The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris

I can't believe I was fortunate enough to find two great books to read this week. Anyone who has seen the film Chocolat will find this book as endearing as the movie and better as a book. This is of course, the sequel to the book Chocolat!

This is like a modern fairy tale set in the darker parts of a modern day Paris. Magic, witchcraft and the inordinate development of relationships is magically crafted by Joanne Harris. The characters are believable, loveable and in some cases despicable. Being the reader, you can sense what is happening in the course of the book and you want to desperately help the main characters.

I savored this book and halfway through it called my sister in Utah to recommend it. I have not read Chocolat, but based on this book, it will be my next choice to read. Lovers of chocolate will find that the magic of making chocolate is believable in the effects such deliciousness has on the soul.

This is a great read!

The Rope Walk By Carrie Brown

This book was recommended to me by a friend who is also a librarian. I was in need of this particular book. Set in Vermont, where I went to college, the descriptive quality of the writing stands on its own merit. The premise of the story itself is so touching and stirs up memories of childhood summer for the reader.

Carrie Brown, the auther, transforms the reader to the magical qualities of what is intriguing, interesting and even frightening for the two main characters who are 10 year old children. The book also serves as a reminder of the diversity of the child mind and non-judgemental qualities that keep the innocence of a child in mind.

The two main characters, Alice and Theo, meet at Alice's 10th birthday party where we also meet her older brothers and father. Family history evolves as does the instant friendship of Alice and Theo. They in term form an unusual bond with an adult neighbor suffering from AIDS. In the hopes of helping their adult friend, the two children work diligently at creating a path in the woods for their adult friend Kenneth.

For anyone who is a reader, family minded and childlike inside, this book will haunt you with the beautiful language and final message. This is a must read again for me and I will hunt out other books by this magical auther.