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The Scent Keeper

Erica Bauermeister

Start date: May 2, 2020

Why we're reading this: It was recommended to me by a close friend and sent personally by the author.
[close] It was recommended to me by a close friend and sent personally by the author.

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May 22, 2019 Books, Brews & Booze rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, giveaways-with-gratitude

Whoa, this book. Where do I even begin? Engaging, curious, strange, infuriating, confusing, heartwarming, hopeful. These are just some of the words I can easily throw out there when I think of "The Scent Keeper" by Erica Bauermeister. It has elements I tend to gravitate toward in books: Magic, nature, magical realism, connecting to one or more of the five senses.

What a journey this book takes the reader on. Some of it doesn't make a lick of sense at all to the reader, but not in a way that makes Whoa, this book. Where do I even begin? Engaging, curious, strange, infuriating, confusing, heartwarming, hopeful. These are just some of the words I can easily throw out there when I think of "The Scent Keeper" by Erica Bauermeister. It has elements I tend to gravitate toward in books: Magic, nature, magical realism, connecting to one or more of the five senses.

What a journey this book takes the reader on. Some of it doesn't make a lick of sense at all to the reader, but not in a way that makes the book hard to read or alienating. Rather, it's just like what would happen if we all took a tumble into our family's past. Not all of it would make sense and we may always wonder the age-old question: Why? Why did they do that?

"The Scent Keeper" touches on so many different themes: Abandonment, sacrifice, ancestors, the familial burdens and triumphs we carry with us, the power of scent and its ties to memories, the families who takes us in and love us, living in the past, refusing to see what's in front of you, creating new lives, shunning old lives and coming back full circle.

"No matter how far wrong you've gone, you can always turn around." ~ Gil Scott-Heron

Is everything neatly tied up in a bow and all questions answered? Nope. But that's reality for you and I'm grateful for that in books because it helps us feel more connected to the book and its characters. There are mysteries in our lives, whether it's a long overdue conversation that doesn't happen, an apology unsaid, an 'I love you' never said out loud but always felt, a question of "why."

The mystery makes me want to know more. I want to know what happens to Emmeline, Fisher, the Secret Cove, her mom, her journey into healing. Insights abound in this book and I want to go through it again and underline them, sometimes for the insight and sometimes simply for the beautiful way Bauermeister strings words together.

I yearn for a continuation of the story. It would be so neat to follow the characters into what happens next.

NOTES:

I received this ARC with so much gratitude from a Goodreads giveaway and these are my unbiased thoughts.

TW: I'm a freakishly sensitive soul and always appreciate when a reader notes something that may be upsetting to this freakishly sensitive soul. There is a very small part where an animal attacks another animal. The scene isn't drawn out but I could feel the weight of it. A testament to the power of words, that's for sure. It's not troubling enough to make me stop reading altogether and I'll definitely be rereading this book, so please note that it wasn't an alienating part of the book. I just like to give a heads up so your eyes can do a quick skim if they need to. :) ...more

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May 03, 2020 Daniela is currently reading it

Jul 19, 2021 Books, Brews & Booze marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

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