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The Peach Keeper

by Sarah Addison Allen (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 25,556 ratings · 3,928 reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has l...more

Paperback, US, 304 pages

Published January 10th 2012 by Bantam (first published March 22nd 2011)

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May 03, 2011 Jeanette rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, domestic-and-relationship-fiction

This wasn't terrible, but it lacks that spark of magic Allen's readers have grown to love. Late in the book there's a chapter called "The Joker, the Stick Man, the Princess, and the Freak." That should have been the book's title. There's not really anything about "peach keeping" in the story except one little thing near the end that feels like it was tossed in to justify the title.

The story's about four thirty-year-olds who finally come to terms with high school pettiness and decide to get on w...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Dee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, read-2011, romance, magic

There is just something about Sarah Addison Allen's writing that makes you fall in love with reading all over again. In the Peach Keeper, her fourth book, Allen takes us back to North Carolina and to the town of Walls of Water. Paxton Osgood has been working to restore the Blue Bridge Madam, a local inn, to its former glory. Willa Jackson is, while not an outcast, one of the unique characters that show up in small Southern towns. While they grew up together and attended school together, they nev...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Lynda rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen was like a beautiful pie with a golden brown crust that just invites you to slice into it and enjoy a piece. Unfortunately, once the first bite has been taken you find yourself chewing and chewing waiting for a burst of juicy fruit or a satisfying custard filling but instead finding a lot of puff pastry and air.
I really, really wanted to read this novel, expecting a driving plot or strong character development that fleshes out the subplot of love, friendsh...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: belovedbookshelf, magical-realism

Confession: I sent my husband out last night to retrieve this book for me while I made dinner for the kids and tried to breathe deeply. This pregnancy . . .it palls, you guys. The thing is, he was happy to do it and even (after some creative detective work) snagged the very last copy at our local bookstore! I was incredibly relieved. Because all I wanted to do last night, after dinner and talking to my two squirts, and reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with Will, was get comfortable o...more Confession: I sent my husband out last night to retrieve this book for me while I made dinner for the kids and tried to breathe deeply. This pregnancy . . .it palls, you guys. The thing is, he was happy to do it and even (after some creative detective work) snagged the very last copy at our local bookstore! I was incredibly relieved. Because all I wanted to do last night, after dinner and talking to my two squirts, and reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with Will, was get comfortable on the couch and drift off into the wonderful world of Walls of Water, North Carolina. I'm telling you, there is nothing, but nothing like a brand new Sarah Addison Allen book when it comes to comfort reading. You just know you're gonna get the full southern treatment, that the prose will be lighter than air, and that magic will swirl through your veins like cream in one of Rachel's red-and-white striped coffee cups. These are the things you can count on, and THE PEACH KEEPER doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

Willa Jackson returned to the stifling confines of her hometown of Walls of Water, North Carolina eight years ago when her father died. Despite her eternally restless nature, Willa resolved to buckle down and be the docile daughter her father had always wanted, even though it was now too late. So she bought the local organic sporting goods store and settled into a life of safe monotony. She visits her elderly grandmother once a week in the nursing home, even though Georgie doesn't recognize her anymore. She does her laundry every Friday night without fail. And if she sometimes drives up to sit and look at the old Blue Ridge Madam mansion and wonder, well, that's her business. Paxton Osgood is determined to restore the Blue Ridge Madam to its former glory and put on the best gala the Women's Society Club has ever seen. But things start going wrong from the get go, and obsessively detail-oriented Paxton is afraid everything will fall apart at her feet. It's now when she needs this success most of all, especially as her stalwart friendship with former outcast Sebastian Rogers is bleeding into uncharted waters. Then Paxton's twin Colin returns home to help with the renovation and, when he runs across Willa, remembers all the reasons he left in the first place. Meanwhile, a strange presence is swirling its way through the town, stirring up old ghosts better left hidden. Against her better judgement, Willa is drawn into the disturbing events up on Jackson Hill and into the lives of the Osgood family once more.

I'll go ahead and say that I went in wondering whether THE PEACH KEEPER would fall more along the lines of Ms. Addison's first two novels (Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen) or her most recent third book The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I've read and loved all three, but there did seem to me to be a slight divide between the first two and the third. The characters felt more even, a bit stronger in the first two, the flow smoother and more balanced. The writing, as always, is of the highest quality across all of her books. For example, here is the opening passage of THE PEACH KEEPER, just to whet your appetite:

The day Paxton Osgood took the box of heavy-stock, foil-lined envelopes to the post office, the ones she’s had a professional calligrapher address, it began to rain so hard the air turned as white as bleached cotton. By nightfall, rivers had crested at flood stage and, for the first time since 1936, the mail couldn’t be delivered. When things began to dry out, when basements were pumped free of water and branches were cleared from yards and streets, the invitations were finally delivered, but to all the wrong houses. Neighbors laughed over fences, handing the misdelivered pieces of mail to their rightful owners with comments about the crazy weather and their careless postman. The next day, an unusual number of people showed up at the doctor’s office with infected paper cuts, because the envelopes had sealed, cement like, from the moisture. Later, the single-card invitations themselves seemed to hide and pop back up at random. Mrs. Jameson’s invitation disappeared for two days, then reappeared in a bird’s nest outside. Harper Rowley’s invitation was found in the church bell tower, Mr. Kingsley’s in his elderly mother’s garden shed.

If anyone had been paying attention to the signs, they would have realized that air turns white when things are about to change, that paper cuts mean there’s more to what’s written on the page than meets the eye, and that birds are always out to protect you from things you don’t see.

See what I mean? You can just count on her. I'm delighted to say that THE PEACH KEEPER is one of Sarah Addison Allen's best works to date. It fully lives up to the promise of each of her previous novels and instantly shot to my keeper shelf. I read it in one sitting last night, and it was an infinitely blissful experience spending time with Willa, Paxton, Colin, and Sebastian. The wonderful thing about this book is that I was equally enamored of and involved in the story lines of both main characters. I mentioned before that I tend to identify with one heroine over another in Allen's books and, since the point of view alternates back and forth between them, I occasionally wish I was back with the other before I actually am. This was happily not at all the case here. Willa and Paxton are so different in personality and background and yet I loved them both equally. And not only them, but their relationships with their family members and their respective young men. It was very interesting (and amusing) watching Willa struggle to come to grips with a possible relationship with Colin, who is Paxton's twin. Even more moving was Paxton's relationship with Sebastian--a troubled young man on the fringe of society, who caught her eye once in high school and has now grown into an incredibly complex and magnetic adult who, despite his respectable job and tailored suits, still exists just on the edges. Their interactions brought tears to my eyes multiple times. I ached for them. And the few scenes that all four share together are breathtaking and funny. THE PEACH KEEPER is at once haunting and charming, in that perfect blend of magic and realism that Sarah Addison Allen has worked into an art form. Highly recommended.(less)

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Apr 25, 2013 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, contemporary, library-book, romance

Well, I have officially read all of Ms. Allen's novels and I must admit to being a wee bit sad there are no more left to read. Her stories have a special kind of magic to them, a combination of bitter and sweet, dark and light that is done so seamlessly I am in awe of her.

While her books are not perfection (but honestly, what book is truly perfection?) the way they make me feel when I read them takes my breath away. I long to live in the world she's created, to eat flowers that will make me fal...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Robin (RBBR) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-sarah-addison-allen, mystery, favorites

I don't think this review has any spoilers that give away more then what is on the cover. This is another really good book from Sarah Addison Allen. Although her books are Stand Alone's there is a brief appearance in this one by Claire Waverley and her niece Bay from Garden Spells. The Peach Keeper like SAA's other books deals with some form of magic and\or mysterious happening. This story focuses on two families the Osgood's who have money and the Jackson's who use to. Although this book has 2...more I don't think this review has any spoilers that give away more then what is on the cover. This is another really good book from Sarah Addison Allen. Although her books are Stand Alone's there is a brief appearance in this one by Claire Waverley and her niece Bay from Garden Spells. The Peach Keeper like SAA's other books deals with some form of magic and\or mysterious happening. This story focuses on two families the Osgood's who have money and the Jackson's who use to. Although this book has 2 Heroines and 2 Heroes course we learn toward the end of the book that one of the secondary characters was a Heroine of a different sort 75 years ago its not hard to follow who's who.

The main story revolves around the discovery of a body on the property that once belonged to the Jackson's and was recently purchased by the Osgood's. The body is that of Tucker Devlin the man who was going to "save the town" after its main industry (logging) went bust after the formation of the National Forest but he turned out to be a con-man. The Jackson's lost not only their business but their home aka The Blue Ridge Madam or Madam for short and went from being some of the richest people in town to some of the poorest. Willa (Heroine #1) is the Granddaughter of Georgie Jackson who is the daughter of the last Jackson to run\own the mill. Paxton (Heroine #2) is the Granddaughter of Abagail Osgood who was\is th e best friend of Georgie. As for the Heroes #1 is Colin the twin brother of Paxton and #2 is Sebastian Rogers the town Dentist.

After the Jackson's lost Madam Georgie went to work for Abagail's family and although the two remained friends the dynamics were different. The year 1936 plays a large part in the story although the story takes place in modern times. The Osgood's and Jackson's never talk about the past and as a result Willa and Paxton grow up being in two different leagues and are not aware that their Grandmothers were\are best friends. As the story progresses the two girls learn not only do they have things in common but they have a shared past and they need each other.

This book is about friendships past and present and how they can endure through the years. Its also how our past can affect our present when we least expect it and why its important to know about family history. Not only does knowing our past give us a better understanding of why people we're related to act the way they do but it gives us a better understanding of what helped make us who we are.

As for the characters we learn not only the story of the four main characters but the story of them together along with how and why they need each other.

This book is definitely a must read and a page turner to boot.

(less)

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Apr 01, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sarah Addison Allen writes magic: her stories are full of strong Southern women, sweetness and secrets. In The Peach Keeper: A Novel, she once again weaves a wonderful tale of two Southern women, distant in the present but bound together by the past and a powerful secret. Paxton Osgood has spent her life being the girl and then the woman that everyone seemed to expect her to be. Willa Jackson is just the opposite. She defied convention and her grandmother's attempt at a strict upbringing, only t...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Limau Nipis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, general-fiction, on-nook

Even though I rated it a 3-star, it is actually a high 3-star. It did not make the 4-star rating from me, just because I enjoyed the author's previous books more.

Staying true to the flow of writing of Sarah Addison Allen, it has a mix of magic with the person who was self appointed as 'the peach keeper', even though it was in a dark and bad way.

The author carefully threaded the balance of friendship and heavy issues with this one. What I mean heavy was - there were rape and homosexuality, not an...more Even though I rated it a 3-star, it is actually a high 3-star. It did not make the 4-star rating from me, just because I enjoyed the author's previous books more.

Staying true to the flow of writing of Sarah Addison Allen, it has a mix of magic with the person who was self appointed as 'the peach keeper', even though it was in a dark and bad way.

The author carefully threaded the balance of friendship and heavy issues with this one. What I mean heavy was - there were rape and homosexuality, not an easy mix in Allen's book. I do think that this book was really the essence that the author was trying to break through her comfort zone.

Her previous books seemed mystical and almost magical. But this one, carefully written with a flair brings a take on much heavier stuff. Not an easy balance, writing about rape. But it was there, in the plot. The author did not write it per se, but you can read between the lines. There was only 1 mention of the word rape, but you got the feeling when it came - it hit you hard. Because you feel.

Walls of Water was actually an interesting place with different personalities to make the small town more alive. But something bad has been buried within the town's famous Blue Ridge Madam. And unearthing a bad thing make things more complicated, friendship tested, lovers discovered.

I love the two main characters here - Willa and Paxton. Willa was 'the joker' of the school, who suddenly outgrown her old habit. And Paxton was a refined 30-year old lady, who still live with her parents. Trying to defy conventional ways in town, an unlikely and awkward friendship was formed. I love the scene where Willa saved Paxton. That is when I know the friendship started to blossom between the two of them.

And the supporting characters were delightful - particularly Rachel, the coffee barrister who tried to guess a person's personality based on the coffee that the person drinks.

Anyhow, 'the peach keeper' is somewhat a very good idea, because we were expecting a good magic, but instead 'the peach' turned out to be rotten and sour - testing the citizen's relationships with each other.

I know that Allen writes a brilliant book here, but there were awkward moments between Paxton and her mom, and also Paxton with Sebastian that should be tackled much deeper.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Khaya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: nicer people than me

Shelves: chicklit, scifi-fantasy-magicrealism, maybe-it-s-me

I guess the only thing more predictable than this book was my reaction to it. Once again I let myself be fooled by a high goodreads rating despite the fact that Winter Garden and lots of other dumb (or mostly dumb) chicklit books had high ratings as well. I should have known when I saw there was magic realism which I almost never enjoy(it usually feels like a deux ex machina to me), though all the goodreads reviewers said there was less of it here than in Sarah Addison Allen's other books so I h...more I guess the only thing more predictable than this book was my reaction to it. Once again I let myself be fooled by a high goodreads rating despite the fact that Winter Garden and lots of other dumb (or mostly dumb) chicklit books had high ratings as well. I should have known when I saw there was magic realism which I almost never enjoy(it usually feels like a deux ex machina to me), though all the goodreads reviewers said there was less of it here than in Sarah Addison Allen's other books so I had some hope. And though I usually don't appreciate books like this I did surprise myself by liking Savannah Blues. But alas, no. This book did not work for me.

Basically, this book combined two themes designed to appeal to women --romantic tension (of course), and female friendship. Willa, the first main character, was once a wild prankster (but shhh, nobody knew -- she was surprisingly asocial for someone with such a well-developed sense of fun) who has now reformed into a straitlaced individual; her foil, Paxton, is a straitlaced individual longing to break out of her shell. Ho hum. Do you think these two will become friends? Best friends? Oh, gee, I don't know. Better read the book and find out.

Willa reluctantly (of course) falls in love with Paxton's brother, a great guy who pursues her for most of the book before she finally agrees to open herself up to his love (yawn; how many times have I read this plot line before?); Paxton is hopelessly in love with Sebastian, who either is or isn't gay (I admit that this was an original twist, but its execution really got on my nerves). Add to that an extremely unmysterious mystery and some bizarre magic realism at odd points, and you have this book.

I give Sarah Addison Allen for trying. I believe she wanted to create interesting characters and an original story, and clearly others feel she succeeded so feel free to ignore this lone curmudgeon. I will also say that one scene made me smile -- at a meeting of the ladies' club early in the book, through some bizarre means (I think this was part of the magic realism) all the women suddenly revealed their inner thoughts, such as, "I know you go to the bathroom a lot because you have a bladder problem but I tell everyone you're bulimic." A little refreshing bitchiness in an otherwise treacly sweet story. (less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Laura Freed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-it-worth-it

Such a great book. As always, Sarah's writing is a treat and she creates characters that draw you in - and even though they are flawed, Sarah gives you a reason to love them.
At the heart of the story we have acceptance - coming to terms with who you are - or who you think you are! Highly recommend.
My only niggling complaint: SPOILER AHEAD - STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PEACH KEEPER:

It was just sooooo obvious when Willa discovered the newsletters...perhaps even before that, but cert...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, tlc-tour-2011

My Thoughts: I have been anxiously waiting for this book to come out! I fell under Sarah's spell when I happened upon "Garden Spells" on my library shelves way back in 2007. After that I have literally gobbled up everything this author has offered and I happy to say that I really enjoyed this one. I actually felt like I was watching a version of "Practical Magic" while I was reading this book. I enjoyed the southern location. What's not to love about the quaint and charming town of Water Falls,...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Sara Gonçalves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leituras-2012, wishlist

A Árvore dos Segredos é uma história tal e qual como Sarah Addison Allen nos habitou. Romântica, com segredos do passado, com magia à mistura.
É uma história leve onde o reencontrar de personagens que não se viam desde o liceu lhes faz ver quem são e faz florir romance entre eles. O descobrir de um segredo do passado é o impulso para haja mudança e o desenvolver de uma amizade, e mostra-nos como uma amizade pode durar uma vida inteira.
Como disse, durante a leitura, os casais são previsíveis, cont...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Carolyn F. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, library-book, magical

Another great one by Sarah Addison Allen. There hasn't been one book I've read by this author that I didn't love.

Willa moved back to Walls of Water after her father died about 10 years ago and likes her boring life. Paxton is a busy socialite in that area who doesn't like her active life. Paxton's brother Colin finds that the wild girl he thought he knew back in high school and who inspired him to leave town isn't wild anymore. Sebastian came back a year ago and although he's been seeing Paxton,...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My son told me a story about a spider and a ladybug, and how he squashed the spider because it was icky and it bites, but he let the ladybug crawl across a toy at the toy store instead. That story was ten times more riveting than this one, and the language in it was far more believable than the language in The Peach Keeper. Some of the events are interesting - like when the ladies' club meeting goes horribly wrong because everyone tells the person next to her what she really thinks of her, as if...more

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May 14, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

I wish I lived in the worlds contained in Sarah Addison Allen’s pages, where the ordinary is peppered by magic, where setting is almost as prominent as the characters. The Peach Keeper is set in Walls of Water, North Carolina, a town which once made it’s money off timber, but now has a thriving forest tourism industry. Willa Jackson’s family was once well to do until they lost everything. However, this was before Willa was born, so it’s not like she was ever rich or a socialite or anything. Paxt...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Debra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely not the type of book I pick up to read, but the magical realism genre hasn't disappointed me since I started dabbling with it. I cared for the main characters in this book. The romance and friendships definitely put this book in the chick-lit genre, too. Overall, I felt this was a nice breezy fast read. The kind you read cuddled up with hot chocolate on a stormy day. It feels good and is nurturing! Go gurls!

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Feb 03, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Won this in a good reads giveaway!! Can't wait to get it. Really enjoyed The Girl Who Chased the Moon
Just got it in the mail today! Very excited

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a bit to get into it, but only because I was distracted...once I got going I had a hard time putting it down.

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Nov 22, 2012 Erica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This book was a bit simple and a bit predictable, but there was a also a bit of loveliness that just made me feel good. This book made me happy and feel love for my girlfriends and celebrating a lifetime for friendship.

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Oct 01, 2012 Andree rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I'm giving it five stars because these books just make me happy. Sarah Addison Allen is just a charming writer.

It's not a perfect novel (I wasn't 100% wild about all the parts at the very end - it just wrapped up really quickly all of a sudden), but it's quite a good one. And it just made me feel good. That's all.

So five stars.

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Apr 22, 2011 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A murder mystery, a commentary on women's vulnerablity and strengths, a story of time and place, of friendship and romance along with a healthy dash of magic, written in Allen's signature style which is sensuous, joyous,lovely and real. I did not want this book to end. I want a series! I want to be able to go to Walls of Water and hang out with Willa and Paxton any time I get the chance. I would love to be transported back there in time to the days of Tucker Devlin and Agatha and Georgie's youth...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Lisa added it · review of another edition

As usual, Sarah Addison Allen has woven a story rich in southern charm, suspense and that magic she is known for. Right away we get to know Paxton and Willa and realize how different they are and the vulnerabilities they share. There's a lot of self discovery within the pages, not only with Willa and Paxton, but also with Paxton's twin brother Colin and her friend, Sebastian. I really enjoyed those four characters as they grew to know each other better and trusts began to develop. I also enjoyed...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Rea Sinfield rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having been the first book I have read by Sarah Addison Allen I was unsure what to expect from her book by looking at the cover it gave the impression of a very gentle and fresh read. Based on the cover it wouldn't be one of the books that would shout out to me from the shelves but I was about to learn the age old lesson again of not judging a book by its cover.

The author manages to create a charming if somewhat quirky town which made for a great setting for the book. The book centre’s around tw...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance, mystery, adult, favorites-2011

Sarah Addison Allen has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I love sitting down and trying to savor her stories, but they are so good it’s almost impossible to not read it all in one sitting. Her magical realism has such a deft touch you almost believe it could really be possible. But what really sells me on her stories are the characters. They are quirky, loveable, and very human. They always do so much growing, and I love that. [return][return]This time around the story focuses on two y...more

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May 07, 2013 Hermioneginny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In una piccola località turistica del Nord Carolina vive Willa, che lavora in un negozio di abbigliamento sportivo e vive nella casa ereditata dal padre, per poter star vicino alla nonna malata di demenza senile. Una volta, la nonna viveva nella casa in cima alla collina, ricca e benvoluta. Paxton presiede il comitato femminile locale e manda a Willa un invito per il settantacinquesimo anno dalla fondazione, a cui parteciparono le loro due nonne. Willa è riluttante, ma, complice il ritorno del g...more In una piccola località turistica del Nord Carolina vive Willa, che lavora in un negozio di abbigliamento sportivo e vive nella casa ereditata dal padre, per poter star vicino alla nonna malata di demenza senile. Una volta, la nonna viveva nella casa in cima alla collina, ricca e benvoluta. Paxton presiede il comitato femminile locale e manda a Willa un invito per il settantacinquesimo anno dalla fondazione, a cui parteciparono le loro due nonne. Willa è riluttante, ma, complice il ritorno del gemello di Paxton, non può tirarsi indietro, fino a scoprire un segreto terribile che ha cambiato la storia della città per sempre.

La Allen ha il dono di scrivere con levità, ti fa innamorare dei personaggi e dei luoghi che descrive e non riesci a staccarti dalle loro storie. Sorpresa: per un istante ritroviamo Claire e Bay, del "Profumo del pane alla lavanda"! Un inno all'amicizia tra donne, che è più forte di tutto.

* Se qualcuno avesse prestato attenzione ai segni, avrebbe capito che l'aria diventa bianca quando le cose stanno per cambiare, che i tagli provocati dalla carta significavano che sul foglio c'è scritto più di quello che salta all'occhio e che gli uccelli sono sempre lì per proteggerci dai mali che non vediamo.
* Fra donne esiste un accordo strano ma universale. A qualche livello, tutte capiscono la paura di essere in minoranza, di essere impotenti. È una sensazione che ti pulsa nel petto quando ripensi alla volta che sei uscita da un negozio e ti hanno seguita. Agli estranei che ti bussano al finestrino dell'auto mentre sei da sola a un semaforo rosso, o che ti chiedono un passaggio. All'aver bevuto troppo e aver perso la capacità di essere abbastanza convincente da dire semplicemente no. Sorridere agli sconosciuti che si avvicinano per non ferire i loro sentimenti, per non fare una scenata. Tutte le donne ricordano queste situazioni, anche se non sono mai accadute a loro personalmente. Fa parte del loro inconscio collettivo.
* "Siamo amiche. Lei è ancora qui. Io sono ancora qui. E finché ci saremo, resteremo per sempre amiche.
* Noi donne siamo legate. È come una ragnatela. Se una parte della ragnatela vibra, se ci sono problemi, lo sappiamo tutte. La maggior parte delle volte, però, siamo troppo spaventate o egoiste o insicure per aiutarci. Ma se non ci aiutiamo a vicenda, chi lo farà?
* Vuoi sapere qual è la vera differenza tra me e voi? Io vi voglio bene lo stesso, anche se non siete esattamente come vorrei.
* Siamo quello che siamo. È stupefacente quanta poca voce in capitolo abbiamo al riguardo. Una volta che te ne sei fatto una ragione, il resto è facile.
* La felicità è un rischio. Se non sei un po' spaventata, significa che non stai facendo la cosa giusta.
* Il destino non promette mai di dirti tutto chiaro e tondo. Nella vita nessuno ti mostra la strada che dovresti imboccare. Ma se c'era una cosa che Willa aveva imparato nelle ultime settimane, era che ogni tanto, quando si è molto fortunati, si incontra qualcuno con una mappa.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Kristina Kriss rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charming, as always. I return to Allen like returning home. Few others can weave magical tales the way she can.

The Peach Keeper is about the power of friendship. But it is, as most of her books are, also about letting a little magic into your life.

I enjoyed this one more than Garden Spells. Allen may be a little formulaic and her writing is not without some (minor) flaws (reasons behind 3 stars (really 3.5)), but she is nevertheless a great storyteller who seems to tell stories she loves - and...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. Allen is one of my favorite writers, and this book, although not my favorite of hers, did not disappoint. Thirty year old Willa Jackson is a native daughter of Walls of Water, North Carolina. Her family was wealthy, but they lost everything when their logging business folded due to local lands becoming part of a national park. The timing could not have been worse for the family as the depression depleted the rest of their wealth. Paxton O...more This week I read The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. Allen is one of my favorite writers, and this book, although not my favorite of hers, did not disappoint. Thirty year old Willa Jackson is a native daughter of Walls of Water, North Carolina. Her family was wealthy, but they lost everything when their logging business folded due to local lands becoming part of a national park. The timing could not have been worse for the family as the depression depleted the rest of their wealth. Paxton Osgood buys Willa's family's ancestral home, The Blue Ridge Madam. Paxton is restoring the mansion and converting it into a boutique hotel to accommodate Walls of Water's tourists. Tourism has become the town's top industry; the scenic national park has hiking trails with magnificent views of several gorgeous waterfalls. These falls give Walls of Water its name as well as its eerie mist and fog that surround the town. The inaugural event planned for the restored Blue Ridge Madam is the Women's Society Club's 75th Anniversary Gala. Willa's Grandmother Georgie, along with Paxton's Grandmother Agatha, are two of the founding members of the club. But only days before the gala, the bones of a mysterious, magical traveling con artist, Tucker Devlin, are found on the grounds of The Blue Ridge Madam. A suitcase full of clues point toward Willa's family and her grandmother; Devlin stayed with them for a few weeks during the summer of 1936. Now his spirit is restless, and odd things begin happening in Walls of Water.

All of Allen's books contain elements of magic and the supernatural, and this one has a malevolent ghost. We know this because birds gather and try to protect people from evil things unseen. When people receive their invitations to the gala, there is a spike in paper cuts; when a person gets a paper cut there is always something more written on the page than meets the eye. When the air turns white around a person, things are about to change. The magical elements in this book are a bit more subtle than her other books, but I like how the whispering spirits compel people to tell truths and reveal secrets they normally keep hidden away. As we learn from the book, once one secret is set free, all other secrets soon follow! However, the true magic of this book is the enduring friendship of Georgie and Agatha. Their purpose in forming the Women's Society Club is touching, and it is a lesson on how we should protect and love our girlfriends.

There are two love stories in the book, and I liked both story lines. Willa begins dating Paxton's visiting brother, Colin, and Paxton falls for the androgynous Sebastian; all four were classmates at the local high school. I think it is very easy to fall back into our high school personas when reunited with our classmates, unfortunately, and I did not find fault with that part of the plot. What did bother me a little is that so many issues could have been resolved between the couples if they had only sat down and talked. The reader is left to ponder whether or not anything would have been resolved with these couples had the spirits not influenced the revelation of all secrets. I also wonder if there is a bit more to this story because I would have liked more closure. I would love to read more about these two couples.

One pleasant surprise in The Peach Keeper is one of the secondary characters, Rachel Edney. She runs the coffee bar in Willa's Au Naturel Sporting Goods and Cafe. Rachel is an amateur anthropologist. She studies and documents people's coffee orders and determines personality traits and emotional needs based on what they order and how they take their coffee. Her observations are spot-on, and, being the coffee addict that I am, I would love to read a book about Rachel and get an update on Colin, Willa, Sebastian, and Paxton. I would also want excerpts from Rachel's notebook. Another surprise in this book is that Claire Waverley from Garden Spells makes an appearance catering a luncheon.
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Feb 24, 2013 Ummu Auni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, general-fiction, read-2013

The Peach Keeper is a story of friendships which spans three generations. Willa and Paxton used to be schoolmates. Paxton initiated a gala program celebrating the Women's Society Club, in her journey she unearthed buried secret and unexpected friendship with Willa, the used to be school joker. The friendship started with visits to their nana, uncovering old secrets tucked away within the Blue Ridge Madam.

There are 4 main characters in here, two love stories, between Willa & Colin, and then,...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Stefi Il Giardino delle rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Provate a chiudere gli occhi e ad immaginarvi Walls of Water, una piccola cittadina dove abita la nostra protagonista Willa: tra le case e le strade strette, la nebbia mattutina dovuta soprattutto alle cascate, si intravede una collina sormontata da un imponente edificio, ecco quella è Blue Ridge Madam, una villa risalente a prima della guerra civile.

La villa era stata costruita dal trisnonno di Willa, ma dopo una serie di problemi finanziari fu acquistata dalla famiglia Osgood.

Quanti profumi ri...more Provate a chiudere gli occhi e ad immaginarvi Walls of Water, una piccola cittadina dove abita la nostra protagonista Willa: tra le case e le strade strette, la nebbia mattutina dovuta soprattutto alle cascate, si intravede una collina sormontata da un imponente edificio, ecco quella è Blue Ridge Madam, una villa risalente a prima della guerra civile.

La villa era stata costruita dal trisnonno di Willa, ma dopo una serie di problemi finanziari fu acquistata dalla famiglia Osgood.

Quanti profumi riusciamo a sentire…le torte ed i biscotti della caffetteria di Willa inserita in un negozio di articoli sportivi, ma soprattutto quell’odore dolciastro, di pesca vellutata e matura; come mai questo profumo invade costantemente il racconto della Addison?

Willa ha sempre fatto di tutto per dimenticare il suo passato, ma come spesso accade, il passato torna sempre a tormentare gli animi! Un terribile segreto verrà scoperto e questo cambierà per sempre la vita dei nostri protagonisti.

L’autrice riesce a costruire un romanzo in cui tutti i sensi vengono solleticati: dalla vista all’olfatto, all’udito, sembra di essere veramente immersi nella realtà di Willa, grazie alle sue splendide e delicate descrizioni, ed al modo con cui ci fa entrare nelle vite dei singoli personaggi.

Ogni personaggio, da quelli principali, a quelli minori, sono ben caratterizzati e fondamentali per lo svolgimento della storia, ognuno con un passato alle spalle che cerca di dimenticare, ma tutti sapranno, in un modo o nell’altro, trarre degli insegnamenti e fare in modo che il futuro sia migliore.

L’autrice ci racconta una dolcissima fiaba, intrisa di tanti sentimenti contrastanti, ma anche di un pizzico di soprannaturale! Ma sarà veramente magia o solo suggestione? I fantasmi possono tornare dal passato e cercare vendetta?

Questo è un romanzo sull’amicizia: quella ritrovata tra Willa e Paxton, quella che supera il tempo e le difficoltà che la vita riserva tra Agatha e Georgie e quel tipo di sentimento che nasce come semplice amicizia, ma che sappiamo bene molte volte si trasforma in qualche cosa d’altro.

E’ un libro che si legge in una notte, riempie il cuore di emozioni e scorre leggero ed impalpabile proprio come la nebbia che avvolge i segreti del Blue Ridge Madam.(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical-realism

I've quickly grown to adore just about all of Sarah Addison Allen's books. And this one, while it took me a little while to sink in, is no different. It has that same charm and warmth of characters that I've grown to expect from her works.

Once a trickster, Willa has come back to the town of Walls of Water and settled as the owner of a sporting clothes store. There she tries to live a calm life, completely unlike what she used to be. But the visit of Colin, brother of the socialite Paxton, breaks...more I've quickly grown to adore just about all of Sarah Addison Allen's books. And this one, while it took me a little while to sink in, is no different. It has that same charm and warmth of characters that I've grown to expect from her works.

Once a trickster, Willa has come back to the town of Walls of Water and settled as the owner of a sporting clothes store. There she tries to live a calm life, completely unlike what she used to be. But the visit of Colin, brother of the socialite Paxton, breaks up the monotony of her life and causes her to have some of those old sparks of mischief again. Meanwhile, Paxton is planning an anniversary party for the local ladies' social club and is putting the finishing touches on an old home that is being restored when a body is found buried beneath the peach tree in the yard. This opens a whole series of questions that will bring Paxton and Willa together.

I liked both Willa and Paxton. They were wildly different from each other but both were good people in their own right. They tried to be accommodating to everyone and neglected themselves in the process, as good people often do. But they both had a spark to them. And their love interests, Colin and Sebastian were quite charming as well. Everything you'd want in a real guy, it's just a matter of finding the right one. There were a few side characters, but they played small roles in the story, and honestly, they probably weren't needed.

The plot was predictable, but still charming. I always enjoy the little bits of magic that Allen inserts in her works. Although they weren't quite as prevalent in this one. She just has a way of making the ordinary special and makes you want to believe that that kind of magic is quite possible. And she had a few good quotable lines in this book too. "Happiness means taking risks" and other such inspiring things. Her writing is just so comfortable that you can sink in with a book and not emerge until you're done with it.

A very good book and I eagerly await the next one she will write. She's definitely becoming one of my favorite writers.

The Peach Keeper
Copyright 2011
273 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2013

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com (less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-i-m-reading-in-2012

I love Sarah Addison Allen's books. I love the magical aspect of her stories. Her characters are likable and she makes me believe. Though I did like this story, it didn't have the zing of her earlier books. It felt like something was missing. This one was about two women who grew up in the same community, one with money, one without and a house with a past. Willa came from a middle class family and her grandmother had lived in the house as a girl until her family lost the home. Paxton comes from...more

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About Sarah Addison Allen

New York Times Bestselling novelist Sarah Addison Allen brings the full flavor of her southern upbringing to bear on her fiction -- a captivating blend of fairy tale magic, heartwarming romance, and small-town sensibility.

Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allen grew up with a love of books and an appreciation of good food (she credits her journ...more

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“Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared, then you’re not doing it right.” — 407 people liked it

“Every life needs a little space. It leaves room for good things to enter it.” — 162 people liked it

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