When I first saw this in Barnes & Noble last year (I think it was one of their featured books), I looked and thought "hmph, Alice Hoffman lite." In fact, it is Alice Hoffman lite, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.The story about the prodigal witchy sister who comes home with her preternaturally-witchy girlchild is done nicely. I love the aunt whose magical gift is to give people peculiar things that turn out (of course) to be exactly what they do (or will) need. I got a little sick of the opinionated apple tree... Other characters veer into rather unpleasant and unfair stereotypes, but - it is lite -
Some of the background is delightful: lots of herbal lore, which I have loved in novels since reading The White Witch 40 years ago. Other background is so trite it's wince-worthy.
I listened to the audiobook whilst driving. I didn't like the narrator, whose voices and accents were distracting, but I did like the book as travel-along fare.
I need to get some audio books, I love books but I love knitting too and I keep having to choose, {{sigh}}
ReplyDeleteWill have to get this! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI actually have that here on my freebie shelf at work. Maybe I'll bring it home for the "to be read" pile.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. Now I have to wait to have space on my library audio card and look it up.
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