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A review by azdesert_bookworm
The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums
3.0
This was an interesting book. That’s really the feeling I walked away from the book with. There were moments of tension and suspense mixed with moments of strength and discovery all while under the shroud of a category wipe-the-coast-of-Florida- off-the-map hurricane.
Set in beautiful Key West, Magda, is the caretaker at Whimbrel House, a historic home turned museum of a turn of the 20th century poet who committed suicide in 1918 at the age of 23. Magda is slightly obsessed with the home and works of Isobel Reyes, and that’s putting it mildly. So, when an evacuation is called, Magda decides to stay at Whimbrel House to ride the storm out.
I guess I don’t need to tell you how that turns out! While there are the issues caused by the hurricane - flooding, house damage, injuries - to say that Magda is a little obsessed would be an understatement. There are times throughout where she endangers her own life to protect aspects of Whimbrel House. Those preservation plans are impeded by the unexpected arrival of Hank, the local handyman and his daughter, who float up on their boat caught by the storm and unable to get out in time. Sometimes, you just don’t know the people around you as well as you think you do.
When I started reading, I had such high hopes. I loved the mysteriousness surrounding Isobel’s century old death, and it was clear that there was more to the story than we knew. I loved the survival story of making it through the hurricane. The intentional build up to the storm actually hitting Key West was done very well. Everything just got muddy when Magda was no longer the lone wolf and had to share the pages with Hank and Emily. In the end, I enjoyed the book. It was different from the other things I have been reading lately, so if you are looking for a change of pace, a story of survival and natural disasters with a touch of history and unexpected guests, you should put this one on your TBR list.
I am grateful to Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Set in beautiful Key West, Magda, is the caretaker at Whimbrel House, a historic home turned museum of a turn of the 20th century poet who committed suicide in 1918 at the age of 23. Magda is slightly obsessed with the home and works of Isobel Reyes, and that’s putting it mildly. So, when an evacuation is called, Magda decides to stay at Whimbrel House to ride the storm out.
I guess I don’t need to tell you how that turns out! While there are the issues caused by the hurricane - flooding, house damage, injuries - to say that Magda is a little obsessed would be an understatement. There are times throughout where she endangers her own life to protect aspects of Whimbrel House. Those preservation plans are impeded by the unexpected arrival of Hank, the local handyman and his daughter, who float up on their boat caught by the storm and unable to get out in time. Sometimes, you just don’t know the people around you as well as you think you do.
When I started reading, I had such high hopes. I loved the mysteriousness surrounding Isobel’s century old death, and it was clear that there was more to the story than we knew. I loved the survival story of making it through the hurricane. The intentional build up to the storm actually hitting Key West was done very well. Everything just got muddy when Magda was no longer the lone wolf and had to share the pages with Hank and Emily. In the end, I enjoyed the book. It was different from the other things I have been reading lately, so if you are looking for a change of pace, a story of survival and natural disasters with a touch of history and unexpected guests, you should put this one on your TBR list.
I am grateful to Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.