I picked this book up because of the delicious looking pie on the front cover. I mean seriously, that pie looks so delicious and I hoped that the story inside would be equally satisfying.
I don’t think I even stopped to read what it was about, I simply saw pie and said YES. So when I picked it up, I basically went in blind and without any real expectations other than I hoped to read it while eating pie of my own (which did happen by the way!)
This book surprised me in a number of ways, both with the author’s practiced hand and with the little hints of magic sprinkled in each page.
Summary
Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.
As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
While this book might have been a little on the slow side to start with, once it started picking up, it was a delight to read. I had never heard of this author before or her other pseudonym, Heather Blake, which is surprising because she has written twenty five books. I could tell that the author was experienced though as the story flowed well and there was a touch of maturity in the story that I would expect with an author with that many books under her belt.
I liked the little bit of magical realism that was incorporated in this book. It gave the readers a little something special to enjoy. Wouldn’t it be fun to just eat a little pie and get to hear a message from a deceased love one? And the blackbirds being able to give guidance? All these little magical things brought a little charm to the story.
This is very much a character novel though. Readers will delight in getting to know the characters in this little town and will enjoy watching their journey and growth and trust me when I say there was a lot of emotional range in this book. There is grief, loss, love, forgiveness, moving on from the past, friendships, and of course the magic. So I feel like readers will enjoy what this book has to offer.
The small town of Wicklow was a place I would love to move to! The way she described it made me long for a quiet place in the South. At times it was a little over done when it came to descriptions of the town but over all it sounded so appealing through her lens!
I adored this magical book and would happily read something else by this author. She lends a practiced hand to this lovely and charming novel!
The Lit Bitch 