The Healing Spell

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Set in the lush bayou of Louisiana, critically acclaimed Kimberley Griffiths Little's lyrical and heartfelt story, THE HEALING SPELL, is now in paperback!

Twelve-year-old Livie is living with a secret and it's crushing her. She knows she is responsible for her mother's coma, but she can't tell anyone. It's up to her to find a way to wake her mamma up.

Stuck in the middle of three sisters, hiding a forbidden pet alligator, and afraid to disappoint her daddy, whom she loves more than anyone else, Livie struggles to find her place within her own family as she learns about the powers of faith and redemption. Livie's powerful, emotional, and sometimes humorous story will stay with readers long after the last line is read.

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Contemporary

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons.

For such award-winning middle grade novels as When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, her writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."

Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing.

She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers are right here on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/videos/list...

Awards: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.

Reviews

[Kimberley Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those close-to-my-heart stories that I just never gave up on, although I wondered at times if I should just stick it in a drawer already. I guess I'm more stubborn than I realized because I worked on it for nearly 7 years and got lots of rejections (although lots of *very close* rejections) before finally snagging my #1 choice agent and then watching with utter shock as she sold it within weeks - in a 3 book deal to Scholastic! So I'll take a purple star sticker for every dozen rewrites and all the rethinking, and re-imagining of the story, and for never giving up. :-)

I'm so pleased to finally share Livie's story with all of you.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I stupidly thought it would just be a sweet middle grade book that I whipped through and would say, “Aw, that was nice.” I can be a dork like that. But honest to freaking greatness, I bawled at the end of this. I was so absorbed, and when that climactic moment came, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, reading as fast as I could—and yeah, I gasped and felt a tug in my chest. So, not your average middle grade book. And there weren’t any mythical creatures or flying things. Just a baby alligator named T-Baby that stole my heart. Did not see that coming. I’m not one for reptiles, but Livie’s T-baby was just so darling.

Little did an amazing job sucking me into the world of THE HEALING SPELL. The bayou, the Spanish moss, the alligators and the crawfish and Cajun traditions. Just brilliant, I tell you. She painted such a vivid picture, it was like getting to visit. And Livie’s voice—my word it was strong. Honestly, I misread her age at the beginning, thinking she was 14, and for the longest time I thought, no way is this kid 14. 11…12 tops. Then come to find out, she actually was eleven going on twelve—talk about capturing a voice on the page. So well done. And what a great voice, too. I adored Livie, wanted so badly to take her under my wing and comfort her. The poor thing is so broken in this, struggling not just to grow up, but with the tragedy that has struck their family.

Such a heartbreaking, moving read, but also funny and sweet, just like Livie who is so resistant to change. The writing was unbelievable as well. While the voice was strong with Cajun eleven-year-old influence, it was also lyrical and poignant. So much said in so few words—about growing up, about dealing with tragedy and immense guilt, about the tempestuous link between family members, and especially about that complicated, angsty bond between a mother and daughter. We also get to see the stirrings of first love. It’s a vivid portrayal of one girl caught between childhood and adolescence dealing with a life-changing, earth-shattering event. But above all, it’s a story of redemption and the incredible power of hope and love.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book is a one that makes you feel more complete for having read it. I only finished reading The Healing Spell last night and yet I already feel like it has changed my life for the better. As I was finishing the book I cried for Livie, then I cried with Livie, then I found myself crying for myself and my own faults and the things in my own life that need healing. I felt uplifted to know, that like Livie, I am still loved by those I hurt and that through faith and love I can overcome and heal those weaknesses that drag me and others down. I think we all have things in our life that need Healing Spells and this captures so beautifully how we can turn to our loved ones and the Lord for the strength and faith we need to accomplish that Healing.

I would love to see more Young Adult books like The Healing Spell. The Lessons are powerful and valuable for teens and pre-teens as they seek for independence or feel uncomfortable with their family dynamics. I don't care how wonderful or strong a family is, at some point every teen will question their place in their family. Every teen will feel unloved. Livie's struggles give us courage in our own struggles and teach us that our families do love us in spite of ourselves. They see the good in us that we often don't see, and we need to try to look back at them and remember only the good memories and let go of the bad. We also see through Livie's eyes that our own family members have their own burdens to bear and they are in need of our help every bit as much as we are in need of theirs.

This book is amazing. It is beautiful and powerful. It will make you cry but as you do, you will wash away some of the negativity from your life and be ready to see all that is good and wonderful. You will be ready to try a little harder to be a better person and you will realize how many people you have rooting for you and helping you.

[I Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books when I found myself thinking, WoW as I read though it.

I'd heard great things about this novel, but I was hesitant to read it because when I was 14 years old, my mother fell down the stairs and landed in a coma for weeks. I knew this book would drudge up memories. And it did. Near the end of the book, something happens that I'd forgotten about, and I burst into tears.

But beyond my own personal experiences, this book is brilliant. The characters and their complex relationships are relatable and believable. The writing is beautiful. Livie's thoughts are deep but appropriate for her age. Her actions are also age-appropriate.

And the world Kimberley Griffiths Little creates is so real, I kept forgetting I was in Cambridge, MA instead of a bayou. It reminded me of The Higher Power of Lucky, which takes place in a tiny town in a desert out west. Both books brought places I'd never lived to life.

Livie's mama is in a coma, and Livie thinks it's her fault. Her father insists on bringing her mother home to be cared for. Nobody knows why she won't wake up. Live is afraid to touch her mother, let alone care for her. There are old grudges creating tension, along with new visitors, complicating things for Livie. She just wants to hide, but hates the feeling of being left out. Can a healer help Livie's mama wake up?

Highly recommended (obviously).

[Jeni Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HEALING SPELL, by Kimberley Griffiths Little, is a story about hope and healing, with a mystery at its core that pulls readers in from the first chapter and doesn't let go.

Eleven-year-old Livie has a secret. Her mother lies in a coma on a hospital bed in the family's living room; Livie's father has taken a leave of absence from work to care for her mother, convinced that home is where she belongs. "She'll get better here," he tells a nurse. But as her father, an aunt, and two of Livie's sisters try to coax Mamma out of her sleeping sickness with their love and care, Livie can't bring herself to go near her mother. Livie's convinced that she's responsible for her mother's coma--and believes it's up to her to bring her mother back, before anyone finds out what happened.

The premise of this book intrigued me long before I received an early copy, but the writing capitivated me as much as the story itself. I love the lush description that Griffiths Little brings to the story, that draws you into Livie's world, with the cicadas that raze the air, the wire baskets filled with "churning, squirming crawfish" that Livie and her daddy trap for their family to eat while Mamma is sick, the deep-throated bullfrogs that belch along the bayou at night, and the baby alligator Livie tries to tame in the cove near her home. Her detailed descriptions also connect you with the struggle Livie feels inside, such as her guilt at seeing her father in pain over her mother's illness:

"There were tears lying in the crevice of his leathery cheek, and seeing those tears seemed to take the life out of me. Fathers weren't supposed to get scared or cry. It made the world feel turned upside down. The pain in my stomach rose into my chest, and I was sure that the hole in my heart spilled a tiny drop of blood."

THE HEALING SPELL is also a story of the pull-and-tug between mothers and daughters--in this case, a mother and daughter who seem to never, ever get along, who are as different from each other as night and day (tomboy Livie, who is most at home poling her pirogue through a swamp, and Mamma, who longs for Livie to dress up once in a while, like her sisters do, and act like a lady). Their differences come to a head during a shopping trip for an Easter dress for Livie, just two weeks before Mamma falls into a coma: "Don't matter what we do, we're always at each other's throats, aren't we, Olivia?" Mamma tells Livie, while Livie confesses to her father that she fears her mother has used up all her love on Livie's sisters: "They get it all and leave me with nothing!" But as Livie's father explains, "Sometimes love is a two-way bayou, and you, Sugar Bee, have to stop paddling away downstream."

And it's the story of a middle sister caught between the bossiness of an older sister and a younger sister for whom Livie doesn't always have the right amount of patience, much as she loves her. It's Crickett, Livie's younger sister, who seems to know what Livie needs to do at a time when Livie is racked with guilt over her secret. "One of these days, Livie, you gotta talk to Mamma. ... Maybe Mamma misses you. Maybe she's just waiting for you to give her a hug."

THE HEALING SPELL is my favorite middle-grade book to be released this year. I highly recommend it.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good pre teen novel. I don't see it being the next Old Yeller or Black Beauty being passed generation to generation but I enjoyed it and I think young adults will enjoy it also as well as learn a few things from it.

Livie is eleven and her summer vacation is going to be spent taking care of her mother who is in a coma from an accident that Livie had some vague involvement in. Livie is carrying around a burden of guilt and hopes to redeem herself by using a healing spell to make her mother wake up. Meanwhile, she is suffering feelings of "in between sydrome." Being a middle child, Livie doesn't always feel like she is a part of her own family. She is also a tom boy and feels stuck in between the worlds of green hair ribbons and catching frogs. Livie also feels in between the worlds of childhood and adulthood. She no longer sits at the kiddie table, but is she ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a bedridden mother?

A very good read but the time frame was very vague. The family lives in a bayou and the children boat to school, the older sister is getting married at 17, kindergarten is not required, and an uncle is traumatized from the war but there is no mention of which war. I found it hard to believe people may be living like this in 2010 and I came to the conclusion the setting may be the 1960s... Who knows?

A good read about guilt and forgiveness. Children that read this will twice before sticking their tongues out at their mothers and declaring, "I hate you!"

Will Livie's mom wake up? If she does, will she forgive Livie? An even bigger question is will Livie forgive herself?

[Len · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a good friend so when I finally got it after searching for it in all the bookshops around, I couldn't wait to start reading. It didn't disappoint. It was truly spellbinding.

Livie reminded me so much of myself when I was her age - my fears, my anxiety, my closeness to my father and differences that I had with my mother and that I had to work on...and still working on even now that I am an adult. It also reminded me of the time when my mother was taken to the hospital because she was ill. I remember being so terrified and crying in my sleep and the promises I made to the heavens to be good when she returned.

Kimberley Griffiths Little wrote a book that I will read over again one day. I've enjoyed every word, every page of it. I highly recommend it.

[Athena Condray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first book I read during the summer and is good for all ages to middle school-adult. It makes you feel as if you are there with Livie as she goes through her mommas coma. It’s a sad, but adventurous book and has a wonderful ending. Highly recommend

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book! Though listed as a YA book, it is appealing and satisfying for any age, even me, a grandmother. Though the book is about an 11 year old girl, the emotions that she is dealing with ring true and speak to any age.

One of the best things about the book is what it does not contain. There is no stock or stereotypical characters, no wicked stepsister types or absent or clueless adults which are so common in adolescent books. As a matter of fact there is no bad person, everyone is caught up in family dynamics that are unfortunate but everyone is trying to reach out to the others but not quite connecting.

Livie, the heroine is experiencing feelings that are common to her age and not always absent from any age. Everyone can identify with her. Every character is whole, complex and sympathetic. There is a richness to the characters and the setting that makes you sure that the author loved them all; and I loved them all.

In spite of all the rich detail of the location, which is kind of exotic and unfamiliar, there is an everyman and everyplace feeling to the story, as though it applies everywhere. The details of the setting never overwhelm or distract from the story, in fact they lend credibility to the characters.

I have read the author's other 3 books and each one has gotten better and more compelling. In this book she definitely exhibits a mastery of her craft. A very skillful handling of the story as she slowly unfolds the nature of the secret and the complexity of the problem kept me up very late and I read it in one day. It was a delight to read and hard to put down. When I finished it I was sorry that it was done and my mind stayed in it for several days. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

This book affirms the transcendent nature of love and faith and family without becoming preachy. You will undoubtedly cry at the end but it won't be out of sadness, but because some place deep inside you has been touched and because you have loved the characters.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Healing Spell in one sitting.
Kimberley Little hones in on exactly how it feels to be twelve with the weight of an emotional burden too big to bear. The lush yet sometimes menacing Louisiana bayou provides the perfect backdrop for Livie to come to terms with the frustrations of being a middle child who doesn’t fit in, and overcome the tormented certainty of knowing that she is the one responsible for tearing her family apart.
With “faith and love entwined” evident throughout, The Healing Spell is a perfectly paced and layered story of forgiveness, healing and family. This beautiful and unique story adds to the world of middle grade fiction.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a touching story about an 11-year-old girl living on (in?) the Louisiana bayou who is dealing with some terrible guilt thinking she is the cause of her mother's coma. She is also struggling with how she fits in her family. Her feelings and relationships and struggle to find her own seed of faith really rung true. Plus I loved all the descriptions of her life on the bayou.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story, but this one really drags; it took me longer to read this one than usual. The good news is that it portrays the Christian faith in a positive light.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleven year old Olivia or “Livie” has a secret that’s greater than the whole bayou in which she lives. Her mother’s in a coma and only Livie knows the real reason why. But she can’t tell anybody, so she waits for the secret to swallow her whole. Maybe she’s better off that way anyhow, as she tries to find her place as one of three girls. Not young and girly, like the oldest, Faye, and not small and cute, like the youngest, Aimee (or Crickett, as she’s better known). Livie would rather go frogging or take her boat up the bayou before put on a dress. When her mother comes home to recuperate at Livie’s father’s insistence – while still in a coma – Livie seeks the advice of the traiteur, a healer who lives in a house up the bayou all alone, in hopes she can offer a healing spell. And what Livie finds is faith.

I read it pretty much cover to cover in one day, because it was so good. All the details of the bayou just suck you in, until you hear the cries of the bullfrogs for yourself. Hats off to Little’s research because it must’ve been exhaustive or done in person to get this nice authenticity. I love the clean writing with full sentences capturing this soft and quiet bayou mood.

“The dark blue truck looked like a bruise in the dark.” pg. 1

“I stepped back into the front room, and the air seemed as thick as old molasses in a dusty canning jar.” pg. 12

“My chest got so tight it felt like a gator squeezing my heart between its his jaws.” pg. 1

Livie’s so scared of who her momma has become, she can’t bring herself to touch her or aid in her care. Crickett climbs right up on the bed with their mother, and Faye does her makeup, so she doesn’t look too ghastly to the neighbors. But Livie won’t stay with her because it’s all her fault. Livie’s guilt was a hefty burden for a character to carry, and Little portrays this really well, as Livie remembers her mother in happier times, and all but tears herself apart for the circumstances that led to her mother’s coma. Through the novel, Livie displays real growth and learns of forgiveness, not just for her own choices, but her mother’s for Livie.

While the crux of The Healing Spell is a mother-daughter relationship, and there are some lovely relationships in the novel. Faye is a a nice respite from the bossy older sister of MG fiction, with her stern but still sisterly ways. There were several tender moments between her and Livie. Crickett is adorable and the scenes where Livie’s father takes her frogging or they paddle in Livie’s pirogue are touching. They reminded me a bit of Pa and Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie with the gruff father who’s so tender with his little girls.

The Healing Spell is a resounding tale of faith and love and most of all, forgiveness. It’s a tribute to that sometimes rough yet powerful relationship between a mother and daughter, as each tries to cast the other in an assumed role. The Healing Spell is a must read for any mother or daughter.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each of us carries secrets, sometimes those secrets become burdens so large it feels as if the world may come crashing down on top of us. For Livie her biggest secret revolves around her mother, not only that but the circumstances surrounding her mother's coma. With a house full of people to constantly pester her and watch her every move Livie's only escape is the bayou and a wonderful little pet alligator. In her desperation she seeks outside help in the restoration of her mother, but at what cost and will it work? Is there more to "the healing spell" than just healing her mother? Livie's story is one of healing, but possibly not only for her mother.

The Healing Spell is a beautiful journey into the gorgeous bayou lands in Louisiana and into the heart of a young girl named Livie. Often with the first glance into the bayou many would be disturbed by it's inhabitants and threatening nature, but when you look deeper and take the time to appreciate the lush beauty nestled within you discover something infinitely enchanting. So it is with Livie as well. A young girl, only twelve and just coming into her own. She's torn from every side by the hidden secret of her mother's "sleeping sickness" and feeling of responsibility that comes with it. Because of this Livie is hard and closed off from those who care most about her. This isn't only evident in the story, but for the reader as well. In the beginning, I actually had a difficult time connecting with Livie because of her distance. Fortunately that didn't last and as the story continued you grew to love her and the struggle she was going through.

More than Livie this was a story about healing and growth. Most importantly about hope and faith. Not only Livie suffers from secrets and how each of the characters handles their own "healing" is what makes the story so profound. For a middle grade fiction it was extremely deep, though I don't think that would deter younger readers from enjoying the story at all. Although, it may be best enjoyed when read with a parent who can discuss some of the more heavy topics. Each of the characters, from her father to her older and younger sisters as well as her Aunt and cousin have "sins" they need to recover from. It was the interaction between each and how they learned to love, care and forgive the others that truly made this a special book.

Forgiveness and faith aren't only for one type of person, each of us constantly struggle to be better and be kind to others. In The Healing Spell each of the characters, especially Livie seeks their own solution to their secrets and/or "sins". Kimberley Griffiths Little has written a beautiful novel not only in the setting, but the story as well. Set in the flourishing bayou of Louisiana you discover that things aren't always as they seem on the surface and if you take the time, are patient and have a bit of faith you may just discover something more beautiful than you ever imagined.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say that The Healing Spell touched me is an understatement, but I can't quite find the words to accurately describe how much I truly adored this book. Filled with lessons, angst-driven at times and completely uplifting at others, it is one of those books that truly made a mark on my life as a reader. From the moment I started the book I fell in love with Livie and her sisters. In fact, this book had the power to transport me back to the days when I too felt like Livie did. Lost, lonely at times, and yet still always loved.

My love for Livie started when, as I mentioned above, she reminded me of that tough time between being a child and becoming a teen. At 11 years old, Livie isn't sure where she fits in the world around her. She doesn't quite get the "girlie" things that her sisters do, but she isn't quite comfortable being described as a tomboy either. Watching her navigate this difficult time in her life was so deeply touching. As I watched her make decisions, some good and others bad, I fell more in love with her character. Livie is one of those flawed, realistic characters that I adore. You see the cracks, but you love her all the more for them.

As for the story itself, it is pure magic. I think I cried more during this book than any other that I've read, as I contemplated how I came to be the person that I am now. We've all been through what Livie is going through, even if it wasn't the exact same. The sheer honesty between these pages is what really drew me in. Unfortunately, there isn't too much I can say without giving the plot away, so instead I'll gush over the setting! It is so apparent that Kimberly Griffiths Little researched the bayou that she set Livie and her family in. The lush setting jumps off the page at the reader, and I am sure I learned more about Louisiana bayous than I ever knew before. Besides being the perfect backdrop for Livie's story of hope and growth, it is also a fascinating entity in its own right.

You can probably tell from my gushing, albeit rambling, review that I really fell in love with this book. I'll be sad to part with my copy when I give it away tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to purchasing one of my own! The Healing Spell will definitely be one of those books that I'll read again. I'm looking forward to it.

[Joan Stradling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livie has a frightening secret; her mother is in a coma and she's responsible for it. She's terrified her mother might die, and even more terrified her family will hate her if they find out her secret. She already feels so alone that losing their love would be unbearable.

Burdened with the truth, Livie tries to come to terms with her guilt, but guilt isn't the only weight on her eleven-year-old shoulders. She's trying to find her own place in the world. Unfortunately, her world is changing and she's not sure which way to turn.

Her older sister is supposed to be getting married and leaving, her little sister cries at everything, and her father quit his job to care for his wife. Circumstances are forcing Livie to adapt, and she isn't very good at it.

After deciding her best hope at redemption is to heal her mother, Livie visits Miz Allemond, a traiteur, and gets a healing spell. The spell isn't full of magic words and instant results. Instead, it forces Livie to take a closer look at the world and people around her, including herself.

I loved THE HEALING SPELL! Though not my usual fare of fantasy or paranormal, this book captured me from the start. It was easy for me to feel connected with Livie as she struggled to find her place in her family and the world around her.

Livie reminded me what it was like to be eleven; that in-between age where you're no longer a child, but not a teen either. Her loneliness and longing reached through the pages of the book and grabbed the lonely, longing child within me. With a firm hold on my inner child, Livie took me on an adventure of self-discovery.

I shed more tears while reading this book than I have in a long time and felt better for the catharsis. Through Livie, I rediscovered my eleven-year-old self and gained a stronger understanding of the woman I am today. THE HEALING SPELL is more than a book; it's a salve for the soul, a balm for the burdened, and an enjoyable read for everyone.

THE HEALING SPELL does more than heal the characters, it heals the reader!

[Cindy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livie’s mama lies in a coma inside their little home near a Louisiana bayou. While Livie’s daddy and her sisters can help care for her mama, she can’t bring herself to touch her. And Livie holds a powerful secret inside herself about the day of her mama’s accident. When Livie starts a quest to find a way to heal her mama, she finds that she must first heal herself.

The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little is a story of love and forgiveness and the complicated relationships mothers can have with their daughters. As one of three girls, Livie feels like her mother has always loved her sisters more that she loves her. That’s because Livie is more comfortable hunting and fishing and raising crawfish traps on the bayou with her daddy than she is acting like a young lady. She also doesn’t get along with her sisters for the same reason.

Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged nine to 12 will find lots to talk about: how family members can find a way to appreciate each other’s differences, how parental love doesn’t have to be tied to compatibility, and what role faith plays in our lives.

It should also be fun for readers to learn about the bayou country of Louisiana. Knowing the book was set there made me both excited and apprehensive to read it. That’s because I grew up in southern Louisiana in a family that hunted and fished and spent a considerable amount of time on the banks of a few bayous. Many authors, especially ones who don’t live there, have a hard time portraying the place without relying on stereotypes that natives see through immediately. I’m happy to say that Little captures the spirit of the people and the place quite well, and I found myself wanting to be on the banks of Livie’s bayou pulling up crawfish traps right along with her.

The Healing Spell also gets the seal of approval from my mom and my daughters. That’s quite an accomplishment, as few books are well liked by all three generations of readers in my house. The Healing Spell is a delight, and I highly recommend it.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I read this: I felt drawn to this book for a reason. It may have been the description or the interesting setting of the book that made me want to read it and I'm definitely glad I did.

Plot: This story centers around Livie - an 11 year old girl who carries a terrible secret inside of her after her mother has an accident and goes into a coma. She believes herself at fault and searches for a way to ease her guilt and to make things right by her mother, hoping to wake her up. But it's so much more than that as well. We get a glimpse inside the change from being a child to being a teenager - the romance, the responsibility and the wondering of who you really are. I really enjoyed this book - it moved at a pace that allowed for the depth of Livie's character while keeping you interested along the way.

Characters: I fell in love with Livie. Her character is so real and rich with emotions that you can remember feeling as a child. Her sisters Faye and Cricket are also wonderful and remind me of my own sisters in the way they get along sometimes but not always. All the characters are so real and the reason they are brought together will tear you up and keep you at the edge of your seat, hoping their mother will wake up sooner than later.

Relatability: I was definitely a version of Livie - only growing up in the suburbs of Illinois. I was a daddy's girl, a tomboy, the middle girl in a family of three girls and just as emotional and unsure as Livie was. This book for me was a glimpse back into my own childhood and the experiences I had that were somewhat similar to Livie.

Cover Commentary: I love the rich colors of nature and I think they captured Livie quite the way I pictured her.

[K. Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I read an Advance Reader Copy****

The book begins with Livie's Pa bringing her mother home from the hospital- in a coma.

While Livie's sisters care for her Mother and the home, Livie is busy catching frogs at night with her Pa, poling around the bayou in her pirogue, and risking the wrath of her Aunt to do anything but touch her Mother.

Livie's got a secret, and the weight of that secret, as well as her complicated feelings based on her being a tomboy and not understanding her "girlie" mother or sisters, colors everything she does.

In a desperate attempt to help her mother, Livie goes deep into the bayou to find the shack of a traiteur, a healing creole healer, to find a spell to help her mother wake up.

The spell forces Livie to change the way she sees herself and the love in her family.

The flavor of this book is incredibly believable, the language, the food, the customs described here really come alive, forming a picture of life in the Louisiana bayou that was authentic-seeming to non-expert me.

Livie was sometimes a bit too angsty emotional for me, but totally believable as a teenager. What I really appreciated about Livie's journey is how we get to see how she goes from feeling inadequate and conflicted about her Mother to rethinking the way she can act and how other people's actions have different motivations than she once thought. It was a journey about allowing yourself to love your family, and allowing their love for you.

Very nice.

This Book's Food Designation Rating: Jambalaya for all the spicy local flavor and the delicious mix of characters and setting.

[Cindy-Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully spun tale of healing and forgiveness. Was that healing facilitated by magic or a miracle, faith or a spell? Or was it simply that a wise teacher used a simple, mysterious string as an object to set a girl on a journey of self discovery?

Having been raised in similar southern backwaters, with rural healers in my own family, this story takes me back to the simplicity and faith of my childhood. Why an herb worked better to heal someone when placed on a silver dime first, who knows? But I assure you it did. Was it the symbolism of the herb on the dime, our faith in it, or did it have a power on it's own? And is that power magic, miracle or nature?

Kimberley's ability to come into my own backyard, as it were, and tell this story with such authenticity is a testament to her gift of storytelling as well as her careful research and observation of a unique people and culture. Kimberley approached people and ideas respectfully, without prejudice. With that approach she found the place we all need to find that is at once both magic and miracle. It is that place where fear ends and faith begins. Well done!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com

Filled with mystery and old Southern charm, this book has serious heart.

In THE HEALING SPELL, Livie is trying to cope with her mother's current state. She is in a coma. Also, she has a secret so big it threatens to consume her if anyone were to find out.

Livie would do anything to get her mother back, which leads her to seek the help of a voodoo healer. And it is this healer who sends her on a journey she will never forget.

As mystical and breathtaking as the bayou itself, Kimberley Griffiths Little's story about the unspoken love between a mother and her daughter is sure to move you. With characters full of personality and life, you will easily find yourself falling in love with this struggling family. This really is a perfect read.

[Reading Vacation · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW
The Healing Spell takes the reader on an emotional journey. Livie’s struggle to save her mamma is inspiring and full of hope. A tomboy to-the-extreme, Livie captured my heart as she desperately searched for and used The Healing Spell.
Little’s descriptions of the Louisiana bayou are realistic and vibrant. Even the book’s cover depicts the green and swampy setting where people get around in boats. Only in this setting would a pet alligator feel at home.
Grab a box of tissues before you start this book because you cannot help but be pulled into Livie’s world.
Thank you to Kimberley Griffiths Little for sending this amazing book for me to review.
RATING
5 Plot
5 Characters
5 Attention Grabbing
3 Girlie Meter
5 Ending

23 TOTAL

5 STARS

[Shallee McArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first word that came to my mind to describe this was "rich." The book was rich in emotion, rich in culture and setting, and rich in characters. Watching the family pull together and break apart through Livie's eyes took me through a myriad of emotions. The characters are so deftly drawn that they became real to me, heightening that emotional connection.

The landscape of the book-- the Lousiana bayou-- is delicious. I'm a sucker for stories with a strong, unique setting, and this one was perfect. The setting didn't just exist; it became another character as Livie and the rest of the family interacted with their world. It made the world more real for me, and took it beyond the basic family story into a place that was unique and enthralling.

I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to bask in the afterglow of an original, emotional contemporary middle-grade.

[Taffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book and would buy the hard cover to add to my library. A story of hope, love and family.

Ms. Little is a master of descriptions in world setting and characters. I loved all the people in the book, even the bratty cousin and the baby alligator. Strange, I know but that is how well the author placed me in her story. And I felt like I had visited the bayou though I've never been.

My favorite part was the healing spell and what Livie was willing to do to heal her mamma. I found myself wanting to help her, soothe her and be a friend. Livie has a very strong voice.

I recommended this book to our library's mother/daughter book club. Well worth reading.



Rating: PG

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting! I've been anxious to read it since it was written by a friend of mine, but that's not why I gave it 5 stars. I was totally caught up from the first sentence. Livie's voice is strong and engaging, and her fears are believable. Her interaction with her family is totally realistic. And the setting--I could almost feel the mosquitoes biting! I was hooked completely to the end--which was hopeful but not wrapped up neatly with a bow, and with a bit of Cajun mystery thrown in. If this book doesn't win some awards I will be very surprised.

[Book Geek Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was a great read. I could totally relate to the characters. All of them seemed very well drawn, unigue, believable and had great depth and development. My heart ached for Livie and triumphed in her courage. The setting was very well done. It was an entity of its own and added to the richness of the story. I recommend it to young adults and adults who like YA. It definitely deserved the Whitney Award—and it will probably make my top 10 reads of 2011.

P.S. I'm not from the deep, deep south, but I am from KY and Kimberley definitely got the voices right!

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the story of Livie's process of discovering herself and recognizing faith. However, I have little patience with stories that revolve around lack of communication and this story has plenty of that. So many problems can be avoided if we/families/people etc. learned to communicate better. I realize the secrecy/lack of communication thing is what the whole story evolves from but i got so exasperated reading about it, i just wanted someone to force this family to actually talk!

[Kaylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the language in this one--this author really made the setting come alive. I really felt I was with the character as she travels around in her pirogue. From the first page: "My chest got so tight it felt like a gator squeezing my heart between his jaws." Who else but a bayou girl would describe her emotions this way and refer to a gator as "he"?

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quickly previewed this book for spring bookfair. Really enjoyed it and added it to blog list of books. The author found our blog and posted to it. She is awesome - prompting me to re-read the book a second time. Loved it more!!! Great family story - full of strength, bravery, and hope. Love it, love it, love it!!!!!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique story....made me cry....

Even tho there are things I would change about it and although our beliefs don't include 'Healing Spells', I enjoyed seeing Livie discover faith, forgiveness and learning to love.