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Every tale in this wonderful collection of short stories by author Alice Hoffman have one thing in common: they all take place in the fictitious Blackbird House on Cape Cod. Set in the historically rich fabric of New England, each story revolves around something magical and yet heart-wrenchingly real. The stories span from the Revolutionary War to modern day, and explore the timeless themes of love, betrayal, devastation, exhilaration, death and life.
Hoffman has a wonderful way of creating captivating stories that come alive with her luminous prose. She reinvents the fairy tale and never fails to create remarkable stories that stay in the reader's heart long after her books have been put down.
BLACKBIRD HOUSE opens with the story of a mother who loses her son and her husband to the angry sea. All she is left with is the house her husband built and the constant cries of a blackbird that was raised by her son. The stories that fill this collection are short, but their themes ring loudly. Hoffman writes about common feelings in a magical and almost ethereal way. Her descriptions for everything from turnips and water to fears and destiny are lyrical and haunting.
Hoffman writes about young lovers, witches, women with heartache, men who navigate the sea, and children who misbehave. She explores every facet of human emotion, both tender and harsh. Many of her stories are symbolically portrayed, while others are just so beautifully written and insightful that they read like poetry. If you have never explored the world through Alice Hoffman's writing, BLACKBIRD HOUSE is an excellent place to start. It gives the reader a wonderful example of just how prolific and talented a writer Alice Hoffman is and how powerfully her writing resonates with her readers. BLACKBIRD HOUSE is a stunning achievement and an unforgettable book.
--- Reviewed by Jocelyn M. Kelley
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