......I stayed up until 2 am to finish this book.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is like a beautiful, melancholy piece of music, a cello concerto showing off the most emotional and human of the string instuments.
This is my second delve into magical realism (I think, I don't really know the definition). My first was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
and so the strangness of Ava's story didn't throw me as much as it would have if I had not been inroduced to magical realism in an even stranger book. Both are also multigenerational so there is that similarity.
I reallyed loved this book. The writing is just fantastic. Walton never faltered in her exposition of this wild, crazy tale. I connected with all the characters especially the three main women of the novel. For me, the three women are the best thing about this book. They are all so strong and fascinating. Sometimes incredibly stupid, but always pushing through the hard times usually made by their own mistakes. It is very inspiring to see each of them living through all the storms that come their way.
The supporting cast is also diverse and engaging. Gabe...ack my baby! Henry, Cardigan, everyone just so wonderful. There is not a single stereotype in this cast of characters. Everyone surprised me in their development. And this all goes to show that this stroy is extremely well crafted.
The skill that this story shows of a first time author is extraordinary. Walton's storytelling is tight. Everything plays out well paced, and the fact that she keeps this story in line is just impressive. 300 pages is quite short for a four generational story, but I felt I saw everything I needed to see. I did not need more or less. I also aprreciated how she handled the darkness of the story. Many horrible, sad, violent things happen in this story, but they are handled with the right amount of brutal reality without losing the tone of the rest of the book.
Yes. I loved this book. I can't wait to read more by Leslye Walton, and I highly recommend you read this book if you have not picked it up already.
