Over the course of a school year we watch as friendship and love bloom between Alice and Rémy, against the backdrop of a depressing little town called Starling. With a writing careful and lush without being too flowery, the author deftly conjures up the magic of childhood, this ability to wonder, always. 

“Leave behind what narrow minds whisper in airless rooms and hold to the possibility of wonder with all your might.”

🌻Alice and Rémy, their eyes open to the nature around them and their ears tuned to the stories inside them, are able to see beauty. Stubbornly they seek and treasure it, resisting the disappointing, immensely cruel adult world trying to crush and devour them. The story is a moment suspended, it stirs something in the reader, a reminiscence of golden days, bright with freedom and unbridled imagination. It closes in heartbreak tinged with hope…

🌼I loved the tender dynamic between the two children, Rémy’s fierce protectiveness and Alice’s ethereal fire. I am definitely fond of the mysterious, kind and perceptive Madame Voisine. The little stories strewn throughout were real gems too. And there was a real sense of place.

“Look around and see it all, let it come and go. Take in every joy and sorrow, and be sure to gather beauty along the way.”

🪷It’s a blessing to have been able to experience something so pure through the pages, and a necessary reminder too. Of the beauty that lies within reach, and the boundless resilience found in Iove. A book to put in all hands. Although beware sensitive souls, here teachers are sadistic, elders play too much with their fists and some men lust after the innocent…

🌸Thank you Kirsten for sending your book my way, I hope it reaches the large audience it deserves. I for one will spread the word… and a copy or two!

Get your copy here!