I was introduced to Lauren K. Denton a couple of years ago when someone mentioned her covers as being especially lovely and I agreed. I bought and read and enjoyed her novels HURRICANE SEASON and THE HIDEAWAY. I heard her talk about her new release, A PLACE TO LAND, and managed to snag an advance reader’s copy.
Trudy and Violet Figg are sisters living in Sugar Bend, Alabama, a small town along the banks of Little River. A traumatic night 40 years ago robbed Trudy’s voice and cost Violet love and happiness, but they’ve built a life and they’re content with their lives. Trudy creates art from found objects and Violet runs their small gift shop and counts birds.
Maya, a young adult fresh from the foster care system, lands in Sugar Bend and in the Figg sisters’ lives. As the river reveals secrets Violet would rather it keep, Maya blossoms under Trudy’s attention and care.
A PLACE TO LAND is full of secrets (I used it to meet a reader challenge I’m doing for 2022. October’s book is a “Family Secret” story.) It’s also a very Southern book. I could feel the humidity of the summer and taste the brackish air. There’s a little bit of magical realism woven throughout, with the recurring pelicans and another element I don’t want to give away.
Denton did a great job doling out the details of that night so long ago and threading together the various sub-plots. I enjoyed this one a lot, and I’ll continue to read both her backlist and new releases.
I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley, but it did not induce me to review it, favorably or not.
Writer of Sweet Small Town Stories of Love and Family 