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Garden Spells

By: Sarah Addison Allen
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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Publisher's summary

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers.

Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor.

Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys - except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down - along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.

©2007 Sarah Addison Allen (P)2007 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"The blending of horticultural folklore, the supernatural and a big dollop of Southern flavor should find favor with a wide swath of readers." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Spellbindingly charming, Allen's impressively accomplished debut novel will bewitch fans of Alice Hoffman and Laura Esquivel." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about Garden Spells

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perfect magical summer read.

very much like an Alice Hoffman novel, but no complaints here! Alice Hoffman is my favorite so I relish in books inspired by her writing. Too bad audibles app has turned to crap lately and it skipped the entire time and made me start over multiple times and even made me redownload it twice!! seriously audible, please fix the glitches in your app. This used to be my most loved app!! now I'm searching for alternatives sadly....

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Took me to world of fantasy that was believable

Characters were captivating. Enjoyed the whole book. Recommend this for a rainy day with nothing to do but listen.

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My favorite book to date

I can't say anything bad about this book. I enjoyed every moment that it had to offer. I wish it would not have ended and May read it again

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memorable story

it is a cute story, wish the males were represented by a male narrator instead of one for the whole things

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Great audible and story!

The narrator and the story were Devine! I so enjoyed the audible!!! The characters were delightful and so quirky.

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I fell in love with this little southern town

From the moment the story started, I was in love. The story of this family is told with humor, courage and a little bit of magic! Each character could easily have been a caricature but they were each developed well enough to expand beyond the flat characters they could have been. I even fell in love with the apple tree. This story is magical. It is a little predicable in the happily ever after way. But, anything else would have left me wanting.

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Such a good book!!!

This is a rare story that shows how life sometimes goes but the goodness in people is always there and has a little bit of magic for us us who believe!!!
I really enjoyed this book

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Full of Southern charm and plenty of love

I loved this book. Full of Southern charm, a magic apple tree, a town full of quirky characters and plenty of romance (though this is not a romance novel). I'll definitely read more books by Sarah Addison Allen.

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Phenomenal

This story is the quintessence of magical realism. Can't wait to read the rest of the Waverly books!

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Slow moving light romance

I enjoyed this audible while I drove cross country.
A Slow moving light romance listen.
No real plot, a very un-interesting ending yet pleasant.

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