Overview
Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.
Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world–a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination.
Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.
Review
Emmeline and her father live on a remote island in Canada. Her father teaches her about nature and especially smells. Then the unthinkable happens. Her father dies and she has to become me accustomed to civilization and the mystery surrounding her life.
This story is in three parts. In the first section Emmeline is a little girl living with her father on a remote island. In the second part she is living with a couple and going to school. In the third she meets her real mom.
The beginning of this book is very obscure. As a reader, you really have no idea what is going on. You have no idea why Emmeline is being raised in a remote island. You have no idea who these people are. There is no background. Now, if the whole book had been written like the second section it would have been a 5 star read for me. The part where she is coming of age and growing up is superb. I was captivated. And the last section was just sort of blah. I was not a huge fan of her mother.
Now that all of that is out of the way. As a reader, you need to know not all the parts of this book are equal. It sounds like I did not like this book. Oh but I did! This book is a really good read. Reminds me of Where The Crawdads Sing. Emmeline is someone your heart just breaks for. I woke up this morning still thinking about her. This story takes you on a ride you will not soon forget.
I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.
About the author
Erica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novel The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the co-author of the non-fiction works, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. She has a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, and has taught there and at Antioch University. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
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About fredreeca
I am an avid reader and paper crafter. I am a mom of 2 children, 5 dogs and 1 cat. I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals Fan
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