Magical Realism
We asked our staff, "What is your favorite magical realism book?"
Read below for their answers!
Plus, magical realism book recommendations from Beaufort County readers
The Antidote
by Karen Russell
Recommended by Kitti McKean,
Branch Manager
New historical fiction by Karen Russell. Set in Nebraska during the dust bowl, it explores how we choose to forget and distort memories in order to be comfortable with the new narratives we've created. Although the novel is set a hundred years ago It felt uncomfortably current. Strong characters, a very original premise, and a plot that leaves the reader thinking long after the story ends.
The Unmaking of June Farrow
by Adrienne Young
Recommended by Alyssa Krob,
Digital Resources Librarian
The Unmaking of June Farrow is one of the few novels that I don't mind trying to unravel the complexities of time travel! This story takes place on a flower farm in a small mountain town; and is full of magic, family secrets, and star-crossed love. It's so unique and I highly recommend it!
Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
by Laura Ruby
Recommended by Libby Voight,
Branch Manager
Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All is a hauntingly beautiful and heartbreaking book based on real events of young women in a Catholic orphanage in Chicago during WWII. It's about family, love, loss, and the power of sisterhood, wrapped in a ghost story.
American Gods
by Neil Gaiman
Recommended by Debbie Henderson,
Information Services Librarian
Neil Gaiman’s "American Gods" has been one of my favorite books for years. It is a brilliant blend of mythology and modernity, where ancient deities walk among us, sustained by human belief and woven seamlessly into the fabric of everyday American life. With its rich tapestry of global and Native American gods, mysterious happenings, and a hauntingly surreal atmosphere, the novel exemplifies magical realism at its best—anchoring the mystical in the mundane. "American Gods" invites readers to reconsider the power of myth, memory, and meaning in a world that often overlooks the extraordinary hidden in plain sight.
The Amalfi Curse
by Sarah Penner
Recommended by Lyndsay Malphrus,
Bookmobile Library Specialist
"Nautical Archeology off the Coast of Italy Magic that harnesses the power of the Ocean Perilous love "
Ferris
by Kate DiCamillo
Recommended by Acey Deiwert,
Youth Services Programmer
A beautiful story of family, love, and a little magic! Beware - you may cry a little!
The Seven Year Slip
by Ashley Poston
Recommended by Emily Nagel,
Library Assistant
A romance story that explores love, loss, healing and self-discovery with a touch of magic!
Other Birds
by Sarah Addison Allen
Recommended by BrendaGael Beasley-Forrest,
Catalog Librarian
This is not a genre I typically like, being a realist drama queen, but this one held my attention. I was attracted to by the cover, my love of birds, intrigue, and that it is set in a fictitious town in coastal SC.
After Taste
by Daria Lavelle
The Fox Wife
by Yangsze Choo
Recommended by Emma Maines,
Information Services Librarian
Follow an alluring and canny fox, consumed with a mother's wrath, on her journey of revenge. Mystical and mundane dangers await at every turn, and with a shrewd investigator named Bao on her tail, she must avoid both human notice and that of other foxes. But as figures from her past begin to intrude on her quest for vengeance, she may find that humans aren't the only killers in her path.
Recommended by Cheryl Graffo,
Library Specialist
"What if you could have one last meal with someone you've loved, someone you've lost?” This book explores that question, along with whether you should, and what happens if you do. Konstantin Duhovny can taste meals he’s never eaten - a sign that spirits are near. So what’s a man to do, except take a job in New York’s culinary scene? And what happens as he hones his cooking skills? A multi-layered novel of ghosts, food, love and grief.