Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Book Charmer

Title: The Book Charmer
Author: Karen Hawkins
Published: July 30th 2019 by Gallery Books
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
Genre: Women's Ficton
Series: Dove Pond #1

I was drawn to the book by the cover, but it was the town of Dove Pond, North Carolina which kept me turning the pages. The Book Charmer has the ambiance of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, but different at the same time. A book where family and community take center stage with a bit of whimsey and magical nudging to get people where they need to be.

A seventh daughter within the Dove family line is a rare occasion but when it happens magic comes with it. The current Dove sisters each have a special talent and if I am jumping to conclusions, this first book in the Dove Pond series will lead to at least six more books where each of the women will be able to tell their stories and share their gifts.

Woven around Sarah Dove, the town librarian who spends her days listening to the murmuring of books, and Grace, who spent her childhood bouncing around foster homes and has now taken on the responsibility of her deceased sister’s child and the one foster parent, Mama G, who never gave up on her and who is now facing her own battle with dementia.

Bringing Mama G back home, to Dove Pond has soothed her mind, but has brought frustration and anxiety to Grace. That is until the community embraces her and she finds a way to bring a dying town back to a semblance of what it had once been.

Karen Hawkins has thrown everything she can into this book and it works. There are fears, anxieties, unknowing desperation, along with friendships, romances, magic, laughter, and most importantly --- love. It is about breaking down barriers and accepting what is out there if only you give yourself a break and a chance.

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