The Book Charmer

The Book Charmer (Dove Pond Series, Book 1) by Karen Hawkins. New York: Gallery Books, 2019. 344 pages. ****

Sarah Dove, the librarian in the southern town of Dove Pond, North Carolina, and talks to books and they talk to her. The Dove girls all have special gifts and Sarah's is to place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Sometimes, before the reader wants or needs the book. Sarah is the seventh Dove daughter and history has proven that when this happens, good things come to Dove Pond. The town has become depressed since many businesses have moved out and taken jobs with them. When the books start whispering that something out of the ordinary is happening, Sarah starts looking for signs and is hopeful when the flowers in the town square change color. After the death of her sister Grace Wheeler moves in with her niece and aging foster mother and Sarah is convinced that Grace is the one to save the town. Grace, however, tells anyone who will listen that she is there for one year and moving on as soon as Mama G's memory improves.

As a retired librarian, I was drawn right into this book. Talking books? Absolutely! From the very beginning, I can picture this story as a Hallmark movie. Grace asks Sarah, "You don't really believe in ghosts, do you?" Sarah replies that she believes in "possibilities." That's what this book is all about---possibilities!! Dove Pond could be any small town, anywhere. Grace is disconnected from life and Sarah is hyper connected to her small town living. This is a poignant story about love, acceptance, and the need for friends. I received it as one of the Whimsical Wing Book Club Books and I am so glad that I did. I look forward to the next book in this series.

From Karen's bio on her webpage... New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Karen Hawkins is known for her wonderfully humorous and emotion-tugging historical and contemporary romances. The author of over 30 novels, Karen writes for a living between shopping for shoes, playing around on Facebook and Pinterest, looking for fun items for Hawkins Manor, and napping, although usually not at the same time. Sometimes, for fun, she takes Instagram pictures of her two rescue dogs, Sadie and Teke, and posts them online.

Yeah, she's a wild one.

Karen lives in snowy Massachusetts, with her husband, aka Hot Cop, and her two dogs. Her children are both out of college and have become productive, non-violent members of society. Karen writes six to eight hours a day when not obsessively reading research books on Regency-era Scotland, snacking on chocolate, or looking out the windows of her house and thinking about gardening. Her hobbies include sculpting, oil painting, playing badminton, and -- ok, ok, she doesn't have any hobbies, but if she did, she's sure they'd be something refined and fascinating.

For a list of the other books read so far, visit Whimsical Wings Book Club


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