The Emporium of Imagination in Aussie Readers

Mar 24, 2021 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-release, aussie-authors, uncorrected-proof, 5000-2021, magical-realism, gift-from-author, own-read, fantasy, arc

Custodian of the Emporium of Imagination for the past ten years, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray was ready to find a new custodian, along with the new shopkeeper as the shop began to reveal itself in the small Queensland town of Boonah. The many residents of the town would be fascinated, sceptical, full of wonder once they were able to venture inside the shop. Would the Emporium help people through their grief; would it help people regain their sense of self?

Ann Harlow’s Nannie was dying, and Ann was d Custodian of the Emporium of Imagination for the past ten years, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray was ready to find a new custodian, along with the new shopkeeper as the shop began to reveal itself in the small Queensland town of Boonah. The many residents of the town would be fascinated, sceptical, full of wonder once they were able to venture inside the shop. Would the Emporium help people through their grief; would it help people regain their sense of self?

Ann Harlow’s Nannie was dying, and Ann was devastated. She had also recently lost another loved one, had gone to his funeral in Boonah, but was unable to show herself to the family. Ann’s grief and secrets caused a great static in her brain. While Enoch Rayne, ten years old, mourned the loss of his beloved father Isaac and he couldn’t get around the guilty secret he kept. Along with his brothers, Jonas and Nipper, Enoch lived with their grandmother in the family home, but the constant noises in his head were overwhelming.

What would happen in the Emporium of Imagination? (view spoiler)

What an absolute delight The Emporium of Imagination is! Not surprising after the author, Aussie Tabitha Bird’s debut, A Lifetime of Impossible Days and its impact on readers. This one will have the same impact and more. The magic and wonder, the sheer beauty of first the cover, then the contents which had me laughing out loud many times, and swallowing back tears at others. With excellent characters and everything magical, The Emporium of Imagination ties it all up in a beautiful bow for its readers, and I for one am totally enchanted! Highly recommended.

With thanks to Penguin Random House AU and the author for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jun 14, 2021 PattyMacDotComma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-folk-myth-super-magic, australian-author, fiction, chcc-library

4★
“I stand behind my door in my bedroom and try not to hear all the voices downstairs. Pulling at my ears, I try to focus on something else. It doesn’t work. I can still hear people thinking.

‘It’s all too loud,’ I yell out the window at the birds. At the world. At the thoughts in my head that are like bumps that turn purple then black. Hearing all the sad things is punishment for what I did.”

When bad things happen in a family, kids often think it’s their fault, and Enoch is convinced that he co ...more

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Mar 28, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author, provided-by-publisher, arc-are

After being enchanted by Tabitha Bird’s debut, A Lifetime of Impossible Days, I was delighted by the gift of her second novel, The Emporium of Imagination. The book arrived in a charming package accompanied by a veritable cornucopia of thoughtfully hand selected vintage treasures from the author herself, items which tie in beautifully with novel.

The Emporium of Imagination is a heartfelt, poignant, and whimsical tale of love, grief and magic.

In the small Queensland town of Boonah, an extraordin After being enchanted by Tabitha Bird’s debut, A Lifetime of Impossible Days, I was delighted by the gift of her second novel, The Emporium of Imagination. The book arrived in a charming package accompanied by a veritable cornucopia of thoughtfully hand selected vintage treasures from the author herself, items which tie in beautifully with novel.

The Emporium of Imagination is a heartfelt, poignant, and whimsical tale of love, grief and magic.

In the small Queensland town of Boonah, an extraordinary store suddenly appears on what the day before was a vacant block of land. It declares itself as The Emporium of Imagination and its customers will soon learn that the magic is not just in its living carpet of wildflowers or ladybugs that turn into lollipops, but in its ability to grant wishes and second chances, encourage wonder and joy, and offer the grieving the chance to reconnect with lost loved ones.

“Thee Emporium is filling with wonders, with things necessary to bring healing or help others fulfil lost dreams or mend broken hopes. The Emporium has arrived to help....”

Before the store can open for business though, the custodian of The Emporium of Imagination, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray, accompanied by an orange cat, must find a shopkeeper for its tenure in Boonah, and as his time is nearly up, he is also in search of a new steward. In the meantime, messages and trinkets are delivered to residents of the town in need of the magic the Emporium’ has to offer. Among them is Ann Harlow, who has returned to Boonah with her four year old son to be with her beloved, dying grandmother, and ten year old Enoch whose adored father has just passed away.

Crafted with sensitivity, compassion and Tabitha Bird’s particular brand of magic, The Emporium of Imagination explores grief, regret, love, forgiveness, and hope. Anyone, which face it is almost everyone, who has ever lost something - be it a dream, a relationship, a treasured item, or a person - will be deeply moved by this story, which reminds us, among other things, that redemption and salvation is always a possibility.

“Grief means we have loved. Would you really want to take away feelings of love?”

It’s a lesson Bird’s characters need to embrace. As Earlatidge’s time with the Emporium draws to a close, and parts of himself begin to disappear, he needs to confront the tragedy of his past. Ann needs to accept the inevitable and make peace with the decisions she has made, while Enoch has to find a way to forgive himself, and his father. I felt for all the characters in The Emporium of Imagination struggling with their various losses, and found myself alternatively sobbing and smiling as their stories were revealed.

“All you need is a little imagination. Broken things can still be made whole.”

Infused with creativity, wit and wisdom, The Emporium of Imagination Is a magical read. Let yourself believe. ...more

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Apr 03, 2021 Jenny (Bookbookowl) rated it it was amazing

Thank you to Author Tabitha Bird for providing me with a copy of this book, together with the most incredible VIP package I’ve ever received!

Earlatidge has been the custodian of a magical shop, that pops up in different places, for almost ten years. Now it’s time for him to find a new custodian to run the shop, but it has to be just the right person. The Emporium of Imagination, as well as giving its customers incredible experiences and taking them back to special memories, has a unique purpose. ...more

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Jun 12, 2021 Annie rated it it was amazing

Tabitha Bird’s second novel delights with wild imagination and her signature brand of heart-rending whimsy. This story was a gift that made me feel like my passed loved ones were right there, turning the pages with me…and who knows? Maybe they were.

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Jun 10, 2021 Nikki Sims-Chilton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Magical fiction – a genre I never would have considered before meeting Tabitha Bird. But try it, let Tabitha take you there – it’s fun! I loved the concept of The Emporium of Imagination – a vintage shop which appears in downtown Boonah (Qld) – an extraordinary place where people can contact lost loved ones on magical phones, where there are rainbow lollipops and ladybirds and a magical lunchbox.

The story is told from various points of view - Earlatidge Hubert Umbray the custodian of the shop, ...more

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Jul 09, 2021 Dee-Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, humour, paranormal, australian-authors, five-star, romance, movie-material, lgbtqia, domestic-violence, weird

Loved it. Another unique story from a unique author. I loved the characters. All were flawed and perfect in their own ways. I come away with a different view of grief … in that it is not all that bad … in that it means that you have loved. The only flaw I found in the book, was that it ended too soon. I read the last paragraph, turned the page expecting more and NOPE! It had ended. I wanted to know just a little bit more about wha happened to the characters.

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