Emily came to the small town of Mullaby, North Carolina hoping to learn more about her mother. Why did Dulcie leave, and why did she refuse to tell her daughter anything about her life? Emily wants answers, but everywhere she turns she just runs into more questions.
Next door, Julia spends her nights dreaming about getting back to her real home in Baltimore. She’s been stuck in Mullaby for almost two years, trying to reverse the fortunes of her deceased father’s barbeque restaurant and sell it for a profit. After all, there’s nothing, and no one, to keep her in town…right?
Mullaby is an eccentric little place. No member of the Coffey family comes out after sunset, mysterious lights flash in the woods at night, and no one seems willing to talk about the past. This town, like other small towns, has its secrets.
A delicious read
After enjoying The Sugar Queen last year, I knew I had to pick up another Sarah Addison Allen novel. I love the mix of small-town storytelling, magical elements, and themes that invariably go deeper than a casual reader might think.
The thing that surprises me the most about Allen’s novels is that she manages to seamlessly integrate real-life, believable things (like a woman who likes to bake) with magical, unbelievable things (like a man who can sense the sugar sparkling underneath her rolled-up sleeves). It’s hard to balance — too much realism and you’re reading just another fluffy romance novel; too much fantasy and the reader can’t suspend his/her disbelief and enjoy the story. Allen does it right, and I love it.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon is like one of Julia’s cakes: light, sweet, delicious, and keeps you coming back for more. I think I enjoyed The Sugar Queen just a smidge better, but it’s nonetheless a great book that’s worth a read.
What Allen book should I read next?
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Amy, if you liked The Sugar Queen then try Garden Spells. I think it was Sarah Allen’s first novel and was excellent. I just put in a reserve at the library for The Girl Who Chased the Moon. Thanks for the review!
I saw Garden Spells mentioned on the back cover of The Sugar Queen, but hadn’t gotten around to reading a summary. Just checked it out on Goodreads — it sounds awesome! Adding it to my list today. 🙂
Hope you enjoy The Girl Who Chased the Moon. It’s a little different than The Sugar Queen, but I liked both.
I love her books! I haven’t read this one yet but I intend to…I intend to read all her books one day!
I don’t even know how many books she’s had published. But since I’ve already read two, and just added a third to my TBR, I think it’s safe to say I’m in for the long haul. 🙂 Going to try and spread them out over time though; it’s really easy to glut oneself on this kind of book and wind up disliking them.
I love her books. I can’t wait for her to write another as I have already read them all. 🙁
How many has she written? Any scuttlebutt on when her next one comes out?