My Magical Read

In Brooklyn during 2015, the snow storm of the decade transforms three lives immeasurably.  It's a bit of cliche to have characters meet by coincidence fall in love, fight for each other's safety, and create a bond that lasts a lifetime.  However, Allende is not one for simple lives and predictable paths.  Each character has faced torture and disaster that leaves a permanent scar.   The back story for Lucia, Evelyn and Richard is woven into the journey they take together, recounting their pasts as they face the future together.   One of the most interesting aspects for me as a reader is the way Allende includes the history of both Chile and Guatemala within the novel.  There is a sense of familiarity when describing home life, family relationships and growing into an adult. However, there is also the gut wrenching inclusion of the gangs Evelyn's grandmother must face off against in Guatemala, and the political disappearances Lucia write...

The heart is built of starlight  And time, A pinprick of longing lost in the dark. An unbroken chord linking the Infinite to the Infinite. My heart wished upon your heart and the wish is granted. Meanwhile the world spins. Meanwhile the universe expands. Meanwhile the mystery of love reveals itself, again and again, in the mystery of you. I have gone. I will return. In this Newberry Award winning novel, there are several stories intertwined that all collide in the most beautifully written fashion. The main character Luna is an inspiring troublemaker, trying to find out who she is and what she can do to save her dear grandmother, Xan. The story begins in a town covered with sorrow. Each year a baby in this town must be sacrificed, left in the forest, for the witch of the woods. Turns out the witch is a delightful and kind woman, Xan, who brings the babies to new towns and loving families. One year Xan accidentally feeds the "sacrificed" baby moon...