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Literary Friday: The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Friday, January 14, 2011

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There are about a half a dozen or so contemporary writers who have earned my loyalty.  I do not check-out their books at the library; instead, I buy their books the day they are released. I must own them, not borrow them.  Sarah Addison Allen is one of those writers.  I absolutely love all three of her books, and here is why:

1.  Sense of place: no one writes about small-town North Carolina better than Sarah.

2.  The flawed characters and their family secrets: most of them are doozies!

3.  Magic: whether is is an apple tree that throws its fruit at you (Garden Spells) or a character who is "given" books which "magically appear" and then "follow" her when she is in need of them (The Sugar Queen).

And I am happy to report that The Girl Who Chased the Moon does not disappoint.  I would have included this book in my 2010 Best Books List if I could have only found it!  I bought it when it was released, took it to the lake, and then misplaced it.  My husband found it over Christmas and bought it home to me.  I am so happy that he did because I have been engrossed in this book for the past several days.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is about a teenage orphan named Emily who is sent to live with her grandfather in Mullaby, North Carolina after her mother's death.  Emily, who has never visited Mullaby nor met her grandfather, is shocked to learn that he is a giant at over eight feet tall!  Emily is also perplexed with the wallpaper in her mother's old room: it completely changes depending on Emily's mood, from lilacs, to butterflies, to doorways! Shortly after arriving in Mullaby, Emily meets Win Coffey, a tall, handsome rising Senior (like Emily) whose family has mysterious, if not tragic, ties to Emily's mother, Dulcie.  But the familial connection is not the only secret Win is hiding.  Why won't the Coffeys ever leave their home after dark?

Meanwhile, Julia, a former classmate of Dulcie's, is living with Stella next door to Emily and Grandfather Vance.  She was not in the "in-crowd" in high school like Dulcie, Stella, and their fellow "Sassafras" girls.  Instead, Julia was a withdrawn emo-punk with pink hair who loved handsome and blond Sawyer Alexander from afar.  One night, Sawyer definitely shows interest in Emily and tells her about his sweet tooth.  Julia started baking and cannot stop because of something Sawyer said to her that night in high school. Sawyer confided in Julia that he can see sparkles in the air when something is being baked. He claimed he always knew when his mother had baked him something because the sparkles found him and led him home.  Every Thursday night when Julia is baking at home, Sawyer always appears on her doorstep.  Julia's creations are also a hit at her late father's barbeque restaurant: all of her desserts sell out everyday.  Julia has a dream of opening her own bakery in Baltimore after she settles her late father's estate in Mullaby.

Emily and Julia become fast friends, and they help each other adapt to life in quirky Mullaby.  But will Win's family secret and Julia's secret drive away Emily and Sawyer?

Make yourself a pulled-pork sandwich with Lexington barbeque sauce, and pour yourself a glass of sweet iced tea. Now you are set to enjoy this well-written, magical book.  It is so easy to fall in love with Sarah Addison Allen's characters and her imaginative take on North Carolina!

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill

3 comments

  1. I've just curious!!!Bacio,Annalisa

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  2. This sounds delightful! I think my girls at school would love this. Magical reading is a lot of fun. I hope your cookie bars are yummy.

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  3. HI RICKY THANK YOU THANK YOU. FOR THE BOOKS INFO.I AM GOING TO THE BOOK STORE TODAY TO FING GARDEN SPELLS AND THE PEACH KEEPER,I THINK TARGET HAVE THEM..I LOVE TO READ IS MY PASSION,MY HUSBAND SAID THAT I WILL BURN MY EYES WITH SO MUCH READDING..THE LAKE IS SO FULL AND SERENE,THE DOGWOODS BEAUTIFULLLLLL WHITE ARE MY FAVORITE...HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY..HUGS...SANDRA....P.S. I LOVE READING GIRLS BOOKS

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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