The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society...Review

At Madeline’s Tea Salon, the cozy hub of the Avalon community, local residents scrapbook their memories and make new ones. But across town, other Avalonians are struggling to free themselves of the past: Isabel Kidd is fixing up her ramshackle house while sorting through the complications of her late husband’s affair. Ava Catalina is mourning the love of her life and helping her young son grow up without his father. Local plumber Yvonne Tate is smart, beautiful, and new to Avalon, but finds that despite a decade of living life on her own terms, the past has a way of catching up—no matter where she goes. And Frances Latham, mother to a boisterous brood of boys, eagerly anticipates the arrival of a little girl from China—unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of foreign adoption.

Enter Bettie Shelton, the irascible founder of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. Under Bettie’s guidance, even the most reluctant of Avalon’s residents come to terms with their past and make bold decisions about their future. But when the group receives unexpected news about their steadfast leader, they must pull together to create something truly memorable.

By turns humorous, wise, and deeply moving, The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society is a luminous reminder that the things we hold most dear will last a lifetime.

Scrapbooking brings people together and Bettie Shelton is determined to do just that, unite the ladies of Avalon with her monthly scrapbooking society. What follows is a delightful look at small town America.  Many characters are introduced and chapters alternate perspectives even as they overlap.  Fortunately, everything comes together in a sweet way that truly shows us the importance of friendship and community.

As with Friendship Bread, my only complaint is the present tense narrative. I normally find myself distracted and annoyed while reading it and it usually detracts from the story.  Fortunately, this one is so good, I could get past it and enjoy the story.

I really enjoyed Friendship Bread and so when I saw that there was a second novel, I set out to find a copy.  I loved Avalon and I was so happy to revisit it.  This is a sequel in the sense that Avalon characters carry over from Friendship Bread, but it stands alone just fine.  A charming, heartwarming novel about friendship.

Thanks to Lindsey at Random House for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Darien Gee here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 2/13

* * * *
4/5 Stars