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Review by Bobbi Reddix
The Sparrow family has been one of
legend in the small town of Unity, Mass. Every descendant born into
this family has been either gifted or cursed. For 13 generations,
the offspring have all been female, and each female begins to
exhibit a unique ability on her 13th birthday.
Rebecca Sparrow was the firstborn in
the Sparrow clan. Her legacy and legend have been passed to her
descendants. When she appeared in the town of Unity in the year
1697, the mysterious girl was dirty, confused and speaking a strange
language. All that she owned was a bell, a compass and a necklace.
Eventually Rebecca was adopted by the local washerwoman. Her unique
ability to not feel pain emerged on her 13th birthday. When the
local townspeople found this out, she subsequently was tried as a
witch and drowned.
This story brings into focus the lives
of three of Rebecca's descendants. Elinor, the family matriarch, has
the ability to discern when someone is lying. Jenny, her daughter,
is able to see the dreams of others. The story begins on the eve of
the 13th birthday of Stella, the 13th generation of the Sparrow
clan.
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 Jenny and her mother have been
estranged for a number of years. Jenny left the Sparrow home and
eloped with her now ex-husband, Will Avery, to live in Boston. She
has told her daughter little of her heritage and nothing about the
family's abilities.
While on an outing with her father,
Stella's gift manifests itself, and she learns that she has the
ability to see how and when people will die. Stella foresees the
death of a young woman in a restaurant and pleads with her father to
do something about it. He humors his daughter and eventually relays
the information to the police. When the murder actually occurs, he
finds himself the accused.
This leads to a series of incidents
that eventually bring Jenny and Stella back to their historic home,
full of treasures and talismans, where Stella learns of her ancestry
and her heritage and Jenny learns of reconciliation and love.
Alice
Hoffman is the author of 15 acclaimed novels, including "Practical
Magic," "Here on Earth," "The River King" and "Blue Diary." She has
also written five books for children. She lives with her family near
Boston.
[Bobbi Reddix,
Lincoln
Public Library District] |
