'Business was doing well, because all the locals knew that dishes made from the flowers that grew around the apple tree in the Waverley garden could affect the eater in curious ways.'

While I must admit to picking up Sarah Addison Allens debut novel, Garden Spells, based on its stunning cover, I can honestly say that Im glad I did. The book works surprisingly well for a first novel, and though I intended to savour it over a lazy evening, my relaxing cup of chamomile couldnt stop me from tearing through it.

Garden Spells is a quiet story of the often-unacknowledged magic that resides in all of us. It follows the story of Claire and Sydney Waverley, two sisters from a family known for its eccentricities. Claire Waverley is somewhat of an outcast in Bascom, North Carolina, where she makes a living baking and preparing meals for high teas and luncheons for the well-to-do in the area. However, Claire has a special gift that allows her to imbue her cooking with certain enchantments, and her delicacies have often unusual and curious effects. Claire's quiet life, however, is soon sent into a tailspin when a handsome stranger moves in next door, and her estranged sister, Sydney, returns home with daughter Bay, having escaped her abusive husband. Together the Waverley sisters try to confront their unhappy pasts in order to create a new future for themselves and Bay.

Sarah Addison Allen has created a slight but gorgeous novel that will keep you up all night reading. The characters are well-drawn, and each character's unique 'gift', which perfectly matches their personalities, will make you smile. Garden Spells is a charming book that suggests impressive things to come from Addison Allen.

Purchase Garden Spells.

Other books by this author you might like: 'The Sugar Queen; The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Acknowledgements: Chair image by Suat Eman, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net