Book Review: Midnight at the Blackbird Café

Author Karen White declares Heather Webber's book Midnight at the Blackbird Café, as "magical realism at its best!" While I found the start a bit slow, once further in I enjoyed this novel. It brims with contemplation of loss and grief, feuds and resolutions, the past and new beginnings. I thought the characters were lovely and the conflicts realistic. When the past threatens to hold us down, we must heal the wounds and start again.

Anna Kate Callow has inherited her grandmother Zee's little restaurant in the town of Wicklow, Alabama, with the stipulation to run the business for a few months before she is free to sell. This is significant because Anna Kate's mother Eden never allowed her to set foot in Wicklow. Her mother fled the town just after an accident killed her boyfriend A.J. Linden. As is typical in a small town, everyone is up in everyone else's business. The Lindens blame Eden and refuse to set foot in the café. That would be fine and dandy, except now A.J.'s sister is desperate for a piece of the famous blackbird pie. They say the pie has magical healing powers and everyone could use a bit of magic now and then.

This would make a great selection for book groups, especially if you're looking for a clean read. You can find discussion questions here and here. Or use the questions the author offers at her website.