First Frost

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

Anyone following my reviews lately will probably notice that I've been on a bit of a Sarah Addison Allen kick. And this is because these have been the perfect late summer/early autumn reads for me after a very eventful year thus far. Allen's writing is beautiful & descriptive, and she takes the everyday things like family, work, growing up or old, friendship & acceptance and she makes them magical.

First Frost is the second in the Waverley family set after Garden Spells, so if you haven't read that one yet, do that first. This book finds us back in Bascom several years after the end of Garden Spells. Bay is now in high school, Claire has ventured into candy making, Claire & Tyler's daughter is in elementary school, Sydney runs a successful hair salon in town & Evanelle and Fred are still around town anticipating the odd things that people will need.

We also learn that the Waverley family magic becomes very restive during the season before the first frost when their apple tree finally blooms. And this restlessness seems to be decidedly bad this year. Claire is struggling with her business, Sydney's hair is changing color of it's own accord & Bay makes a fool of herself when she realizes who she belongs with, but he moves in a completely different circle. There's also a mysterious old man around town who has been asking questions about the Waverley family.

One of the things that really draws me to this group of characters is that they define what family means for themselves, and they invite others into the space they create. They love each other because of their differences and not in spite of them. So when all the chaos of this bad season comes to a head, they just might be able to ride it out if they find the courage to ask for help & think outside the reality that others have constructed for them. And therein lies the beauty of magical realism.

Favorite Quotes

"Sometimes its necessary to embrace the magic, to find out what's real in life, and in one's own heart."

“Was it really that simple? Choosing a life? ...
Maybe you don't fall in love. Maybe you jump.
Maybe, just maybe, it's all a choice."

“It had taken her a long time to realize that a prison sometimes isn't a prison at all. Sometimes, it's simply a door you assume is locked because you've never tried to open it.”  

“A breeze flew through, picking up some leaves and swirling them around, the sound like fluttering pages in a quiet library.” 

“She wished she had known back then. Known that happiness isn't a point in time you leave behind. It's what's ahead of you. Every single day.”