Title: The Sparrow Sisters: A Novel Author: Ellen Herrick
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:
Summary: Although there were a few things I didn’t like about this book, overall it was exactly what I look for in a cozy, magical realism read.
“The Sparrow sisters are as tightly woven into the seaside New England town of Granite Point as the wild sweet peas that climb the stone walls along the harbor. Patience Sparrow is the town healer and when a new doctor settles into Granite Point he brings with him a mystery so compelling that Patience is drawn to love him, even as she struggles to mend him. But when Patience’s herbs and tinctures are believed to be implicated in a local tragedy, Granite Point is consumed by a long-buried fear—and its three hundred year old history resurfaces as a modern day witch-hunt threatens. The plants and flowers, fruit trees and high hedges begin to wither and die, and the entire town begins to fail; fishermen return to the harbor empty-handed, and blight descends on the old elms that line the lanes.” (Source)
The tone of this book was exactly what I want from a cozy, magical realism read. There was some subtle, creative magic and even when things weren’t going well, I felt optimistic. The author did an incredible job bringing the characters to life through their individual quirks. I also thought she did a nice job sharing their innermost thoughts, which is something that makes me feel as though I really know a character. I loved the eccentricity of the sisters. It was a perfect for the magical realism in the novel. The insular, gossipy small town setting was also a great fit for the story.
The isn’t surprising for me, but the romance wasn’t my favorite part of the story. I hate when characters know they like each other but manage to fight and cause their own problems anyway. Fortunately, this part of the story was short and we quickly moved into the mysterious death part of the story. The story also felt a bit sexist to me, with the women believing in Patience’s ability to heal and the men readily turning against her. The formatting also wasn’t fantastic, with two or three typos (a lot for a finished copy, in my experience). The chapter titles were about the uses of herbs but were strangely unconnected to the contents of each chapter.
Although the things I didn’t like take as long to list as the things I did, overall, I really enjoyed this book. At the end, there was a suggestion of a sequel and I was immediately excited about the idea of reading more about these characters. I’d definitely recommend this to any fans of Sarah Addison Allen or Of Things Gone Astray.
For some other perspectives, check out the other stops on the tour.
Allison @ The Book Wheel
I keep seeing this book in my feed but had no idea what it was about or what genre it fell into. I don’t know if this is the one for me (and I get you on the romance thing), but I’m glad it was good, overall.
DoingDewey
I’m not sure if you’d like it either. I did really enjoy it, but I’m not sure you’re as into magical realism as I am and it also might be a bit lighter than you prefer.
Christina
Hmm, I’d never heard of this book, but I do love Sarah Addison Allen! I’ll have to see if my library has it.
DoingDewey
If you like SAA, I’d definitely recommend keeping an eye out for it 🙂
Melinda
Glad you enjoyed this one, Katie. The cover is nice! I’ve been slowly picking up on reading again and blog reading 🙂
DoingDewey
I locked the cover too! I read an interview with the author over at Traveling with T and it sounds as though she was involved in the cover design and feels like it really fits her books.
Heather J @ TLC Book Tours
I really enjoyed the Sarah Addison Allen books I’ve read so I think I’d like this book as well.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
DoingDewey
I’ve enjoyed a lot of SAA’s books and I definitely think this book would appeal to her fans! It really was magical realism exactly the way I like it 🙂
Thanks for including me!