The Keeper of Stars: a second chance romance

The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner is a second chance romance. In 1950, Elizabeth “Ellie” Spencer spent the summer with her aunt in a lakeside town in Tennessee where she met Jack Bennett. Their summer romance leaves her torn between her dreams and her heart. Twelve years later, Ellie has achieved her dream and works as a professor of astronomy when a mysterious package will send her back to the summer and the one that got away. Inside the package was a novel written by Jack. It tells the story of a young man and woman who meet, fall in love and are ultimately torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. Realizing that he wrote their story, she immerses herself in the story and one detail of the story has her questioning everything she knew about their relationship. The sudden death of her aunt brings her back to the lakeshore and Jack.

This book was brought to my attention by my aunt who thought it was something I would enjoy. And she was right. Described as “The Notebook meets Where the Crawdads Sing,” The Keeper of Stars is a very sweet second chance love story as Ellie and Jack are two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks and must fight opposition, expectations and time to find a way to be together. The writing was very lyrical and flowed easily. It was a page turner and easy to read as I was caught up in Ellie and Jack’s story. There are moments of drama and moments of reconciliation. It is a great story for a weekend read as it pulls you in and keeps you in the story with beautiful locations. The ending was touching and heartfelt. I loved the author’s description of the lake and the surrounding areas. I highly recommend The Keeper of Stars. 

The Keeper of Stars is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Where The Crawdads Sing: an entertaining story but I wasn't blown away

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a story of survival set in the marshlands of North Carolina. The town of Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village, heard rumors of the “Marsh Girl,” For the most part, it was just talk, as Kya Clark is barefoot, wild and clearly unfit for normal society. Until 1969, when Golden Boy, Chase Andrews, is found dead and Kya is immediately suspected. But Kya is not what the rumors claim. A born naturalist, she takes life’s lessons from the land. She has learned to live in solitude, only rely on herself to get what she needs to survive. As she gets older, she is drawn to two young men from town. Both men are intrigued by her wild beauty and Kya begins to open herself to the possibility of not being so alone anymore. It all falls apart when Chase Andrews dies and Kya is arrested for his murder. Told between two timelines, beginning in 1952 when Kya is introduced and 1969 with the police investigation, the story weaves a mystery that slowly unravels. Who killed Chase Andrews? Did Kya kill him? 

I have heard many rave reviews of Where the Crawdads Sing. I finally picked up a copy. I settled in to read and the opening chapter set a lyrical tone as the author describes the wildness of the marsh and the animals who live there. The first half of the book moved slowly. I knew there must be a connection to the death investigation and Kya, so I pressed on. The second half of the book moved more quickly as the trial began. When I finished, the mystery solved, I sat silent, underwhelmed. It wasn’t the book I expected. The “gotcha” moment fell flat for me. I liked the book. It was entertaining but I wasn’t wowed by it as I expected from hearing so many rave reviews. There is a movie in production based on this book, set to be released in 2022. After reading the book, I’m not sure I’m interested in seeing the film. Maybe that will change in time. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was good and the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful. It’s not a “oh my gosh, you have to read this book!” But I recommend Where the Crawdads Sing. 

Where the Crawdads Sing is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.