What book am I reading this week? The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim.
What better book to read in April than The Enchanted April? While it’s warm here in Las Vegas, many of you might still be shaking off the last vestiges of winter, so this book will be a welcome relief from the dreariness before spring springs.
Set in San Salvatore, Italy for most of the book, it begins with two English women who have had enough of the cold, local weather, and their cold, local husbands. Seeing an ad in the paper that offers up a villa in Italy for rent, they decide to go.
They gather two other women to help divert the costs, making them four strangers who are each in search of peace and quiet, and maybe something more.
My honest review of The Enchanted April
This book was written about a hundred years ago, but it is surprisingly relevant today. These are basically four women who have lost themselves in the expectations of others and themselves. And who doesn’t know someone like that—who hasn’t been someone like that?
The Enchanted April is full of beautiful descriptions, especially of the villa they are staying in and its gorgeous gardens. It’s as if the blossoming of the flowers were connected to the blossoming of the women.
The characters were so different that it was hard to imagine how they would mesh while sharing a house. And how they eventually did was what made this story so interesting.
I loved the slow evolution of their thoughts and feelings. There was nothing mystical about the book, but somehow each woman was transformed as she immersed herself in the beauty of her surroundings and interacted with the other women. I dislike when books jump to conclusions and solutions too quickly, and prefer the more realistic starts and stops, backwards and forwards of real people’s thoughts.
The Enchanted April was also surprisingly funny. I thought it was going to be dry, but was pleasantly surprised by the humor, especially when reading the interactions between free-speaking Lotty and the proper and practical Mrs. Fisher.
Who is this book for?
If you are looking for a great spring read, a book that will usher in the season perfectly, then The Enchanted April is the way to go. It is also an interesting look at self-care, and how we can starve with none and just as easily boomerang to selfishness when we finally have access to it.
I would recommend this book to any reader who loves a beautiful destination read, enjoys dry humor and self-reflection, and wants to see characters that develop and grow before their eyes.
I hope you’ll give The Enchanted April a try and maybe take some of the characters’ peace and discovery into your own lives.
Happy Reading!
(The Enchanted April is available for FREE in audiobook form. Just sign up for the FREE AUDIBLE trial and cancel whenever you want!)
So, what are you reading this week? Have any suggestions for me?
Interested in more book? Then check out these posts:
Why I Read So Much & How You Can Read More, Too
What I’m Reading… Harry’s Trees
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
Leave a Reply