Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

"Garden Spells" is Sarah Addison Allen's first novel. I picked it up because the cover art was attractive. The story itself was a fun read. If you like authors like Alice Hoffman or Barbara Kingsolver then this author will appeal to you.

The story revolves around the Waverly family who live in Bascom, North Carolina. The main characters are Claire, and Sydney, who are sisters and their elderly cousin Evanelle. The sisters are the caretakers of their family home which includes an "enchanted garden" of sorts. Each character has a gift. Claire is a caterer who uses her knowledge of herbs and folklore to help her clients. Evanelle is famous for giving unexpected gifts whose uses come clear much later. Sydney is the "wild" sister who fled their home as soon as she could and abandons her sister Claire, much like how their own mother did when they were children. Sydney's gift is helping others find happiness but alas isn't as lucky in finding it for herself.

If you want to find out if the sisters find happiness or if the idea of an apple tree can have a personality of its own catches your interest, try reading this book.