Sarah Addison Allen

I've thoroughly enjoyed all the Sarah Addison Allen books I've read, but I stayed away from this one for a long time because, frankly, I don't like peaches*.

As reasons go to not read a book, it's a pretty stupid one, so when I saw the title at a library sale for $1 I did the mature thing and bought it.

I LOVED this book! It was SO good. It had shades of Practical Magic in it, and a cameo by Claire Waverly from Garden Spells and a small but very important murder mystery. The only thing it show more needed to make it perfect was Claire's apple tree.

The Peach Keeper felt like Allen crossed from Magical Realism into straight magic; there aren't a lot of logical reasons (or any) for why the strange events in Walls of Water were happening. The character development felt a lot richer too; limiting the plot to only 4 people, and really focusing on the 2 female protagonists made it feel like a much tighter story. The romantic tension was intense (although the sex scenes were almost non-existent).

Is this Pride and Prejudice good? No, of course not (nothing is that good), but it is Practical Magic (the movie, not the book) good. If you liked that movie, or you enjoy good stories about the power of friendship, I think you'll enjoy this.

* It's a tactile thing; peach fuzz = fingernails on a chalkboard. show less

I don't usually gravitate toward this kind of book—part magical realism, part mystery, part heartwarming ensemble cast—but Other Birds surprised me in the best way.

Set in the quirky Dellawisp condos on a fictional island off the South Carolina coast, the story follows Zoey, a young woman trying to reconnect with her past while carving out a new life. Along the way, she meets a cast of unusual neighbors, each harboring secrets and ghosts—some figurative, some literal.

The characters are show more vibrant, and the writing has a gentle, whimsical quality. There’s a comforting rhythm to Allen’s style, even when the story touches on grief, trauma, and loneliness.

The ending delivered a few twists I genuinely didn’t see coming, alongside others I had a feeling about earlier on. Still, the payoff was satisfying overall. There was one part at the end that didn’t quite make sense to me—I won’t spoil it—but it felt a bit muddled or underexplained compared to the rest of the story.

Even so, I’m glad I picked this up. It’s not my typical read, but Other Birds won me over with its warmth, mystery, and a touch of magic. show less

Lost Lake is the type of novel that soothes the soul. It is neither flashy nor suspenseful, neither sexy nor snarky. It is an old-fashioned story, in which the characters are ordinary, the setting even more so, and the story as simple as it gets, It meanders much as one does while floating on a slow-moving river during a hot summer day. There is a planned trajectory to the plot, but Ms. Allen takes her time getting there. In this world of short attention spans and even shorter patience show more levels, Lost Lake is refreshing for ignoring the quick attention grab and focusing on telling a good story.

While the story is old-fashioned, Ms. Allen uses hints of magic to add hints of the extraordinary to her story. In fact, the hints are so subtle that one could easily explain them away as perfectly normal situations. It is all in the eye of the reader, and that is one of the more fascinating aspects of the story. The story may be simple but deceptively so depending on a reader’s interpretation.

There are two main themes within the story that are quite attractive given the proliferation of social media and Internet connectivity with the world. The main theme is around loneliness. While smartphones and the Internet are not mentioned at all within the novel, its modern-day setting establishes its usage. This idea of everyone being lonely raises many a question given the popularity of online interaction. Are we hiding our loneliness by connecting via the Internet? Are we using social media to compensate for our loneliness or excuse ourselves from making lasting real-life connections that could assuage our loneliness? Is it something more profound and/or more simple than that? For, the characters within Lost Lake only find happiness when they reach out and connect to each other, something almost impossible to do via an online setting.

The other main idea is the idea of being a misfit. Lost Lake is a respite for misfits, where they can go to relax, be themselves, and be accepted for their eccentricities. As with the idea of loneliness, this theme raises questions about whether anyone ever considers himself normal, or we do all consider ourselves to be misfits just trying to find a place in “normal” society. Is there really a normal anything? The profundity of these questions raised throughout the novel are surprising because the story of Lost Lake is quite basic with its story of grief, love, loss, friendship, and family.

Lost Lake is the type of novel to read when one has a little time to enjoy its slow build and slow finish, the mystical elements, and most importantly, its Southern charm. It deserves a careful read, but one will not mind because it is just so cute and more importantly, so relaxing. Devin and her unconscious lessons of individuality are perfect reminders to celebrate one’s own misfit nature, and the inevitable happy ending proves that normal is boring. Lost Lake is a charming story with adorable characters that befit its small-town setting. show less

Sarah Addison Allen's first book in seven years arrives at a time when we have all been changed by catastrophic events including a global pandemic and (depending on who you ask) the partial or complete collapse of American democracy. On a more personal note, Allen experienced the death of both her sister and her mother in the course of writing this book. So I was wondering how the author's typical mix of Southern gothic and magical realism would land, and if the losses she endured changed show more her voice.

Zoey arrives at the Dellawisp Condos on Mallow Island, South Carolina, to take ownership of the unit previously owned by her late mother. She is starting college in nearby Charleston soon, but is glad to escape the cold treatment by her father, stepfather and stepsisters a few months earlier than planned. She is greeted by the elderly property manager Frasier, who fills her in on the other condo residents: paranoid, furtive Lizbeth Lime; her reclusive sister Lucy; young artist Charlotte; and genial chef Mac. But during Zoey's first night on Mallow Island, Lizbeth is killed in a horrible accident.

With nothing to do until school starts, Zoey agrees to clean out Lizbeth's apartment, which is full of boxes and boxes of seemingly useless flyer, receipts and other paper. As Zoey struggles to figure out the reasons for Lizbeth's hostility towards the world, she also strikes up a tentative friendship with Charlotte, who has issues of her own, and Mac, who carries the past with him in a very physical way. Everyone at the Dellawisp has secrets, one of which is about to be revealed in a way that puts all of the residents in danger.

The book's chapters are written from several different POVs, including Zoey, Charlotte, Mac, Frasier, and an assortment of ghosts who are lingering around, waiting for something to happen before they can move along. Zoey doesn't see or feel the ghosts, but she has an invisible pigeon who has been with her for many years. These paranormal touches are generally accepted by the characters, but they don't overwhelm the plot.

Zoey's arrival is the catalyst for change, as friendships start to build and a romance or two emerges. The tone is a little darker than Allen's previous books, but not at all bleak or depressing. She still knows how to tell a page-turning story that celebrates found family and explores the challenging dynamics of maternal and sisterly bonds. I may be more cynical than I was the last time I read one of her books, but I am still charmed and moved by the troubled, lonely characters who are looking for connection even as they are afraid of what will happen if they let down their guard.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review. show less