Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Foolish love appears to be a Roux family birthright, and for Ava Lavender, a girl born with the wings of a bird, it is key to her inheritance. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, Ava ventures away from home, ill-prepared for what awaits her in a world that does not know whether to view her as a girl or angel. 

Ava's search and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo until, on the summer solstice, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air and Ava's fate is revealed.






Star Rating 

I received this copy from Walker publishers for an open and honest review. 
 
A huge thank you to Walker publishers for sending me this stunning hardback copy of 'The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender.' In my eagerness to begin reading it I accidentally ripped the dust jacket pulling it from the jiffy bag and (no exaggeration) was almost in tears! This front cover is BEAUTIFUL and in one fail swoop I ruined it. Sad face :(

This modern fairy tale of love and loss navigates through Ava Lavender's family history with much elegance and ease. Ava tells multiple stories throughout the novel involving different members of her family. These include tales of marriage, love, loss, ghosts, magic and heartache. All the stories told are from a female perspective and cover some dark themes such as death, loveless marriage and sexual abuse. 

I loved the time era that this book was set in and the exquisite writing transported me to each setting as I was reading. In particular Emilienne Roux's bakery where I could almost smell and taste the bread coming off the pages. The plot line was simple but worked and Lesyle Walton's mystical style left much to the reader's imagination. Until the very end Walton retained the mystery surrounding Ava Lavender and her wings and this book left many questions unanswered. Although some readers will love this, some will be left feeling disappointed.