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Shadows of Pecan Hollow
Caroline Frost
416 pages
William Morrow
Gritty, picturesque, and tender. This was a book I loved getting lost in and has sat deep in my heart ever since I closed the last page.
On those stifling summer days down south, there’s nothing quite like finding that perfect shade spot beneath a hearty pecan tree, sweaty glass of sweet tea in hand. It’s a special kind of sigh-worthy moment of escape. Frost’s debut is exactly like that perfect moment, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
An orphan. Discarded and unwanted by everyone. At 13 years old, Kit fights to find her place. She longs to be seen and to know love… true, unconditional love. So she runs away from the life that’s given her nothing but heartbreak towards the hope of a better future.
Manny lives on impulse. That high of chaotic living fuels him. He has a need to be revered and to be in complete control, but that isn’t easy to see right away. Plus, it was the promise of a meal that drew Kit to him in the first place…basic survival and all that. But it was his smooth talking ways and the hope of a friendship that kept her attached. When you’re broken and desperate, obsession and love look an awful lot alike.
13 years later, Kit is on her own raising a headstrong daughter and trying to navigate life. When Manny shows up on her front porch singing a new song, everything threatens to unravel.
This is exactly the kind of book I love… one full of grey areas, hard to read scenes, and things that make me uncomfortable. It’s also a book full of grit, growth, and resiliency. All of it blends together into one beautifully impactful novel.
And that ending! Whoooweee. That ending brings everything (even those seemingly inconsequential details) full circle in the most satisfying way.
A lot of books get a handful of literary elements right. But this debut book…from the complex, indelible characters to the propulsive storyline to the cinematic atmosphere and the engaging writing style… Frost masterfully executes all of them to such a degree that it is astonishing this is her debut.
This book is best partnered with a tall glass of sweet iced tea and a best friend. It begs to be discussed, and you’ll appreciate lingering over these pages.
Thank you Caroline Frost, William Morrow Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a #gifted advanced copy of this book.
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