A couple years ago, I tried reading The Forbidden Garden, which is actually the second book in the Sparrow Sisters series by Ellen Herrick. I made it a few pages in before putting it aside; I just couldn’t get into the story or keep the characters straight.
Now, I know why — I was supposed to read The Sparrow Sisters first.
Whoops.
What’s The Sparrow Sisters about?
Magical realism books are some of my favorites to read, and I’m always on the hunt for new authors in this genre. I’m happy to report that we can place Ellen Herrick in this camp.
The Sparrow Sisters unfolds slowly, easing you into a lazy, New England summer as you meet the three sisters Sparrow: Sorrell, Nettie, and Patience. The first half of the book is teeny bit slow, as it contains lots of description and background info about the sisters, their family history, and their generational home in coastal Granite Point.
We also learn that the sisters have some incredible abilities, particularly Patience, who works wonders with her herb garden, natural remedies, and healing touch. (Whisper it with me: Witch….)
The story picks up when Patience meets and starts to fall in love with Henry, the new (physically and emotionally) wounded doctor in town.
Why I enjoyed The Sparrow Sisters
You know how I usually say it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the other books in a series before? Well, I think it matters this time. Herrick builds a world that is so detailed, so nuanced, that you really have to learn the sisters’ backstory to understand just who they are, their special sisterly bond, and the magic that seems to follow in their wake.
Everything about the first part of The Sparrow Sisters fills your senses with the sights, smells, and feelings that surround this trio of women. If you’re looking for beautiful, literary fiction-esque magical realism, Herrick puts you right in the thick of it.
And, if you’re looking for a little drama, hang in there: halfway through the story, the idyllic little town shrouded in magic erupts into a hotbed of mystery, manslaughter, and a good ol’ Puritanical witch hunt.
Should you read The Sparrow Sisters?
If you’re a fan of Sarah Addison Allen, Heather Webber, and Lisa Van Allen, you definitely want to add The Sparrow Sisters to your reading pile. Herrick transports you into another world where the possibility of magic — whether real or just in our hearts — reigns supreme.
And, I suspect, you’ll want to throw the second book in the series on there, as well. Now that I’ve gotten to know and love the Sparrow sisters, I think I’m going to enjoy The Forbidden Garden a lot more.
Don’t forget to check back in for my book-inspired recipe: New England Blackberry Cobbler.
Ooh, I love anything to do with magical realism; have you read any of Angela Carter? This book sounds fab; witches, romance and murder are a perfect mix! 😍
I haven’t read Angela Carter, but I’m looking her up right now! Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂