7 December 2016

Review #569: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you...”

----George R.R. Martin




Stephanie Knipper, an American author, pens her debut contemporary fiction, The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin the revolves around the story of two estranged sisters and the daughter of the elder sister, who is a special child with peculiar powers to heal the diseases and ailments of humans just by touching them, but this girl's mother is dying and if the girl tries to save her mother, she would die too, as every time she uses her power, she dies little from the inside. And now all it requires for the elder sister to reconcile with her little sister but the past is hard to bring back to the present.


Synopsis:

Sisters Rose and Lily Martin were inseparable when they were kids. As adults, they’ve been estranged for years, until circumstances force them to come together to protect Rose’s daughter. Ten-year-old Antoinette has a severe form of autism that requires constant care and attention. She has never spoken a word, but she has a powerful gift that others would give anything to harness: she can heal things with her touch. She brings wilted flowers back to life, makes a neighbor’s tremors disappear, changes the course of nature on the Kentucky flower farm where she and her mother live.

Antoinette’s gift, though, puts her own life in danger, as each healing comes with an increasingly deadly price. As Rose—the center of her daughter’s life—struggles with her own failing health, and Lily confronts her anguished past, they, and the men who love them, come to realize the sacrifices that must be made to keep this very special child safe.

Written with great heart and a deep understanding of what it feels like to be “different,” The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin is a novel about the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.



Antoinette Martin, a barely 10 years old girl, is happy and free in her farm of flowers under the care and love of her mother, Rose, whose younger estranged sister, Lily, lives in a different sister following a fallout after the death of Rose and Lily's parents. Now that Rose is dying gradually due to a terminal heart disease, she must reconcile with Lily so that after her death, Antoinette's care will be taken by Lily and by Lily's childhood flame and their next-door-neighbor's son, Seth. Lily, on the other hand, does not want to open the door to her buried past and especially with Seth who left her heart broken and now that she has another next-door-neighbor-cum-admirer named Will, Lily is reluctant to go back. But can the sisters forgive one another? And what will become of the little girl with special powers?

This is a fascinating story that only smells good but also feels good after indulgence. The beauty and charm of the backdrop and the huge field of flowers with their myriad of smells, colors and nature will take the readers breaths away. But most importantly, the story will evoke the sense and importance of family into the hearts of the readers. Even though there is very less fantasy and more family drama, especially more love drama, yet somehow the emotions will drag the readers into its flow. Although the story is not that addictive enough to keep the readers glued to the pages of this book, still the story of the two sisters, especially the special girl will keep the readers' hearts engaged into it.

The author's writing style is eloquent and the emotions are well synced with the story's flow. The readers will find it easy to comprehend with the dialogues from the book which are laced with sentiments thereby making them feel poignant from the readers' perspectives. The pace is slow but steady even though there are not much layers to keep the readers interested, as the little's girls healing powers and her inner voice will make the readers fall for her.

The characters from this book are good but not brilliant enough to make the readers feel for their lasting impression. The main character, Antoinette, no matter how much her cuteness and her mute thoughts enthrall the readers hearts but her less presence in the story line mars and disappoints the readers gravely. Antoinette is a fantastical character whose mystical powers to heal the broken humans is amazing, along with her 10-year old thoughts and inner voices that only beg for immense love for her mother, Seth and gradually for her aunt, Lily. Lily on the other hand is a not so striking character and her tug-of-war from Seth to Will will at times feel monotonous for the readers. Rose too is a powerful character, whose motherly as well as sisterly love makes her look real in the eyes of the readers.

In a nutshell, this is an entrancing read that is filled with passion, love, magic and human disability that is not only depicted in a realistic way but is also projected with lots of sensitivity.


Verdict: A promising debut about family, magical powers and lots of love.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Stephanie Knipper, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book.
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Author Info:
Stephanie was born and raised in Kentucky, where her love of books began at a young age.  Her mother fostered that love with weekly trips to the library.  Though they struggled financially, Stephanie's mother always made sure she had books.  At the same time, Stephanie's father began cultivating her love of the land.  He taught her the best time to harvest blueberries and which plants tolerated the thick Kentucky soil. 
Stephanie's twin loves of literature and land would shape her life.  She went on to major in English at Northern Kentucky University (later earning her Master's degree in English from the same university), and she studied to become a Master Gardener.
The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin is Stephanie's debut novel.  The title character, a young non-verbal girl, was inspired by Stephanie's daughter, Grace.  Stephanie and her husband adopted Grace from China in 2005 unaware that she had several severe special needs. 
Stephanie lives in Kentucky with her husband and six children, five of whom were adopted from China with various special needs.  She is currently at work on her second novel.  
Visit her here


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