Book Review: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Bantam Books
269 Pages
Copyright 2010

Let's get it out of the way right away.

I absolutely adore Sarah Addison Allen. Her stories are sweet, they're lovely, they're like sitting down with an old friend for an hour or two and enjoying a quiet, charming, interesting conversation.

I loved Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen and I've linked to my reviews. You'll find that I use the word 'lovely' quite a bit when talking about Allen's books. I don't know how else to describe them.

Emily Benedict has traveled to Mullaby, North Carolina to live with her grandfather after her mother's death. She looking for answers to the questions her mother's death has left unanswered, such as why did her mother leave home so suddenly and why did she never return, leaving Emily with little knowledge of her roots.

Once in Mullaby, however, Emily finds answers are elusive and questions abound. She discovers that her grandfather is a giant, her mother wasn't always the considerate, loving person Emily knew, unexplained lights skip across her yard at night, and the woman next door bakes magical cakes and has a past of her own.

Julia Winterson, the cake-baking neighbor, has a plan that does not include staying in Mullaby any longer than she has to. It certain doesn't include Sawyer, the long-ago love of her life, or the revelation of her secrets . . .

Emily's arrival stirs up the past for several people in Mullaby and not everyone is happy about the fact. They, along with Emily, find that their lives are forever changed.

Recommendation: This is a book about how the past has a way of catching up with people, regardless of whether or not they want it to. It's about dealing with that past and it's about love and faith, with a little bit of magic mixed in for good measure. Allen's characters have a way of worming their way into your heart and staying long after the book is back on the shelf. And that is definitely a very good thing