The Summary

A magnificent five-apartment cobblestone building may be found in the little South Carolina coastal village of Mallow Island down a narrow alley. Its moniker, The Dellawisp, is a reference to the little turquoise birds that coexist with its human occupants in an aura of enchanted secret.

When Zoey Hennessey visits The Dellawisp to take possession of her mother's apartment, she is greeted by a weird assortment of people, including a teenager on the run, a chef who is grieving but cannot be consoled by food, two separated middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. each with a unique narrative. Everybody has their own desires. Each has an unwritten conclusion.

The night Zoey moves in, one of her new neighbors passes away in mysterious circumstances, drawing her into the Dellawisp mystery involving missing pages from a renowned author whose work may be kept there. She quickly learns that the area is filled with unfinished stories and that those nearby require healing from past wrongs just as much as she does. They must learn to trust one another, face their worst fears, and let go of what haunts them if they are to find their way.

My Review

This book explores the courage it takes to let go and have faith in oneself to start over, as well as the melancholy and ghosts of those who had a profound impact on the main characters' lives.

This story includes a discussion on chosen family, one of my favorite subjects. These characters are authentic, raw, somewhat broken, partially healed, and have damaged pasts and are working toward new beginnings. There is grief, loss, and misunderstanding. They get together to help one another go forward along with a few ghosts.

I adored Mallow Island and felt as though the tiny turquoise birds and I were both there thanks to the beautiful words. This story's ghosts were equally fascinating. The ghosts weren't at all unsettling. There were a few shocks in this book, and I like the magical realism.

Additionally beautiful was the scenery. Everything was easy to picture, from the native foliage to the animals, notably the delightfully diminutive dellawisps, the island's indigenous birds that are "little bigger than ring boxes."

Words can't explain how I feel about these amazing people who were so exceptional, flawed, yet ultimately full of love. Each of their stories was unique, and ultimately all of their secrets came to light.

This story was very charming and adorable. It was actually spellbound.

I recommend it to everyone looking for a cozy mystery or simply a charming story to cheer them up.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.