The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock
I adored THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE so when I heard that Kimberly Brock had a new book coming out, I couldn’t wait. It’s safe to say, she didn’t disappoint. THE FABLED EARTH is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
This intricate, multi-textured book touches on so many themes: Death and Rebirth, Forgiveness, Mothers and Daughters, Change, Letting go the Past, Racism, and of course, the Power of Story. Brock weaves them together like a spider web and the result is an atmospheric, gothic tale.
In 1932, tragedy struck Cumberland Island, Georgia. Two men died and a young woman was sent home in shame. Now, twenty-seven years later, that past comes roaring back to upset the lives of three women: Cleo Woodbine, a reclusive artist; Frances Flood, a folklore scholar with ties to the island; and Audrey Howell, a twenty-year-old widow who runs the local in. The women’s lives intersect as little by little, they uncover the true story behind what happened in 1932. In doing so, not only do they learn who they are, but they discover that the stories we tell ourselves aren’t always the truth.
Brock has a true gift for language. Like in her previous work, THE FABLED EARTH is chock full of imagery and subtext. It’s a book you should savor as you read it. The only problem is, the plot has enough twists to keep you reading all night.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman
Let me say straight off that I love books set in the Roaring Twenties. 1927 was a seminal year for so many things, including Lindburgh’s flight. Ackerman’s book captures the spirit of those adventurous times in this story of two women seeking their place in the world.
In 1927, Olivia West challenges the system by entering an air race from San Francisco to Hawaii. Sixty years later, Wren Summers embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she inherits an abandoned farm in Hawaii. What she finds inside changes her life. The two timelines intersect in a surprisingly endearing – and unique – way. One I wasn’t expecting.
It takes a lot for a book to get me teary, but this book’s ending had me blinking back the moisture big-time.
THE UNCHARTED FLIGHT OF OLIVIA WEST is a breezy yet deeply human story about forging your own path. I couldn’t put it down.
Plus the cover is freaking adorable.
