The Lenore family legacy is a legend, as each daughter is
told the story of Serena's love for Alex and her miraculous
discovery of the flower that is the base for their famous
perfume. The Lenore perfume has a magic that enables the
women who wear it to soar to great heights in their
respective fields.
Lucia Lenore fled this legacy, choosing
instead to make her own way. Unfortunately, she now has
nowhere else to return but to her home where her mother,
Willow, maintains the family's business. Lucia's sister,
Mya, is the obvious choice for Willow's successor but is she
the right choice? Will the family unite or divide when their
entire legacy is at stake?
Wow! From the world building to the character development,
every element in SEASON OF THE DRAGONFLIES works together
perfectly. I love how we see the very distinct personalities
of Mya, Lucia, and Willow emerge and grow as they face some
tough obstacles, both personally and professionally. Not
every choice made is a wise one and there are some dark
moments that made me want to both yell and cry for the
characters, all at the same time. I can't help but hope
that a future novel from Sarah Creech at least briefly lets
us revisit such strong willed women to see how their lives
change even further, particularly with the impact of the
revelations later in SEASON OF THE DRAGONFLIES.
SEASON OF THE DRAGONFLIES is magical realism at its finest!
Sarah Creech captures the essence of the magic that
surrounds the Lenore flowers and perfume perfectly as
readers are immediately drawn into the beauty of Sarah
Creech's world. Her exquisite use of language and her
willingness to tackle some very sensitive issues make SEASON
OF THE DRAGONFLIES a hard novel to put down. Fans of Sarah
Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman have a new author to add to
their collections as Sarah Creech's SEASON OF THE
DRAGONFLIES is nothing short of stunning.
SEASON OF THE DRAGONFLIES ranks among one of my top reads
for the year and
I will definitely be recommending this one to all of my
friends!
For generations, the Lenore women have manufactured a
fragrance unlike any other. Hidden in the quiet rolling
hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, their perfumery guards
unique and mysterious ingredients. A secret known only to a
select clientele of movie stars, politicians, artists, and
CEOs, the Lenores' signature elixir is the key to success
for the world's most powerful women.
Willow, the coolly elegant matriarch, is the brains behind
the operation. Her gorgeous golden-haired daughter, Mya, is
its heart. Like her foremothers, Mya can "read" scents and
envision their power to influence events. But Willow's
younger daughter, dark-haired, soulful Lucia, claims no
magical touch; wanting no part of the family business, she
has left the mountains to make her own way in New York City.
When a divorce leaves Lucia at loose ends, she returns to
the Blue Ridge Mountains for an uncomfortable family reunion
and discovers trouble brewing. Willow is experiencing
strange spells of forgetfulness. Mya is romancing a younger
man and plotting to take the reins of the business. A client
is threatening blackmail. And most ominously, the strange,
magical plants that provide the perfume's secret ingredient
seem to be dying.
With the Lenore empire at stake, the sister who can save
their lucrative scent stands to inherit when Willow steps
down. Though Mya schemes, Lucia has suddenly begun to show
signs of possessing her own special abilities. And her
return to the mountains—heralded by a swarm of blue
dragonflies—may be the answer they all need.
Capturing the essence of sisterhood with the sweetness of
flowers, Season of the Dragonflies is a beguiling tale of
practical magic, old secrets, and new love.