Praise for The Peculiar Gift of July
“An engaging family tale tinged with magical realism….poignant.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Each page is more charming than the last, and readers will face the dilemma of consuming this book as quickly as possible or limiting pages to slowly savor.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Set on a quirky island in the Puget Sound where there’s nowhere to go and the ferry service is erratic, The Peculiar Gift of July is an absolutely charming novel of families and small-town life, and how the simplest mysteries of our lives touch all those around us. Ashley Ream is a fabulous writer who turns a great phrase, amuses with clever humor, and adds just the right amount of sentimentality and emotion for a satisfying ending—book clubs will love this book!”—Garth Stein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
“Magnetic and heartfelt, The Peculiar Gift of July is a lush and atmospheric ode to the power of family and home that will leave you looking for the everyday magic in your own. A must read for the summer!”—Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of A Sea of Unspoken Things
“Immersive, heartwarming, even a little bit magical, The Peculiar Gift of July juggles an enormous cast of characters in a perfectly-sketched small town on a chilly island in the Pacific Northwest so beautifully you feel like you’re there. Ashley Ream offers peculiar — and wonderful — gifts indeed: the secrets harbored by close communities, the surprises in store even for people who already know everything about each other, the many forms families take, and the joys (and challenges) of neighbors who are there for one another, come what may.”—Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is
“The characters of this wonderfully engaging novel may inhabit an island, but their concerns are universal, and Ashley Ream finds dignity, humor, and more than a touch of magic on every page. A novel that is light on its feet, but deep in its heart.”—Meg Howrey, author of They’re Going to Love You
“Few writers balance vulnerability and wit like Ream, and in The Peculiar Gift of July, she does so with a storyteller’s lightest touch…The setting may be fictional, but the emotional terrain of is rooted in real, lived feeling: grief, caregiving, community and the ways we find family in the most unexpected places…The book’s magical realism is subtle, more sparkle than spectacle…It’s also deeply funny. Ream has a sharp eye for the odd rhythms of community life…The shimmer is everywhere. It’s in the scent of cardamom from the bakery. In the lonely ache of people trying to do right by each other. In the way a town, however eccentric, can knit itself back together around the edges of a heartbreak.” —The Seattle Times
“Author Ream has a brisk, easygoing voice that’s reminiscent of the way Garrison Keillor describes Lake Wobegon or how Stephen King brings life to his small towns of Maine (minus all the horror stuff). “The Peculiar Gift of July” is a charming tale and a great opportunity to spend some time in a far-flung corner of America.” —Epoch Times
“A lovely story about family.” —Daily Kos
“A well-rounded book, rich with real feelings and a lot of heart.” —Chick Lit Central
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