- Bette Lee Crosby’s writing: Is magical from her descriptive writing to the easy flow in which her stories unfold. She offers unique characters with depth, lovability and manages to allow me to slip into her stories and lose myself.
- Memory House Bed and Breakfast: located in Burnsville, just outside Richmond Virginia is a quaint home surrounded by a garden with a sign half hidden. The owner runs an apothecary shop in the front and has two rooms available for guests. The white house is situated at the end of Haber Street and the owner never advertises as folks have a way of finding Memory House when they need it. I love that the house itself is like a character.
- The Characters: Ophelia Browne is almost ninety years old. She knows her time here on earth is limited but she is spry and intelligent. She tends her garden, mixes herbal remedies and has the ability to read memories in objects. She collects them and keeps them safe. I adored Ophelia and found myself envious of the time Annie spends with her. Her story, gift and presence were delightful. Annie Cross is at a crossroads. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend of seven years and is frustrated with work. She decides to take off for the weekend and soon finds herself at Memory House. We learn about her troubled romance and experience the growing friendship with Ophelia. Ophelia shares her gift with Annie and I loved how their friendship grew and strengthened.
- Narrative: The tale is delivered mostly in third person with chapters weaved in from Annie and Ophelia’s perspective. While I enjoyed the tale, I found myself particularly drawn to their first person perspectives as we grew to know them and learned their secrets.
- Magical Realism: I loved the concept of Memory House. Watching Ophelia share her stories regarding objects and Annie’s determination to unlock secrets from one object in particular. The tale is sweet, light and perfect for a rainy evening. I truly enjoyed the characters and was sadden when the story came to end. While Crosby chose to leave it open-ended, she gave us enough that creating our own happily ever after was easy. I closed this book with a smile while wishing I had some dandelion tea.
Copy provided by author. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer