All About Evie

October 7, 2019

Evie is the plucky owner of an independent bookstore in the Pacific Northwest's serene San Juan Islands. Nothing gives her greater pleasure than challenging a customer's reading habits and placing the perfect book in their hands along with a delectable piece of cake. Nothing makes her more unhappy than the premonitions that predict mishaps and even danger for those around her, occurrences she's had since childhood. Evie's family is well known for their odd behaviors, including spontaneous sea chantey sing-alongs and parades, extravagant hats, and suspicious trips to the greenhouse. Fortunately, her menagerie of loyal and quirky animals gives her ample reason to flirt with the vet in her limited free time. When her unconventional sister Jule asks Evie to take a DNA test with her, the results cause Evie to reexamine everything she thought she knew about her family.

VERDICT Lamb (The Man She Married) offers an uproarious yet tender story of belonging and identity. Touching on issues of adoption, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and harassment, this is an endearing expression of trust, love, and what it means to be a family.--Gloria Drake, Oswego P.L. Dist., IL

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
Everyone on the small Pacific Northwest island knows to trust Evie Lindsay's visions, especially her close-knit family that includes her sister, the wild biker and engaged Jules, and her crazy hat-wearing, hell-raising aunts and mother. Jumping from present day to 1975, this sweet, lighthearted tale takes a dark turn when a young girl gives birth while confined in jail and the baby is taken from her. Betsy Baturra awaits her fate by jury in the killing of Peter Kandinsky, the father of her beloved Johnny, who also stands accused of murder. The trial and revelations of Betsy's prophecies interweave with details of Evie's busy life running her bookstore, preparing for Jules upcoming wedding, and falling madly in love with the new veterinarian, Dr. Marco. A wide array of characters crisscrossed by time and place picks up its pace when a DNA test provides shocking results. Book lovers will appreciate Evie's determination to persuade new readers to come to her shop and book clubs will find plenty of discussion points to dissect, but mystery readers might get impatient with the pace.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)