Marnie Woodrow

Unbelievably sweet and unbearably sad. Freddy & Bette! I’m quite tempted to read this again, right now, having just closed the first reading. One of the best parts of this book is that it’s so visual. All the senses are vividly taken into account, including taste and smell (the ever-present burnt sugar) but it’s the perfectly crafted images of the island and Toronto a century ago that wouldn’t let me put it down.

As always, Marnie Woodrow paints a painfully romantic picture of love, longing, and healing. Again, I was up way past my bedtime on several occasions and again, I find myself longing for another story.

"In the world of lovers there may be nothing quite as powerful as the ongoing ache of four simple words: what might have been."

This novel is an eccentric story about some pretty eccentric, mixed up people from disfunctional families. But the characters are compelling and just real enough to draw you into them and want to know their historyies.Cleo's mother jummped off a boat, Madeline's mother forced her into competative swimming..... etc. The story really happens in New Orleans which was a great city for this story to happen. Interestingly enough it also included Florence Italy and Toronto Ontario.

There is a good story here, but the book is way too long!