FICTION
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OUTSTANDING BOOK
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Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
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Peaches
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Fedora
Photo credit: Kjetil Ree
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A cup of coffee
Photo credit:
Julius Schorzman
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison
Allen
The
renovation and reopening of the stately Southern mansion, the Blue
Ridge Madam, is about to shake things up in the tiny town of Walls of
Water, North Carolina….
Willa Jackson is enjoying the peace of working in her small shop on the
outskirts of town and avoiding the rich families, the townies. The Blue
Ridge Madam belonged to her family in the 1930s but an adverse economy
changed that. Willa is fascinated by the old home but still feels a
sense of unease about her own past role as the Walls of Water High
School Joker. Colin Osgood has his own concerns about returning to
Walls of Water and is only here for the renovation that his sister,
socialite Paxton Osgood, is determined to complete. Meanwhile, the
previously flamboyant teenager Sebastian Rogers has returned to the
town as a much more sedate adult- a dentist! Can such a group of
unlikely people find common ground? Will the secrets long held by the
Blue Ridge Madam help Willa, Colin, Paxton, and Sebastian learn the
magic of friendship and love?
Sarah Addison Allen’s stories are always a bit magical and THE PEACH
KEEPER is no exception. There are bells that ring on their own accord,
a floating fedora, and the haunting smell of peaches that all weave
their way into the tale. However, the real magic of the story is the
value of true friendship and how it can survive even the oddest and
worst of circumstances. I love watching how each of the characters
begins to see their childhood memories through an adult lens and
realize some of both the superficiality and heroism of their daily
lives. It’s an amazing journey, and the kind of story that Sarah
Addison tells quite well.
THE PEACH KEEPER is a light hearted story on the surface, but the
deeper meaning underlying the tale is what makes it all the more
memorable. Sarah Addison Allen has a gift at capturing the
quintessential heart of the South and expressing it through magical
realism. While THE PEACH KEEPER is not a part of any series, fans of
Allen’s GARDEN SPELLS will appreciate the brief appearance by Claire
Waverley. What a beautiful, lyrical tale! Highly recommended!
Publisher: Bantam (March
2011)
Author
website
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
Review
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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