"A story about a resilient group of women and the healing power of friendship!"
The Book Charmer
By: Karen Hawkins
Genres: Women's Fiction Contemporary | Small Town | Women's Fiction Southern
Posted: July 31, 2019
THE BOOK CHARMER is a standalone novel by Karen Hawkins. It’s a story that will give you a case of the warm fuzzies. The main characters are realistic and flawed, but there’s also an element of magical realism. The description for this book intrigued me, but I wasn’t quite sure what type of category it would fit into. For me, THE BOOK CHARMER is reminiscent of novels like WHERE THE HEART IS by Billie Letts with a dash of PRACTICAL MAGIC by Alice Hoffman.
In the opening chapters, Karen Hawkins gives readers some background information on the two main characters – Sarah and Grace – and what their childhoods were like. Reading and a love of books is something that connects them, even though they came to it differently. For Grace, growing up in the foster care system, her life changed when she was taken in by Mrs. Giano aka Mama G. Years later, Grace is put in the position of caring for both Mama G and her young niece. This is a story about friendships and flawed people doing the best they can. Love is a major theme in this book – but not in the way you’d typically find in a romance novel. The variations and levels of love in THE BOOK CHARMER are plentiful and the love is expressed in different ways. Each character reveals their vulnerabilities at some point and forge deep connections because of those revelations. Blake and Trav provide much needed comfort and emotional support for Sarah and Grace. The romance is light in THE BOOK CHARMER, but it still has an impact on the story and is enjoyable.
THE BOOK CHARMER is about the twists and turns life takes, and the healing a special town can provide. The parallels between Grace’s childhood and Daisy’s give their relationship added resonance. I enjoy stories like THE BOOK CHARMER that have resilient and sympathetic characters. I look forward to the next book by Karen Hawkins.
Book Summary
New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins crafts an unforgettable story about a sleepy Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a truly magical friendship.
Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.
If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book.
“A mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author), The Book Charmer is a heartwarming story about the magic of books that feels more than a little magical itself. Prepare to fall under its spell.
Read an Excerpt
by: Karen Hawkins
Gallery Books
August 1, 2019
On Sale: July 30, 2019
Featuring: Grace Wheeler; Sarah Dove
368 pages
ISBN: 1982105542
EAN: 9781982105549
Kindle: B07MKDKN9K
Trade Size / e-Book