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First Frost

Review

First Frost

Autumn is dawning on the peaceful town of Bascom, North Carolina, which is a magical time of year for the women of the Waverley family. The first time the frost is on the pumpkin, so begins a special season, for “First frost meant letting go, so it was always reason to celebrate.”

Each Waverley woman is blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with a special gift. Claire has the gift of making heavenly food with the edible flowers from their garden. Her sister, Sydney, has a way with hair; “a cut from her could magically turn your day around.” Each sister takes her special gift and turns it into a highly successful cottage industry. They had learned at the hem of their grandmother, especially when it came to continuing the family’s legacy. In their garden, there grows a tree whose reputation looms large: “Legend around Bascom was that if you ate an apple from the Waverley tree, you’d see what the biggest event in your life would be.” So you can see how the townspeople could at once revere and fear these powerful ladies.

"Once again, Sarah Addison Allen blends her unique mix of southern charm with magical realism.... If you want to lose yourself in an enchanting and enjoyable escape, FIRST FROST is the perfect recipe for an idyllic afternoon."

Bay is Sydney’s teenage daughter, who also shares a super-close bond with her Aunt Claire. Over the years, everyone wondered what her special Waverley woman gift would be. But to Bay, it was clear: “She knew where things belonged: Bay could put away silverware in a house she’d never been to before, in exactly the correct drawer. She could watch strangers in parking lots, and know exactly which cars they were walking to.” This was her special gift, or albatross around her neck, as she is convinced she belongs with Josh Matteson, the handsome senior, star of the soccer team, a boy who couldn’t be more out of her league. She has attempted to bridge the gap between them by writing him a note and explaining her special gift, but not surprisingly, it failed to elicit the response she wanted. Josh, like the other students at her high school, has dismissed her as another one of those crazy Waverleys.

While Bay is pining over the boy she might never have, her aunt and her mother struggle with their own issues. Claire’s catering business has blown up so much that she’s taken to specializing in making her exquisite candies --- incorporating, of course, the bounty from her garden --- and has put aside the private catering, even just cooking in general. Sydney tries to help Violet, her salon’s erratic, young receptionist who’s living in a trailer with her toddler son and another couple. Sydney genuinely wants to help Violet get on her feet, not only for herself, but also for her son, Charlie, with whom she’s smitten. And while these women are dealing with their own special problems, there’s also a stranger in town who seems to be lurking around the Waverley house. Does he intend to cause harm or harmony among the women of this family?

Once again, Sarah Addison Allen blends her unique mix of southern charm with magical realism. The result is this charming follow-up to her debut novel, GARDEN SPELLS. The sights and smells of Bascom come vividly to life in this latest outing, which will appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman’s PRACTICAL MAGIC, with glimmers of Fannie Flagg’s FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFÉ. If you want to lose yourself in an enchanting and enjoyable escape, FIRST FROST is the perfect recipe for an idyllic afternoon.

Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller on January 21, 2015

First Frost
by Sarah Addison Allen

  • Publication Date: January 5, 2016
  • Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction
  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
  • ISBN-10: 1250019850
  • ISBN-13: 9781250019851