Great book!

I listened to this audiobook of short stories on Libby after it popped on my radar as a July Indie Next pick. This is a collection of 11 tales set in the south that cover a lot of content: pregnancy, violence, sex and intimacy, church, hair, Blackness and more. Nearly all of the vignettes felt forgettable and most seemed unresolved in my opinion. The narration was solid but the stories didn’t captivate me. My hands-down favorite from the bunch was “How Does Your Garden Grow?” which is a memorable and unique depiction of fibroids.

I love this series- I started with the Wandering Inn Series by the same Author and now listen to this one as well, which diverges to a different continent and plot line in the same magical world. I am hundreds of hours in and still look forward to each new release!

Helen Cartwright, 83 y/o, has returned to her family home in a small village in England after 60 years in Australia to die. Not that she has a diagnosis beyond being old. She has been back for 3 years, but returned still actively grieving the abrupt loss of her husband and the tragic loss of her son. She is very lonely and isolated. She does the same thing most days and memories do not give her comfort. Then she unwittingly brings a 5” male mouse into her house. He decides to stay with her and she decides to care for him. (This is not a talking mouse or an anthropomorphic rodent). To care for him she starts meeting a few people she can connect with as she moves from removing the mouse by trapping to naming Sipsworth and hoping wildlife rescue group will take him to making Sipsworth a housemate. Eventually it is revealed that Helen has done significant things. Slow start. A comforting book. Perhaps this book raises awareness of long term grieving, loneliness, sadness and isolation in people in our lives (or in ourselves).

This book is amazing, it shows so much creativity and magic. I recommend this book for any wizard loving-adventure seeking-magic exploring people who want some fun with a book

4.5 stars. Jack and Annie travel to the prairie and visit a dugout schoolhouse, write with chalk on slate and befriend pioneers. They encounter a twister and have to hide in a storm cellar. This is one of their more exciting and endearing adventures.

Dual time line story set in 1920's and the present. Fascinating novel about the stealing of eggs from the nests of shore birds to sell to collectors. Well drawn characters and suspenseful. I knew nothing about this so-called "hobby". Warning: You will feel badly for the birds.

Quite a bit is written from the perspective of someone who is a well-known musician & doesn't apply to normal jobs & lifestyles.

I read this book because it was a July Indie Next pick and GMA’s book club pick. I listened to the audiobook via Libby and was surprised by the English-accented narration by actress Lucy Boynton (though in retrospect I shouldn’t because of the author’s Irish origin). This book definitely felt like Survivor with more coupling and more cutthroat consequences. I couldn’t look away from the competition of it all and my interest was maintained up until the couple switching. The book had a bit of a lull but finished with what seemed to be an explosion of the seven deadly sins. This was an interesting book that would be good to discuss but also one I’m unlikely to reread.

This book is one of a kind.I really recommend this book to readers who like intense books!