A memoir

As the title states, this book is written as a memoir and as such there isn't too much of a story through it. There are two threads running through, life in the present, and memories of Evelyn's past in Germany. There she was helping the efforts against the Nazis, using her magic to great advantage. I found the book was a bit too full of unnecessary descriptions and Eve was quite a condescending character at times though I liked her most of the time.
The narrator had a great voice for Eve as a main character and also for the many different characters and accents, though some of the foreign names were emphasized a bit strongly.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Do you believe in reincarnation?

Before running this review, a confession. This reader is not usually fond of books which, at their heart, revolve around witches or romance. This book does both. So why the accolade? In part, the totally unexpected approach to those practitioners of spells and the excellent storytelling, and also the wonderful performance of the narrator, Kelley Hazen.

Ms.Hazen has a voice of musical honey, deeply delicious to the ear, well articulated and intoned. It would be a pleasure to hear her simply read a telephone book. But this story is far from that and she uses her skill as narrator to breath life into all of the characters, both male and (mostly) female with distinctively individual voices as well as becoming the beldame story teller.

Written in the first person, the central character, Evelyn, admits the reader to her lifestyle and the society of her large association of family and friends. Her witches are not eternal but they can expect a far longer life than most mere mortals and at the start of her confessions, she is almost one hundred and fifty, no longer the attractive young thing she used to be but still able to appear to be so for a limited time. Before her energies fade and she returns to her more elderly appearance. This way she can still enjoy one-nightly daliances with attractive, much younger men. And does - but just the one night each time...

Until the nephew of the elderly (only human) local antique dealer arrives to take over the shop. He reminds her so much of her one true love so many decades before and the story then takes the reader through alternating accounts of her life before and during World War II and her time with Jonah, and the present day growing, but doomed, romance with Justin. And throughout those present day reflections, there are delightful peeks into the great family assembly for Christmas, internal dispute, and tips on travelling more quickly and in privacy than most of us would ever encounter.

Yes, this is witches as different from the usual spell casters as is likely to be found. Instead , the book is a concoction of old fashioned glamour, close relationships, lost love and youth - and often hilariously funny. It is paced quite slowly for the reader to enjoy every delicious morsel My deepest thanks to the rights holder who, at my request, freely gifted me a complimentary copy of Petty Magic, via Storyteller. It was a joy and a delight, a perfect pairing of author and narrator. Highly recommended, even if romance and witches are not your usual genre.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful