Title: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe
Author: Heather Webber
Publisher: Forge
Release Date: July 16, 2019
Pages: 336
Book Source: Hardcover
“Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.
As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.” – Amazon
Kim’s Review
The first book I read, many years ago, with magical realism in it was Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, and I was instantly hooked on this genre. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber is a welcome addition to the genre, and I’m looking forward to reading South of the Buttonwood Tree by Webber, which just recently came out, since this one was so good.
The story is told by the points of view of Anna Kate and Natalie, two women who are very close in age, come from very different backgrounds, but share a huge thing in common… although their mother’s decided to keep it from them. When they come back to Wicklow, Alabama, where the pace is slower and everyone knows everything about everyone, they find love and a mystery waiting for them.
Over the course of the book, Anna Kate and Natalie both have to come to terms with a lot of things including mistrust, family secrets, and their own secrets. And they do so amongst a dying town that is fast filling up with bird watchers come to see the 24 blackbirds that sing for one hour every night.
The magical realism is interwoven throughout the entire book and adds a bit of whimsy while leaving the reader with a bit more knowledge about herbs and other good things in nature and life. This is a very sweet book that leaves you with the warm fuzzies and wanting to look for the magic in your own life.
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