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The cover of 'Mia's Mouses' by Joseph L. Licari

By Melissa Arnold

When it comes to language learning, English has a reputation for being tricky. The wide variety of complex rules, along with their many exceptions and inconsistencies, can cause significant frustration for both children and adult learners.

Long Island native Joseph L. Licari hopes to make the learning process a bit easier with his first children’s book, Mia’s Mouses. This picture book follows a young girl named Mia as she spends the day playing outside. Along the way, she encounters a group of friendly, talking mice — or as Mia incorrectly calls them, “mouses.” 

The cover of ‘Mia’s Mouses’ by Joseph L. Licari

They gently work to give Mia advice about plural nouns, which opens up a whole world of questions for the young girl. She takes her confusion to school, and with a little help from her teacher, Miss Jess, Mia finally gets the hang of it. In the end, Mia eagerly shares her new skills with her mouse friends. The easy-to-read story is supported by bright, colorful illustrations by Victor Nieto. Each character’s personality shines through with unique outfits and expressive faces.

This book’s success comes from its simple rhyming style. It helps build on kids’ existing reading comprehension while helping to cement plural rules (dogs and frogs, houses and blouses). It also goes beyond the word “mice” to introduce other plural nouns with special rules, including “fish,” “people,” “men” and “children,” among others.

Mia’s Mouses is a fine resource on its own, but it’s even more useful when paired with the companion Mia’s Mouses Workbook and Coloring Book. The 40-page addition includes line-art versions of some of the book’s illustrations, along with key passages from the story. Word searches and crossword puzzles of various sizes are interspersed throughout the coloring book along with basic grammar exercises. Most of the coloring pages are single-sided, so you can easily tear out and display your little one’s hard work. One small detraction: there are no perforations, so be careful.

All told, this story and workbook are a fun way to subtly reinforce what early readers are learning at school without the feeling of doing homework. Even younger children who aren’t reading yet can get involved by coloring while an older sibling or friend does a puzzle.

Mia’s Mouses received the 2024 Pencraft Seasonal Book Award for Children in the K through 3rd Grade General category and is a Readers’ Choice Book Award Finalist. Joseph Licari deserves praise for the deep forethought that went into creating the book and workbook duo. As a former business owner and current music teacher, Licari mentors people of all ages and is focused on helping them to truly enjoy their learning experience. He is a member of the Smithtown Library Writers Group and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Find Mia’s Mouses at your favorite online bookseller in hardcover, softcover and e-book formats. Mia’s Mouses Workbook and Coloring Book is sold separately in softcover only.

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Martha: The Cookbook

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Martha Stewart is one of the most recognizable personalities in the world. Noted for her media empire (Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia), the home and hospitality guru attained the highest level of celebrity. She published her first book, Entertaining, in 1982.

Martha: The Cookbook marks her one-hundredth cookbook. Subtitled “100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen,” the book reflects her culinary work and her family life. The introduction and the facing photographs indicate this will be an intimate tome. In addition to the hundreds of photos accompanying the recipes, she shares dozens of personal photos, ranging from family members to Julia Child.

Stewart divides the book into seven chapters: Breakfast & Brunch; Soups & Salads; Cocktails; Hors d’Oeuvres; Dinner; Garden Sides; and Desserts. An appendix follows them: My Basic Pantry explains beef, chicken, vegetable, and turkey stocks, the ideal pastry crust, etc. She outlines her favorite kitchen tools, from the rolling pin to a sesame seed roaster.

In the first chapter, Breakfast & Brunch, Stewart launches with a basic offering: steamed eggs. This is simply a more effective approach to boiled eggs, with instructions anyone can handle. Knowing that her audience will have various skills, she offers a classic hollandaise sauce and an easy hollandaise sauce for artichokes with poached eggs and salmon. She includes her green juice formula, “an invaluable part of my [her] quest for aging gracefully.”

Stewart reflects her Polish heritage with her beet soup and potato and buttermilk soup. On the other end of the spectrum, she sometimes suggests elevating basic fare with truffles or caviar. Drinks include Martha-tinis, Martha-ritas, and a citrus alternative to the Bloody Mary, Mary’s Knees. Hors d’oeuvres range from deviled eggs and potato pancakes to oysters two ways (Rockefeller and Casino). A memory of crabbing with her father on New Jersey’s Shrewsbury River segues into her crabcake recipe. A tantalizing smashed baked potatoes section explains how and, intriguingly, why they should be smashed. 

The two largest sections of the book are Dinners (twenty-one recipes) and Desserts (twenty-two recipes). These sections contain some of the most challenging pieces. The time-intensive potato pierogi and paella recipes are ambitious but clearly worth the effort. Stewart follows the one ingredient dessert—orange granita—with the complex Cipriani classic meringue cake. 

When possible, vegetables come from her gardens and fruit from her trees; she raises chickens for their variety of eggs. She cites two specific residences: a farm in Bedford—where her greenhouses allow growth year-round—and a home on Maine’s Mount Desert Island. Using the best materials from the best sources is a major theme in Stewart’s cookery.  

The contents of the book represent a lifetime of travel. Whether in Ibiza, in the Spanish Balearics, or a café/bakery in Boston, she spent her career gathering the best gastronomic experiences to share with her followers, whether on television or through her magazine and books. 

The personal sections, woven throughout, are titled “Remembering.” Stewart’s memory for detail is extraordinary. Photos of her runway work accompany her days of modeling in Paris during her early college years. She describes her apartment on 101st St. and Riverside Drive in Manhattan, when she worked as a Wall Street stockbroker. In a handful of sentences, she paints a picture of the joys of marriage, pregnancy, and cooking every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One, by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. 

A major highlight is Dana Gallagher’s exquisite photos. Most take an entire page or even a two-page spread. They are bright, vivid, and truly elegant, but this is no surprise. Reflecting on a 1993 soufflés photo shoot, Stewart states, “My editors and I learned a lot on this photo shoot. We learned that we have to treat all food with great respect. No detail is too small.” 

Martha: The Cookbook arrives in time for the holidays. A self-described traditionalist, she presents turkey and ham preparations, ideal for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pumpkin pie with phyllo crust shows a willingness for a twist on a popular dish. 

While she mentions many famous people and trendsetters, this outing comes down to celebrating family. She often mentions her mother, Big Martha, and her daughter, Alexa (both represented by recipes). She now teaches her granddaughter, Jude, as she taught Alexa. 

In her final words in the Introduction, Stewart sums up her goal: “Please enjoy the recipes we have featured and treat yourself, your family, and your friends to a little taste of my favorites—and do not forget to start compiling your own list of favorites to hand down to your loved ones.”

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Meet George Takei at the Cinema Arts Centre on Oct. 15.
George Takei

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will present A Special Evening with George Takei on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.  The event will include a screening of the acclaimed documentary, To Be Takei, an interview with Q&A moderated by Jud Newborn, and gala book signing reception with live music by Mike Soloway.

The world-renowned actor, author and activist has appeared in more than forty feature films and hundreds of television series, most famously as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise in the original Star Trek and in six blockbuster Star Trek feature films. But like Star Trek’s iconic introductory voice-over, Takei‘s story goes where few have gone before.

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind event

Tickets are $75 per person, $60 members and includes

a copy of George Takei’s new NY Times bestselling children’s book, My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story. To order, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org or click here.

SPECIAL NOTE: George Takei is honored to be appearing at the Cinema Arts Centre and is not receiving any fee or honorarium. All profits go to support Cinema Arts Centre.

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George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has used his success as a platform to fight for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, George spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in US incarceration camps along with more than 125,000 other Japanese Americans. This experience inspired the musical Allegiance, in which George made his Broadway debut in 2018, and again in London, where it was staged anew in 2023.

Over the years he has appeared in TV series ranging from The Twilight Zone, The Big Bang Theory and Will & Grace to Psych and Ridley Scott’s The Terror in 2019 – in addition to his legendary work on Star Trek. His rich baritone has provided narration for the Ken Burns / PBS series The National Parks, while his voiceover work has ranged from The Simpsons to the animated feature, Mulan.

Winner of numerous awards and conferred with Honorary Doctorates by universities around the globe, George Takeinow serves as Chairman Emeritus and a member of the Japanese American National Museum’s board of trustees. George served on the board of the Japan–United States Friendship Commission and, in 2004, was given the Gold Rays with Rosette of the Order of the Rising Sun by the emperor of Japan for his contribution to US-Japan relations.

Film Screening:

To Be Takei.  From outer space to Capitol Hill, from the silver screen to YouTube, the legendary George Takei has blazed his own trail while conquering new frontiers with a beaming trademark grin. Oh, my! To Be Takei is a look at the many roles played by this eclectic actor and activist. His wit, humor and grace have helped him to become an internationally beloved figure and Internet phenomenon with 7-million Facebook fans and counting. Those testifying to Takei’s charisma include Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, Senator Daniel Inouye, Dan Savage, Howard Stern, and George and Brad Takei themselves. The film offers unprecedented access to the daily life of George and his husband/business partner Brad and chronicles George‘s fascinating personal journey from Japanese American internment camps to his iconic and groundbreaking role as Sulu on Star Trek, and his rise as a pop culture icon. (USA, 2014, 94 mins. | Dir. Jennifer Kroot)

George Takei’s new book:

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story, is the moving, beautifully illustrated true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II – from George Takei, the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, author, world-renowned social influencer and tireless educator. Published lovingly in hardcover – and a pleasure for adults as well – Takei’s heartfelt account will make an important and enlightening gift for the children in your lives. Takeilooks back at his own memories to help children today understand what it feels like to be treated as an enemy by your own country. Featuring powerful, meticulously researched watercolor paintings by Michelle Lee, this is a story of a family’s courage, a young boy’s resilience, and the importance of staying true to yourself in the face of injustice.

 

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SUNY Distinguished Professor Rowan Ricardo Phillips. Photo by Sue Kwon

Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor Rowan Ricardo Phillips, from the College of Arts and Sciences Department of English, was recently recognized for his book, Silver, making the longlist for the National Book Award and for the Laurel Prize.

“Poetry is a grand eternal art, both timeless and timely. I’m heartened that Silver is a grain of salt in that great sea,” said Phillips. “Each book is a little something tossed into the water and shared with the world, so the fact that my work finds readers and that they respond well to it means the world to me.”

The National Book Award’s mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture. Finalists from the longlist will be announced on October 1, 2024. The Laurel Prize, funded by the UK Poet Laureate and run by the Poetry School, is awarded to the best collection of environmental or nature poetry published that year. The Laurel Prize shortlist will be announced October 7, 2024.

“To be longlisted for the National Book Award is a huge honor, and this is the second time Professor Phillips has earned that honor (previously in 2015 for his second book, Heaven). Silver is a tremendous accomplishment and a major addition to a brilliant poetic career. There really is no other voice in poetry quite like this,” said Benedict Robinson, professor and chair in the Department of English. “On the one hand this book emerges from centuries of poetic tradition, whose discoveries Phillips takes and makes his own; on the other hand it echoes with voices in the vernacular from contemporary New York and from his upbringing in the Bronx. The truly great talent, as T.S. Eliot wrote, takes up a tradition and, in doing so, transforms it. This poetry takes up and transforms multiple traditions and cultures, and from them makes something entirely new.”

In addition to being longlisted for the National Book Award and the Laurel Prize, Silver was recently reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement. Phillips’ poem “The First and Final Poem Is the Sun” also was included in Best American Poetry 2024. To culminate his recent recognition, Stony Brook University’s Department of English will host a poetry reading and reception on November 14 at 5:00 p.m. at the Stony Brook University Poetry Center.

Phillips earned his doctorate in English Literature from Brown University in 2003. He is recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the Nicolás Guillén Outstanding Book Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports writing, a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry, a Whiting Award, and the GLCA New Writers Award. He has also been a finalist for the National Book Award for his poetry collection, Heaven, the Griffin International Poetry Prize, the NAACP Award for Outstanding Work in Poetry, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

 

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Beyond the Book Club at the Whaling Museum.
Ignite Your Imagination and Enrich Your Mind!

The Whaling Museum kicks off the fifth season of its acclaimed Beyond the Book Club, now featuring an exciting new partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Library. This unique book club has enthralled a growing number of participants with its captivating blend of sea-themed literature and the museum’s extensive collection of over 6,000 maritime artifacts. The museum is also proud to continue its successful collaborations with Huntington Public Library and South Huntington Public Library.

Beyond the Book Club at the Whaling Museum.

Beyond the Book club offers an unparalleled experience, combining fascinating literary works with hands-on encounters with historical objects from Long Island’s rich maritime past. Each session is enriched with themed snacks carefully curated to complement the reading selection, providing an engaging and immersive literary journey.

“We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Library which, along with our ongoing collaborations with Huntington Public Library and South Huntington Public Library, enables us to reach an even broader audience and provide a truly unique cultural experience,” said Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education at The Whaling Museum & Education Center.

The upcoming season promises an exciting lineup of sessions:

Beyond the Book Club at the Whaling Museum.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 6:30 PM: Embark on an adventure with Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” and explore artifacts from 19th-century whaling expeditions. Dive deep into the epic tale of Ishmael, Ahab, and the crew of the Pequod while discovering how Melville’s own whaling experiences influenced his writings.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024, 6:30 PM: Delve into the mysteries of the ocean’s depths with Susan Casey’s “The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean.” Participants will enjoy a special guided tour of the museum’s new exhibit, “Monsters & Mermaids,” and discussions about the wonders and secrets of the deep sea.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 6:30 PM: Experience the dramatic story of Lusitania with Erik Larson’s “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.” Examine a 19th-century whalebone traveling trunk and learn about the deadly impact of submarine warfare during World War I.

Each session runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Whaling Museum. The museum provides light snacks related to the book’s theme, and Starbucks of Huntington Village generously sponsors hot coffee and supplies.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our library partners and Starbucks, which allows us to create a welcoming and engaging environment for all participants,” McCormick-Thompson added.

Registration is available online at cshwhalingmuseum.org/bookclub. Sessions are free for museum members and patrons of partner libraries, with a $15 fee for all others.

The Museum invites adults to join them for an enriching literary experience that combines literature, history, and community engagement at The Whaling Museum & Education Center.

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The Whaling Museum & Education Center is the only museum in the world open year-round which explores the whaling history of the Long Island region. The Museum engages the community in exploring the diversity of our whaling heritage and its impacts to enrich and inform our lives. The museum is located at 301 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. Visit cshwhalingmuseum.org and follow The Whaling Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @cshwhalingmuseum

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Eric Roberts

By Julianne Mosher

Academy Award nominated actor Eric Roberts’ first memoir is being released this month and he is kicking off his book tour on Long Island. 

Part of the famous Roberts family (including his sister Julia and daughter Emma), the 68-year-old actor is publishing his first memoir, Runaway Train: or, The Story of My Life So Far next week. To celebrate, he has chosen the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington as his first stop on the tour. 

“This is the first appearance that he’s making as the book is being released so we’re really honored and delighted he would choose us,” said Jud Newborn, Emmy Award-winning producer of special programs at the Centre. “It’s wonderful to be appreciated.” 

On Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. the evening will start with a screening of the 1985 film Runaway Train followed by a discussion with the actor, audience Q&A, gala book signing and reception featuring food and live jazz music by New York Times-acclaimed guitarist Mike Soloway. 

The film, which stars Roberts, Jon Voight, and Rebecca DeMornay, tells the story of two convicts who escape a prison in snowy Alaska, battling the desolate landscape until they board an empty train — only to discover that the engineer has had a heart attack as the train accelerates out of control.

Roberts was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the film and it is rarely screened in a live setting, Newborn said. 

“Eric Roberts is actually one of the most prolific actors in the world,” he added. “I was dumbfounded when I read that he was in more than 700 films.”

Roberts grew up in Georgia, spending most of his teens away from his mother and sisters and instead stayed with his controlling father, a grifter jealous of his early success. At age 17, he moved to New York to pursue acting, where he worked and partied with future legends like Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, John Malkovich, Bruce Willis and Robin Williams.

His big break came when he was cast in “King of the Gypsies,” becoming one of the hottest stars of the era. While his younger sister, Julia, has held a career based on her “squeaky clean, girl next door” persona, Roberts has had a life and career filled with ups and downs including arrests, drug addiction and a near-death car accident. 

Newborn, who will be moderating the discussion, said that people are drawn to these events because the Centre brings in guests who can speak to the concerns and interests of people — and have been since it was opened in 1973.

“It’s going to be a lovely evening and another special Cinema Arts Centre event which we’re famous for,” he said. “We bring in such astounding artists, it’s really mind boggling.”

Roberts’ memoir is said to show a candid look inside his life discussing the ups and downs of his career, his stormy relationship with Julia and how he confronted his demons with the help of his wife, Eliza. Written with New York Times bestselling author Sam Kashner, this memoir plans to have people talking.

“I think our guests are going to be surprised,” Newborn said. “I’ve always found Eric Roberts to be compelling and unconventional in a way that is so intriguing … He has appeared in every kind of medium you can imagine; film, TV, music videos, voice over work and he’s a character actor.”

Tickets for the event are $52 for the public and $42 for members. It includes the film screening, a copy of the memoir that will be signed by Roberts in person, and the reception. To order, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org or click here.

Other celebrity guests scheduled for appearances at the Cinema Arts Centre this fall include director Barry Sonnenfeld on Oct. 8, actor George Takei on Oct. 15; Moon Unit Zappa (daughter of Frank Zappa) on Oct. 27; and actor Tim Matheson on Nov. 12. For further information, call 631-423-7610.

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Photo courtesy of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum

FOR THE LOVE OF A GOOD BOOK

Long Island LitFest presented an evening with Jodi Picoult at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport on Aug. 20. The sold-out event, which was moderated by Broadway star Arielle Jacobs, drew hundreds of excited fans to the courtyard at the Eagle’s Nest mansion to hear the bestselling author talk about her latest book, By Any Other Name. Between the autographed books and photos with Picoult, everyone left with a smile. Pictured above, author Jodi Picoult (left) and moderator Arielle Jacobs with fans. 

Photo by Ben Hartschuh, GH Prime Media

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

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Author Fern Pessin (right) poses with her mother, Hedda, a Gurwin Assisted Living resident. Photo courtesy of Gurwin Healthcare System

Author Provides Insightful Talk on Caregiving and Family Dynamics

Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences Assisted Living Community  in Commack recently hosted and local family caregivers were treated to an inspiring and thought-provoking discussion with distinguished author Fern Pessin. Known for her insightful works, Can We Talk?, I’ll Be Right There and The Caregiver Gap Year, Pessin offered valuable perspectives on the complexities of caregiving and family dynamics.

Pessin’s talk captivated the audience as she delved into the emotional and practical aspects of caregiving, drawing from her personal experiences and research. Her books, which have resonated with readers nationwide, explore the challenges and rewards of caring for loved ones, and she shared key insights with the attendees, many of whom have navigated or are currently navigating similar journeys.

“We were honored to have Fern Pessin speak at our community,” said Joel Gali, Vice-President & Administrator of Gurwin Assisted Living. “Her understanding of the caregiver’s role and the importance of communication within families certainly struck a chord. It was a meaningful experience for everyone involved.”

The event provided an opportunity for residents and family caregivers to engage in a lively Q&A session, where they questioned Pessin about her experiences, discussed their own and gained new perspectives on managing the caregiver relationship. The conversation highlighted the importance of communication, self-care and finding balance in caregiving roles, and attendees left feeling inspired and better equipped to manage the challenges of caregiving. Pessin’s books have been praised for their relatable, compassionate approach to topics that affect so many families. 

For more information about upcoming events at Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences, please visit the Events page at www.gurwin.org/events.

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Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, 1108 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station welcomes Emmy award-winning television host, best-selling cookbook author, and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich on Sunday,  Aug. 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Bastianich will be meeting fans and signing copies of her newest cookbook, Lidia’s From Our Family to Yours. For more information, call the store at 631-331-1706.

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Screenshot

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Author Sarah Beth Durst

It is no surprise that Sarah Beth Durst’s latest novel forges intriguing new territory. The gifted author of over two dozen books (six reviewed in this publication) has penned a highly original fantasy novel: The Spellshop. While fantasy is not new terrain for Durst, she has populated her world with a blend of magic and humanity, creating a delightful but wholly grounded universe. 

Librarian Kiela is at the center of The Spellshop. She lives in Alyssium, the capital of the Crescent Island Empire, where freedom fighters instigated a revolution to bring free elections and knowledge sharing.

As the novel opens, the Great Library of Alyssium is on fire. “Its hallowed stacks were filled with centuries-old treatises, histories, studies, and (most importantly, in Kiela’s opinion) spellbooks. Only the elite, the crème de la crème of the scholars, were allowed to even view the spellbooks, as only the rarefied few were permitted, by imperial law, to use magic.” The narrative hinges on this last point. 

Kiela gathers up five crates of books and her sentient spider plant pal, Caz, and escapes in one of the library’s boats, heading to her birthplace, the island of Caltrey. “Behind them, the great city burned, with its people (both good and bad) and its history (both good and bad) and its books and its flowers. And she knew she wasn’t coming back.” Durst deftly sets the story in motion with quick, tense strokes, evoking a perfect intersection of fantasy and reality.

Kiela arrives on Caltrey, taking up residence in the family’s long-abandoned cottage. A loner by nature (and afraid of anyone discovering her literary contraband), she is reluctant to connect with the locals. “It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more.”

To her dismay, Kiela discovers that her native island is depressed and desperate. Bryn, the local baker, shares with her the current state: “It used to be that the emperor would send his sorcerers on a regular rotation to tend to the outer islands, and they’d cast spells that balanced whatever nonsense they’d done in the capital city to throw them out of whack, but then they stopped coming.” 

This absence resulted in a scarcity of fish, dangerous changes in weather patterns, and depletion of crops. The capital’s abandonment of its responsibilities leads Kiela to the realization that “no matter who was in charge, the powerful always wanted to keep power for themselves.”

With serious poverty looming, Kiela delves into the rescued and forbidden tomes. Creating a jam shop as a front, she embarks on healing many of Caltrey’s problems, claiming her magic offerings are “old family remedies.” In Alyssium, Kiela was friendless by choice. Gradually, in Caltrey, she finds a welcoming community, a circle of friends, and a new sense of self. Eventually, the outside world threatens the enclave in the specter of imperial investigators. 

Along the way, romance appears in the form of her neighbor, Larran, the strapping merhorse herder and jack-of-all-trades. At first, she resists any interaction and then questions if he—or anyone—could be interested in her. But collaboration blossoms into more than just companionship.

Durst populates The Spellshop with a wonderful integration of the expected and fantastical. Here, four-armed harpists dwell side-by-side with centaurs. The forest is full of cloud-like bear spirits and unicorns. Winged cats take up residence on roofs and shelter in attics during storms. 

Possibly Durst’s greatest creation is the resourceful but angst-ridden spider plant, Caz, whose first words in the novel are “We’re going to die.” The anthropomorphic sidekick is hilarious, strangely human, and unique. “[Caz] crossed his leaves like a professor, preparing to listen to a student’s wildly incorrect theories. All he needed was a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his roof to complete the look.” (Later, he is joined by a non-binary cactus whose sole vocal communication is the single word, “Meep.”)

The Spellshop celebrates the power of books: Anything can be accomplished by reading, researching, and studying. “If everyone failed her, whatever they did, she had all the immortal voices caught in pages.” However, Kiela learns that it is not solely what you learn but the application of that knowledge. Her life transforms from clerical and theoretical to harnessing information in active, productive, far-reaching results.

Ultimately, the story traces Kiela’s emergence from a narrow and disconnected academic to a risk-taking hero embracing life. Durst writes with rich, engaging prose; even her most whimsical ideas resonate with deep truth. The story takes on several contemporary issues in subtle but formidable ways. She highlights sustainability. It is not who you love but how truly you care. Parallels between magic and science are sharply drawn. Laws should protect and elevate the population and keep it safe. And, finally, that “law” and “right” are not synonymous—but should be. 

The Spellshop is a far-reaching and insightful novel that speaks great and important truths. But, first and foremost, it is a terrific read.

Pick up a copy online at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. For more information, visit sarahbethdurst.com.

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