ARE YOU LISTENING? THE GILLY SALT SISTERS: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" 
ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY" 
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S 
AUDIO BOOK CHOICE....

  GIVEAWAY ENDED

THE GILLY SALT SISTERS

An Audio Book
BY TIFFANY BAKER

READ BY ANGELA BRAZIL

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The author of the New York Times bestselling The Little Giant of Aberdeen County returns with a magic-tinged tale of dreams, family secrets, and betrayals on a New England salt farm.

In the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect, the Gilly sisters are as different as can be. Jo, a fierce and quiet loner, is devoted to the mysteries of her family's salt farm, while Claire is popular, pretty, and yearns to flee the salt at any cost. But the Gilly land hides a dark legacy that proves impossible to escape. Although the community half-suspects the Gilly sisters might be witches, it doesn't stop Whit Turner, the town's wealthiest bachelor, from forcing his way into their lives. It's Jo who first steals Whit's heart, but it is Claire--heartbroken over her high school sweetheart--who marries him.

Years later, estranged from her family, Claire finds herself thrust back onto the farm with the last person she would have chosen: her husband's pregnant mistress. Suddenly, alliances change, old loves return, and new battle lines are drawn. What the Gilly sisters learn about each other, the land around them, and the power of the salt, will not only change each of their lives forever, it will also alter Gilly history for good.

PRAISE FOR THE GILLY SALT SISTERS:

"Fans of Baker's acclaimed The Little Giant of Aberdeen County won't be disappointed with this quirky, complex, and original tale. It is also sure to enchant readers who enjoy Alice Hoffman and other authors of magical realism." --Nancy Fontaine, Library Journal

"Tiffany Baker has done it again: The Gilly Salt Sisters is both deliciously, magically, strange and heartrendingly familiar, a beautiful and bewitching story of the elements that bind us to each other-family, love, loss, and memory. I was pulled into its world on the very first page and wanted to stay forever." --Eleanor Brown, author of The Weird Sisters

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tiffany Baker is the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Giant of Aberdeen County. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children, and holds a PhD in Victorian Literature and an MFA from UC-Irvine.

AN INTERVIEW WITH TIFFANY BAKER FROM HACHETTE BOOK GROUP'S READING GROUP GUIDE:

Q: As in The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, this is the story of two sisters who don’t look alike. Jo is scarred by the burning barn, and Claire is beautiful but bitter. What brings you back to the theme of inner beauty versus outer beauty?
A: I’m really fascinated by fairy tales and the archetypes and transformations that go on in them. On the one hand, there are these familiar characters—the Princess, the Crone, the Stepmother, the Maiden—but, on the other hand, they may be disguised. Beauty may hide great evil, and vice versa. Sometimes, characters are enchanted and can’t show their true selves, and other times, they change into fantastical creatures as a result of tragedy or loss. For me, fairy tales are always about the struggle women especially endure. We are, after all, shape shifters, every one of us, as we give birth and age. We all start out as the Princess and become the Crone.
 

I feel like there’s so much emphasis in our culture on appearance, but in a negative way. We’re obsessed with plastic surgery, weight, youth, and celebrity. Inside, however, we all experience the same human failings and emotions. Fiction, to me, is the perfect genre for pointing out these commonalities, for a story allows you not just to watch a character, but also to get inside his or her head in a way you can’t with any other medium.
 

Finally, I would point out that I grew up with my mother warning me that “beauty fades, but dumb is forever.” These have always seemed wise words to live by. 

Q: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on next?
A: My new novel is called Mercy Snow. It’s about a bus crash that happens in a New Hampshire mill town, a secret that’s covered up, and about how the threads of that accident wind together the lives of three very different women. It’s a suspenseful story, but it still has all the touches of magic and folklore that I so love. I can’t wait to share it!

You can read the entire interview by going to HACHETTE BOOK GROUP and click HERE for THE GILLY SALT SISTERS' PAGE and then click on the READING GROUP GUIDE in order to open it. 

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

THE GILLY SALT SISTERS is a delightfully captivating story just as I would have expected from author Tiffany Baker after having adored her book, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County. Mixing in a bit of magic with the fictional narrative, Baker gives readers engaging characters ensconced in an enjoyable tale. Revolving around the two Gilly sisters, the story takes place in a salt marsh near Cape Cod in the village of Prospect. With the author’s adept description, readers can envision what to most must be a rather unusual place. Jo is loyal almost to a fault and an independent nature that sets her apart. Meanwhile, Claire seeks to get away from the institution she is expected to serve. Along with a cast of delightfully interesting supporting characters, THE GILLY SALT SISTERS weaves its magical tale around the premise that Gilly Salt can predict the future. Outsiders are doubtful and actually wonder if some kind of witch craft may be taking place in this strange community.

As Jo first becomes involved with the wealthy Whit Turner, his domineering mother causes problems as she has other thoughts in mind for the Gilly land. When Mrs. Turner becomes an enemy of the Gilly sisters, strange alliances are at work and lives in the whole area are turned upside down, especially for Jo and Claire. The social class divide between the wealthy Turners and the hard working lower class Gilly family causes quite a commotion where people take sides. From ancient precedent to established relationships, from marriages to accidents, with a  little bit of magic and mystery, these elements of THE GILLY SALT SISTERS brings together a magical story that will draw one in and leave readers with a delightful, well written tale to discuss.                                                

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MITCH AND MY FRIENDS AT

HACHETTE AUDIO, I HAVE ONE COPY OF 

THE GILLY SALT SISTERS, BY TIFFANY BAKER,

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER

 

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE GILLY SALT SISTERS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT TIFFANY BAKER'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JUNE 29

GOOD LUCK!