The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harpermusebooks for the review copy of The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock.

What type of setting would you like to see more of?  I love books set in the South and would love to see and read more of them.

In 1932 on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, Cleo Woodbine has come to work as a companion to a visitor of the Carnagie family who still maintain an estate on the island.  She also wants to explore the island that inspired her grandfather who wrote a classic book of fables as the resident artist of the Carnegies.  What dramatic events will occur that will change the lives of so many?

In 1959, Cleo Woodbine is a famous artist and recluse who lives alone on Kingdom Come, a tiny strip of land where the servants from Cumberland Island once lived.  Frances Flood has come to visit and find out the truth of what happened to her mother in 1932.  Will she uncover secrets from the past?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This story is told in a very interesting way.  There are three points of view in 1959 – Cleo, Frances, and Aubrey, a young widow that runs a local inn.  The viewpoint told in 1932 is that of “Fable.”  It was a great story, but I always wondered how much of it was true, and how much it was a “fable” told through Cleo’s eyes.  1932 was also the story of what happened when Cleo told a “fable” that impacted many lives.

·       I enjoyed both the 1932 and 1959 stories equally.

·       I loved the main characters and the stories of Cleo, Frances, and Aubrey.  The secondary characters were also full-bodied and interesting as well.

·       I liked how the mountain lion eludes hunters in both timelines and has lived for thirty years.

·       The mystery of 1939 and what exactly happened intrigued me, but the richness of the rest of the story and characters also made me savor the story.

·       I loved the setting.  I am ready to visit Cumberland Island now.  I looked up pictures of the island and both the natural setting and historic buildings are beautiful. 

·       A great author’s note at the end describes the author’s research into Cumberland Island and its history.

·       I enjoyed how a circus train was brought into the story.

·       It was interesting how the book goes through societal changes that are occurring and how they impact this community.

Favorite Quotes:

“She let herself recall the days when it had seemed their whole lives waiting beyond the horizon.  But their story had turned out to be a fable, a cautionary tale.”

“I thought about Korea.  Troops were integrated there.  I saw what they could be like and what it should be.  I figured it was maybe a place to start.  But there’s some that just can’t stop fighting an old battle.”

“What did she know about any of this?  Only that fear and blame ended up making monsters out of shadows, and fools out of even the most well-meaning men.”

Overall, The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock was a compelling well written story, with fascinating characters and a great historical mystery.