They are the last of the Waverleys-except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. But so were their futures.Ī successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants-from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it. In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. It is hard to keep track of people as it goes off in many directions.The magical New York Times bestseller. While this is based on a true crime that happened in 1991, it is very repetitious. He thought they were only going to burn down the shop for insurance money. Kate Ulrich is Zadie and Elizabeth’s mother, Jack Dewey is the first fireman who found the bodies, Rosa Heller is a reporter and Michael Greer was the look out for the killers. This is a novel about how the deaths impact the small town. Sisters Zadie and Elizabeth and their friend, Meredith, die. They tie up three teenage girls who work there, then set fire to the shop. Two men walk into an ice cream shop in Texas shortly before closing. “See How Small” by Scott Blackwood, Little, Brown and Co., 224 pages, $25. The plot is predictable but I like the characters. His name is Russell Zahler and he is a con man, out to cheat the Waverlys. Her talent is knowing where things belong and she knows that he doesn’t belong in town. They are awaiting the first frost of the year because an apple tree in Claire’s yard blooms.īay is walking and sees an older man in the park. Her daughter, Bay, 15, is in high school and has a crush on Josh Matteson, who doesn’t feel the same way. Sydney is unhappy because she wants another child. She has a daughter, Mariah, 9, who to everyone’s amazement apparently doesn’t have any special talents.Ĭlaire’s sister, Sydney, owns a hair salon.

The Waverly women of Bascom, North Carolina, are known for their unusual talents.Ĭlaire makes food with magical qualities. “First Frost” by Sarah Addison Allen, St.

Sarah addison allen waverly books