“Back before there was time, I lived with my father on an island, tucked away in an endless archipelago that reached up out of the cold salt water, hungry for air.”
The Island is all Emmeline has ever known. Her father teaches her about magic and the world of scents and how they are tied so closely to our memories.
Since she was a small child she has believed in the magic of the island. How mysteriously things appear when they need them. The walls of small drawers in their little cabin full of tiny pieces of paper from the mysterious machine that can capture a memory with scent. She believes it all.
As she gets older and begins to question her father and his actions, she finds her own answers and feels betrayed and angry. When tragedy occurs, she is suddenly removed from her island and enters the real world. A world that is ugly and mean and one she wants no part of.
She sets out on her own to find who she is and why she is so different from other people and in doing so will find out about family, loyalty, and betrayal by the ones you love the most.
This may be the most beautiful piece of writing I have seen in a long time. I was left with a beautiful ending and had tears streaming down my face.
This is a must read!
NetGalley/ St.Martin’s Press May 21, 2019
Wonderful review! This definitely sounds like a must read.
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As an aromatherapist I found it fascinating!
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I keep seeing this book everywhere! Sounds amazing!
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I haven’t heard of it but love anything with a touch of magic in it. I’ll have to look it up and add it to my ever growing list. I just want to sit and read. Sigh. I’ve read several of Menna Van Praag’s books that had that magic touch.
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This one sounds fascinating, especially having worked with qualified Aromatherapists for the past five years.
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As one myself, it was fascinating for me.
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Magic and smells? Appropriate, since scents are a form of magic, conjuring up memories and feelings that we thought were long forgotten
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Adding this to my TBR. Thank-you.
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I am experiencing this in audiobook form. Great narrator
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Really? I’m glad to hear that. Sometimes they don’t always come off well.
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