Count me as a person who adored this novel! I read the audio version, well narrated by Erin deWard. It is a fantasy in part. The story, which includes some past trauma for a number of the characters which causes them to life in ways that seek to control their environments in odd and arguably unhealthy ways manages to stay light, entertaining and quirky. There are ghosts.
Alice and her daughter Fern, aged 10, have been on the run since Fern was an infant. Their new home is in a repurposed apartment building on the grounds of an old tuberculosis sanatorium in Minnesota, complete with an ensemble of tenants who eccentric and living on the margins. Just what Alice thinks she wants, but there are complications when she is the target of harassment that makes her wonder if her ex has caught up with them. Fern is a fairly typical only child, in the sense that she is mature and at times, since she and her mother are on the road, very self-sufficient and very close to her mother. Alice makes a living creating miniature houses/rooms to order, a painstaking job that she does beautifully. She is quite protective of Fern, who is just beginning to be more independent, particularly in this place where there are extensive grounds to hang out in and ghosts that Fern can see. Fern begins to make friends with some of the tenants when she makes an unexpected discovery and begins an investigation against her mother’s wishes and to the dismay of others. There’s a great seance scene as part of the investigation with unexpected results.
This book is about all kinds of relationships, lovers, siblings, parent child, friends, ghosts and humans even. It is about the dangers of trying to control your life and circumstances and/or to deal with past trauma in ways that are limiting or problematic, but in a way that is accessible and not stressful. I’m not sure why this is getting lower reviews from others, I think it was not described too well in the marketing blurb. As a person who loves character driven, well written quirky books, I say give it a try! I loved it and it’s a fast read.
They Called me Bookworm 