Book Review: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Heir Apparent
Author: Rebecca Armitage
Publisher: Cardinal
Publication date: December 2, 2025
Length: 409 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

An irresistible modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family—or to her own heart.

It’s New Year’s Day in Australia and the life Lexi Villiers has carefully built is working out nicely: she’s in the second year of her medical residency, she lives on a beautiful farm with her two best friends Finn and Jack, and she’s about to finally become more-than-friendly with Jack—when a helicopter abruptly lands.

Out steps her grandmother’s right-hand-man, with the tragic news that her father and older brother have been killed in a skiing accident. Lexi’s grandmother happens to be the Queen of England, and in addition to the shock and grief, Lexi must now accept the reality that she is suddenly next in line for the throne—a role she has publicly disavowed.

Returning to London as the heir apparent Princess Alexandrina, Lexi is greeted by a skeptical public not ready to forgive her defection, a grieving sister-in-law harboring an explosive secret, and a scheming uncle determined to claim the throne himself.

Her recent life—and Jack—grow ever more distant as she feels the tug of tradition, of love for her grandmother, and of obligation. When her grandmother grants her one year to decide, Lexi must choose her own destiny: will it be determined by an accident of birth—or by love?

The Heir Apparent is the newest pick for Reese’s Book Club, and it’s a great choice. Luckily for me, I was browsing my library’s website on the day this was announced, and was able to snag a copy right away.

Let’s start by talking about what this book isn’t, before I get into all the marvelous things it is. If all you’re going by are the cover and the blurb, you might be tempted to slot this book into the romance category, and that would be a mistake. Don’t be fooled by the “modern fairy tale” description — it’s really no such thing. This isn’t a story about a commoner suddenly discovering she’s secretly royal or getting swept away by a romance with a prince. In fact, while there is a love story embedded within the novel, it’s just one thread out of many that weave together to form a compelling whole.

I actually think the Australian cover and synopsis do a much better job of conveying the book’s tone and content:

Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It’s a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year’s Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time. But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne – albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. Following a terrible accident, Lexi finds herself the heir apparent. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own.

Doesn’t that sound very different?

In The Heir Apparent, Lexi is a medical resident in Tasmania, living in a shared cottage on a vineyard with her two closest friends, possibly about to admit the deep feelings she has for one of them. She’s also the granddaughter of Queen Eleanor of England, third in line to the throne after her father and twin (but two-minutes-older) brother Louis.

As the book opens, a helicopter arrives to inform Lexi that her father and brother have been killed in an avalanche while skiing in the Alps. Lexi is whisked back to England to take her place with the family for the elaborate rituals of mourning — and to take up her new position as heir apparent.

Lexi is all too aware of what this means. No more medical career, a life lived fully under the microscope of public (and paparazzi) scrutiny, the never-ending drama of palace intrigue and back-biting and scandalous leaks. And she should know, better than anyone: Her mother was the tragic Princess Isla, living in a loveless marriage while her husband pined (and carried on with) his first true love, eventually divorced, stripped of titles and protection, and the most gossiped about woman in the world. Lexi is still haunted by nightmares related to Isla’s tragic death when Lexi and Louis were teens. How can Lexi embrace a life that destroyed her mother so thoroughly?

At the same time, Lexi loves her grandmother and was raised with duty to the Crown as the highest calling. As Lexi navigates a return to life as a royal, she must weight the responsibilities and privileges hurtling toward her. The Queen gives her a year to make a decision: Accept her place as heir apparent and all that entails, or walk away permanently.

If the general outline of the royal family sounds familiar, but slightly changed, there’s a reason. In the world of The Heir Apparent, royal history veered from our own centuries earlier, when Barbara Villiers — historically, mistress to King Charles II — became Queen. Here, the royal family is of the House Villiers, and Barbara is revered as the strong, intelligent queen who created a dynasty.

And yet, the parallels to the real-life royal family are obvious, from the long-lived Queen Eleanor to the scandals surrounding Lexi’s parents’ marriage and divorce, to her mother’s heroism in visiting war-torn countries and speaking out for children, to the unending speculation surrounding Isla’s death. Lexi is in some ways a stand-in for a certain prince, as she walked away from her role as a working royal years earlier in order to achieve a life of her own far, far away, resulting in estrangement from her father and brother. And of course, the palace leaks and manipulations in the novel are quite as devious and inescapable as we’ve heard described over and over again in real life.

What I loved about The Heir Apparent is the inner look at what this life means to Lexi. It’s not cut and dried; she’s bound by tradition, love for family, and the respect for the Crown that’s been drilled into her since birth. At the same time, she’s seen just how poisonous such a life can be, as the secrets that haunted her closest family members led to pain and suffering, over and over again. Lexi is a complex character who’s fought hard to pursue a life of meaning, choosing service as a medical professional over the much loftier type of service life as a royal entails, and she’s found joy in it. But she can’t walk away, once she becomes the heir apparent, before truly giving this alternate life a chance, weighing whether she can be the future Queen that her grandmother expects, as the world watches to judge whether she succeeds or fails.

The book is structured around the events following the helicopter’s arrival, but interspersed chapters take us back to Lexi’s childhood, teen, and early adult years. Secrets are teased and slowly doled out. We know there’s more than Lexi is sharing about her past; we know she’s haunted by the family estrangement and how she cut ties with her brother over the past several years. But as we see in the chapters set earlier, they were once incredibly close. How their lives split and fell apart is key to understanding who Lexi is now, as are the rest of the secrets that eventually get revealed as the story progresses.

An underlying theme throughout The Heir Apparent, beyond the family drama and palace intrigue, is the overarching question about the role and relevancy of a monarchy in the modern age, as well as the dark side of the monarchy’s history of colonialism and empire. The author does not shy away from these aspects, and this subtext provides yet another layer to Lexi’s struggle to understand her role, what’s expected of her, and what her choices ultimately mean.

For those who enjoy the peek-behind-the-scenes vibe of royal-themed novels and movies, there’s plenty of that here as well, as we see Lexi poked, prodded, smoothed, painted, and shaped into a princess worthy of public display. The inner workings of palace life are revealed, with scenes involving the various aides and assistants and vastly complex protocols that control every inch and second of royal family life.

The Heir Apparent is certain to appeal to fans of The Crown. Those who read and enjoyed Prince Harry’s Spare will find certain emotional resonances here as well in areas where Lexi’s experiences feel achingly familiar. I’ll throw in a more offbeat reference too: The Heir Apparent strongly brought to mind The Goblin Emperor, which is a stellar example of fantasy genre storytelling and world-building. The Goblin Emperor revolves around a character so far down the line of succession that he’s considered worthless — until a freak accident kills off the Emperor and all of the older heirs. In that book as well as this one, the main characters must navigate finding themselves heir to the throne when it was absolutely never even considered a possibility. It’s fascinating to compare the parallels in these very different stories.

Summing it all up…

Well-written, emotional, and utterly gripping, The Heir Apparent tells a great story while also providing food for thought and an emotionally relatable main character. I felt completely invested in Lexi’s choice, battling with myself over what the right decision might be, and unable to put the book down before we finally learn what Lexi’s path will be.

Even for readers who don’t normally take an interest in royalty, the experiences of the main character here make for compelling reading. Highly recommended.

Resources and information:

Blog post via Reese’s Book Club: https://reesesbookclub.com/how-do-you-trust-your-loved-ones-when-every-secret-is-a-weapon/
Author bio: https://rebeccaarmitage.com/about/
NPR review: https://www.npr.org/2025/12/07/nx-s1-5600903/a-royal-romance-novel-with-the-british-throne-at-stake
Publishers Weekly review: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781538776308

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible — Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

20Apr2025

Let us now praise celebrity book clubs

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I’m not a fan of influencers or gossip magazines or tabloid news. I’m not wowed by famous people, don’t select my clothes based on what the stars are wearing, and couldn’t care less about lifestyles of the rich and famous.

But books? That’s a whole different matter.

I’m here now to proclaim my heartfelt opinion: Celebrity book clubs are good for readers, good for authors, good for the publishing industry, and… dare I say it?… good for the world in general!

Why? Because they get people to read, of course.

If you’re here reading this blog, chances are you’re a book fanatic — like me! — and need no encouragement to pick up a book wherever, whenever. (The hard part is getting us to put the books down — amirite?)

But for plenty of less avid readers who sometimes need a bit of inspiration or motivation, celebrity book clubs can be the perfect way to spread the word and get books into more readers’ hands. And even for die-hard book lovers (*raising my hand*), checking out celebrity book club picks can lead to discovering books that might not otherwise have crossed our radar.

I think we can all agree that Oprah Winfrey is the godmother of the modern-era celebrity book club. There are plenty to choose from now, but in 1996, when she unveiled her first book and introduced the book club concept on her daytime talk show, it was a groundbreaking moment.

Per Wikipedia: The book club’s first selection on September 17, 1996, was the then recently published novel The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

Since then, Oprah has been joined by many, many other celebrity-sponsored book clubs — some with consistently great picks, some that make me give a little side-eye — and while I say (again) that anything that gets people reading is fabulous, not every club or selection will be for every reader.

Beyond that, being chosen for one of the high-profile celebrity book clubs is often a breakthrough moment for authors. These books tend to end up on bestseller lists, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the impact can be life-changing (and certainly career-changing) for authors.

These days, if I remember, I keep my eye on the monthly selections for Reese’s Book Club (Reese Witherspoon), GMA Book Club (Good Morning America), Read with Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager of The Today Show)… and Oprah too, of course.

I thought I’d share some of the books I’ve love that I’ve either discovered through these book clubs, or read and then discovered that they were book club selections.

And finally, going back to the GOAT of celebrity book clubs…

Among other wonderful things that Oprah has done by popularizing great books through her book club, she’s made a point of including classic fiction among her selections. Here’s a look at some of the classics she’s chosen over the years — I’m highlighting the ones that I’ve read, although until just now, I didn’t realize that they were Oprah picks!

And here are other Oprah books I’ve read. As with the other book clubs mentioned, I didn’t necessarily pick up these books directly because of Oprah… but I think for many, she gets the credit for making them so widely discussed and shared, which one way or another really raised awareness of these books.

I should point out that it’s thanks to Oprah that I first read a book by author Chris Bohjalian (Midwives)… and he’s become one of my favorite authors!

This round-up really just scratches the surface when it comes to celebrities promoting books! I’ve highlighted the book clubs that seem to consistently choose books I enjoy — although I certainly pick and choose which of their selections to read, even for the clubs I follow. Again, not every book is for every reader! And also, if I read every single one of their selections, when would I find the time to read anything else???

I’ll note that I’ve found some other interesting books that are tied to celebrity book clubs; notably, in the last year or so, I’ve read two of Mindy Kaling’s recommended books, and have a couple of others bookmarked to come back to at some point:

As I’ve said, there are lots of celebrities promoting lots of books, and while I might not be interested in all of them — either the celebrities or the specific books — I do wholeheartedly endorse anything that gets more people interested in reading and discussing books!

Do you follow celebrity book clubs? Are there any whose picks you find especially worthwhile? Have you ever discovered an amazing book thanks to one of these (or any other) celebrity book club? I’d love to hear your experiences!

Purchase links: There are obviously too many books in this post to provide links to every single one! But if you’re interested in clicking through, here are a few places to start:

Amazon – Oprah’s Book Club
Amazon – Reese’s Books Club
Amazon – Read with Jenna
Amazon – Mindy’s Book Studio
Amazon – GMA Book Club
Bookshop.org – Celebrity book club picks recommended by Bookshelf Fantasies

11Aug2021

Shelf Control #281: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: The Henna Artist
Author: Alka Joshi
Published: 2020
Length: 384 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.
Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

How and when I got it:

I bought the Kindle edition last year.

Why I want to read it:

I always keep an eye on Reese Witherspoon’s book club selections — this was the May 2020 pick. I don’t read every single one of the Hello Sunshine books, but it’s a good bet that the books will at least be worth considering!

I’m always up for a book about a time and place that I haven’t read much about before. I love the sound of this historical novel, both in terms of the era and the setting in India. Plus, I always love reading about women’s struggles to set their own course and find independence in a time when such things just didn’t happen or weren’t socially acceptable.

I share my Kindle library with my husband and daughter, and so far, my family members have read and loved this book, even though I haven’t touched it yet!

A sequel was just released in June 2021, so I have even more incentive to dive in!

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

Literary Potpourri

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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

Through affiliate programs, I may earn commissions from purchases made when you click through these links, at no cost to you.

Buy now: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop.org

6May2021

Book Review: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: May 4, 2021
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Thriller/contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

We all have stories we never tell.
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her.
Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.
Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.

In Laura Dave’s unputdownable new novel, Hannah is happily married to Owen, and trying her best to get Owen’s 16-year-old daughter to accept her, or at the very least, to not actively dislike her. Owen and Hannah met and married and moved in together in his Sausalito floating home, all within the space of two years. But suddenly, their life is irreparably disrupted.

Owen’s tech company’s CEO is arrested for fraud and stock manipulation. It’s a huge scandal, but making matters worse for Hannah and Bailey is that Owen disappears as the news breaks. He hasn’t been arrested, and he hasn’t been directly implicated or accused of wrong-doing. Instead, he simply vanishes, leaving Hannah a scrawled note telling her to protect Bailey.

Hannah can’t believe that Owen is anything but a victim of circumstance, but his cryptic note confuses her. She’s even more disturbed when a Federal Marshal and then the FBI come knocking on her door, all looking for information on Owen’s whereabouts. With no way to reach Owen and no idea what he could be hiding, Hannah suggests to Bailey that they take matters into their own hands and go look for him instead.

Based on some loose memories of Bailey’s from her early childhood, as well as hints from some of Owen’s stories of his college days, they’re soon on his trail — but Hannah is horrified to discover that none of the history Owen shared with her seems to be true. Not his real name, not his family background, not his education… and if all of this is fabricated, then who really is this man she fell in love with and married?

Despite her own fears, Hannah realizes that she needs to honor Owen’s request to keep Bailey safe, even if Bailey seem to detest her and even if she doesn’t actually know what she’s protecting her from. But as they travel together to a new town and track down seemingly random facts and vague clues, they come to realize that they only have one another to rely on… and as they start putting the puzzle pieces together, Hannah becomes more and more certain that she may not like the answers she finds.

The Last Thing He Told Me is an intricately plotted web of misdirection and secrets. Through flashbacks, we see Hannah and Owen’s courtship and marriage, and learn the stories he shared with Hannah about his past. In the present, we see Hannah being truly there for Bailey, and Bailey’s grudging realization that Hannah might be the only person in the world she can fully count on.

There are deep, dark, dangerous secrets to be uncovered, and harsh truths for both Hannah and Bailey to confront. Ultimately, Hannah faces a decision that affects all of their lives, and only she has the ability to make sure that she’s choosing a path that carries out Owen’s wishes for Bailey.

I did not see where the story was going, and I was completely hooked on trying to figure out Owen’s secrets and why he behaved the way he did. Needless to say, the resolution was not what I expected! Kudos to the author for keeping me guessing all the way through!

In addition to the puzzle of the events of the story and the truth behind Owen’s disappearance, I really liked the developing trust and connection between Hannah and Bailey. I came to respect and admire Hannah very much — she’s put in an impossible situation, with no good options, and finds a way to do the right thing even when it feels like the worst choice in the world.

I picked up this book before it was announced that this would be the Hello, Sunshine choice for May. I’m delighted to see it getting so much attention! The Last Thing He Told Me is a gripping, fascinating read that practically demands to be discussed, and I think it would make a great book group selection.

Highly recommended!

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Through affiliate programs, I may earn commissions from purchases made when you click through these links, at no cost to you.

Buy The Last Thing He Told Me at Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop.org

15Jan2021

Book Review: A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
Author: Laura Taylor Namey
Publisher: Atheneum
Publication date: November 10, 2020
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Young adult fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow was one of Reese Witherspoon’s YA book club picks, and I can see a lot of what makes it appealing — romance, family, grief and recovery, friendship, and cultural diversity and celebration.

The girl of the title is Lila Reyes, a 17-year-old with a broken heart who has suffered too many losses in too short a period of time. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, her best friends makes plans to work in Ghana after graduation without telling Lila, and most devastating of all, Lila’s beloved abuela dies unexpectedly.

Her abuela was the heart and soul of the family, and she taught Lila everything she knew about food and baking. Lila’s plans were set in stone already — after graduation, she and her older sister Pilar would take over the management of the family bakery. But when Lila’s grief leads her down a self-destructive path, her worried family sends her to a small town in England to spend the summer with a cousin at her family’s inn.

Lila is mad and resentful at first, and so stubborn that she refuses to alter her Miami dress code of tank tops and strappy sandals, even when confronted with chilly English weather. Slowly, though, Lila finds the beginnings of a routine for herself, baking her special Cuban pastries and treats in the inn’s kitchen, becoming friends with a local musician and her group, and getting to know Orion Maxwell, a lovely local who is determined to show Lila all the best sites and tastes of Winchester.

The story is sweet and occasionally moving, as Lila, Orion, and others deal with sorrows and challenges, and learn the various ways true friends can hold each other up when they need it most. And oh, the food! Each chapter is filled to the brim with Lila’s nonstop cooking and baking, and it all sounds amazing! Take me to her bakery now, please, so I can fill my stomach with absolutely everything!

So why only 3 stars? (And, I’ll be honest, I wavered between 2.5 and 3 for quite a while.) It’s simple — I just couldn’t get into the author’s writing style.

You know how in some books, the sentence structure or use of words is so unique or special that it makes you stop and admire it while you’re reading? This isn’t that. Instead, I was constantly pausing because I was befuddled by the odd syntax and use of language, and had to try to puzzle out what certain descriptions and phrases actually meant:

Blond hair — a dark variety his creator dyed in a murky rain puddle — curls slightly on top of a cropped cut.

Before my mouth even closes, my words strike faces.

Gray, dim, shade — those are the colors on his face before he thumbs his chin and half-smiles for me.

My culture also has too much wanting to die out in the new.

Miami. The third heart on this pavement, trying to love me harder.

The story is nice and moves pretty quickly, but I just didn’t love it enough to want to rave about it, and the writing issue definitely affected my overall enjoyment.

Recommended for the amazing food and the tribute to Cuban Miami culture, but not a must-read.

14Jun2020

Audiobook Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Viking
Publication date: August 14, 2018
Print length: 384 pages
Audio length: 12 hours, 12 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Where the Crawdads Sing has been on bestseller lists for at least a year now, as far as I can tell. And the fact that this was a Reese’s book club pick doesn’t hurt at all when it comes to creating buzz. So is it worth all the hype?

Now that I’ve read it, I can give an answer: Definitely yes.

Where the Crawdads Sing is lovely, rich, sad, and powerful. It tells the story of Kya Clark, a girl who is abandoned at a very young age and yet manages to raise herself in the North Carolina marsh she calls home.

Kya’s family lives in a shack in the marsh, scrabbling for daily sustenance and terrorized by their abusive, unreliable father. Kya’s older siblings have already left, and as the story opens, Kya is six years old, watching her mother walk away, never to return. Kya is left behind with her father and older brother, but even her brother doesn’t stay long. Soon, it’s just Kya and her father, and he disappears for days on end, or shows up drunk or angry, and simply can’t or won’t care for his child.

And so, from the age of six, Kya raises herself. She loves her home and the marsh and the birds and wildlife that are her truest friends. She scrapes by on the pennies her father provides. Eventually, even he leaves, and she is completely alone, surviving by digging mussels and selling them to the local sundry store owner, a warm and caring man named Jumpin’ who comes to love Kya as a daughter.

Despite the love and support of Jumpin’ and his wife Mabel, Kya is alone. When a truant officer comes to take her to school, Kya only lasts one day, feeling embarassed and tormented by the town kids who call her “Marsh Girl” and make fun of her. From then on, it’s just Kya in the marsh.

She does have one friend, a boy named Tate who once upon a time was friends with her brother. Tate is fascinated by Kya and takes it upon himself to teach her to read, opening up the world of science and biology and learning to her. Kya embarks on her lifelong passion to know and understand the marsh, collecting specimens and documenting them through writing and painting, turning her old shack into a personal natural history museum of sorts.

The story alternates between chapters following Kya’s life from early childhood onward and chapters set later, in 1969, when a local young man is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Chase Andrews had a history with the Marsh Girl, and although there doesn’t seem to be any evidence, she becomes a person of interest in the case, fueled by years of the townspeople’s harsh opinions and suspicions and gossip about her.

While I was less interested in the murder plot for most of the book, by the last third, the two story elements come together as the plot centers around the court case and resolution.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a moving and lyrical reading experience. I loved the descriptions of the marsh and the way the natural world is so much a part of who Kya is and how she looks at life. Kya’s life is horribly sad, yet also beautiful in its own lonely way. It’s incredible to think that a child could survive like that on her own all those years, yet she does. Between her natural intelligence and her lifelong study of her natural surroundings, Kya adapts and manages to thrive, despite her loneliness and sorrow throughout the years.

The audiobook narrator does a very good job of breathing life into the characters, especially Kya, using her voice to show her maturing over the years yet maintaining the core of who she is.

My one issue with the audiobook is that I feel I missed out a bit on certain written passages. Kya is passionate about poetry, and the poems she recites throughout the book are worth spending time on and contemplating a bit, but because I listened to the audiobook, they passed by a little too quickly for actual reflection. I think I’ll need to borrow a print edition so I can page through and spend more time on certain passages.

I won’t get into spoilers, so I can’t say more about the ending than that I was mostly satisfied and that the ending worked out pretty much as I expected despite a few red herrings — although there was at least one loose thread that I would have liked an answer to.

Overall though, the murder/mystery elements are not the most essential part of this book, in my mind. Yes, it was interesting, and yes, I felt that the ending made sense. But the biggest impact for me was the emotional resonance of Kya’s life, her loves, her relationships, and her incredible personal and professional achievements.

Kya is a woman to admire, one who overcomes extreme adversity to carve out a life for herself that’s meaningful and joyful.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a powerful and beautiful book. Highly recommended.

9Dec2019

Take A Peek Book Review: The Cactus by Sarah Haywood

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.

Title: The Cactus
Author: Sarah Haywood
Publisher: Park Row
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Synopsis:

In this charming and poignant debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to finding love means learning to embrace the unexpected.

For Susan Green, messy emotions don’t fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic, and an “interpersonal arrangement” that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan’s greatest fear is realized. She is losing control.

Enter Rob, the dubious but well-meaning friend of her indolent brother. As Susan’s due date draws near and her dismantled world falls further into a tailspin, Susan finds an unlikely ally in Rob. She might have a chance at finding real love and learning to love herself, if only she can figure out how to let go.

My Thoughts:

I borrowed the audiobook of The Cactus from my library on a whim, based on its being available and also being a Reese’s Book Club pick (because I do seem to like most of their selections). This was an enjoyable, diverting story, although I’m not sure that I loved it. Susan is set in her ways, negating emotion at every turn, always aiming for efficiency and neatness. When her life turns upside down, she’s forced to start letting others in, and learns some hard truths about her own childhood.

The cactus metaphor is a little heavy-handed, in my humble opinion. We get it: Susan is prickly, defensive, making sure others don’t get too close… but with proper attention and nurturing, she’s still capable of flowering. Geez.

I mostly enjoyed Susan’s brand of no-nonsense bossiness and solitude, although some of her behaviors are a bit extreme. The love story didn’t grab me — I didn’t feel convinced by the relationship and its development. I was much more interested in Susan’s family history and its dysfunctions, and how her childhood experiences slowly turned her into the woman she’d become.

The Cactus is a fairly light read, and I enjoyed it overall, but I wouldn’t put it at the top of my priority recommendations.