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Original Essays | June 27, 2009

Fran Cannon Slayton: IMG On Wakes and Rum (and Coke)



"Unfortunately, I've been to my fair share of wakes." Continue »
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    When the Whistle Blows

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The Sugar Queen

by Sarah Addison Allen

The Sugar Queen Cover

ISBN13: 9780553805499
ISBN10: 0553805495
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In this irresistible follow-up to her New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother…

Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey’s clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she’s going to change Josey’s life—because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.

Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs them, and—most amazing of all—has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush.

As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time—even for her. It seems that Della Lee’s work is done, and it’s time for her to move on. But the truth about where she’s going, why she showed up in the first place—and what Chloe has to do with it all—is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey’s fast-changing life.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.

Review:

"Allen's second bewitching offering (after Garden Spells) is a candy jar of magical characters and mystical adventures set in an ordinary North Carolina town. At 27, Josey Cirrini is 'plain and just this side of plump' and trying to make up for her legendary childhood temper tantrums by caring for her aging, widowed mother Margaret. Her closet features neatly stacked junk food packages and romance novels, and her life chugs along. But as the book opens, Della Lee Baker, waitress at the local greasy spoon, shows up in Josey's closet, having propped a ladder against the house and climbed silently in overnight. She's hiding from someone or something, and has no intention of leaving anytime soon. Instead, the very direct Della Lee sends Josey on a series and missions and misadventures that encourage our low self-esteem heroine to step outside her box and away from her snack-filled closet. As in Allen's previous work, there's an element of the supernatural (self-help books that literally follow one around; tears that sprout mysterious tropical flowers), and again it works. Words such as sweet, charming and delightful are weak accolades for such a pleasurable book. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Like the most decadently addictive bonbons, once started, Allen’s magically entrancing novel is impossible to put down." -Booklist, starred review

Synopsis:

In this irresistible follow-up to her "New York Times"-bestselling debut, "Garden Spells," author Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets--and secret passions--are about to change her life forever.

About the Author

Sarah Addison Allen was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She is the author of Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
viscidly, January 4, 2009 (view all comments by viscidly)
Another success for Allen. Just like her first book Garden Spells, I couldn't put this down and had to read it all in one night. Allen blends just enough romance with the captivating magical realism to keep you hooked, and believing until the end.
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blytherusling, October 4, 2008 (view all comments by blytherusling)
No highbrow literature here, just a sugary treat meant to be gobbled up along with some cookies and hot chocolate on a cold and rainy day. Which is exactly what I just did with Sarah Addison Allen's "Sugar Queen." A poignant, fun and magical ride that will leave you craving the next book.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Christina Carlson, August 15, 2008 (view all comments by Christina Carlson)
Even better than Garden Spells, this book has layers and layers of magic. Josey, Della Lee and Chloe will stay with you for a very long time. This is a wonderful story of love, forgiveness, bad choices, salvation and getting unstuck. The characters are multi-dimensional and totally human. Can't wait for Sarah Addison Allen's next book!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780553805499
Author:
Allen, Sarah Addison
Publisher:
Bantam
Subject:
Food habits
Subject:
Young women
Subject:
General
Subject:
Mothers and daughters
Subject:
North carolina
Publication Date:
May 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
276
Dimensions:
8.18x5.88x1.01 in. .86 lbs.

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