he goes to sleep, the ghost of his adoptive mother makes her presence known - she throws a specific type of flour on him. It has caused him some interesting conversations if he needs to explain this to partners. And the apartment manager, he does seem to be able to see them more clearly, it seems like he accepts his ability so he's able to know what the spirits are.
This was used for the challenges:
#30Days Wild 2023- Birds
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