At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities: A Novel
From the USA Today bestselling author of In the Middle of Hickory Lane comes Heather Webber’s next enchanting novel, At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities!
A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward.
When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.
On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.
Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. Both must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.
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Community Reviews
I have absolutely adored every magical realism book that Heather Webber has put out in the last couple years. They are filled with family, love, and, of course, magic - each one a warm blanket on a snowy night...the first warm rays of sunshine after a long winter. And "At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities" is no different. In fact, "Curiosities" is, hands down, my favorite of this small town collection.
When you love a book because of how it makes you *feel,* it's sometimes hard to put into words as to why. In our sad, scary world, books like Webber's are the escape we all need. We get to be transported to a small, southern town (this Kentucky girl's favorite!) surrounded by characters that look out for each other, genuinely care for each other, and welcome in strangers as if they were long, lost family.
In "Curiosities," Webber's town of Driftwood is a sanctuary for many, a place to hide for some, and a new adventure for others. Our two main characters, Ava and Maggie both need to start over (though only one of them may realize it), but through it they learn to find themselves and open their eyes to see others anew.
Again, words cannot describe the feelings this book brought out in me. Read the description...you'll know immediately if it's your kind of book or not. But just know that while you are reading it, it will feel like you are getting a huge, comforting hug and, after, you will be hugging the book itself right back.
Solid 5 Stars
And wish I could give it more...
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