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Oct 05, 2013Bearwomyn rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A carefree photo on the cover. A playful charming little title. A quickie quirky summary about Irish-Italian witches in the Bronx. HA. Fun, I thought when I selected this little ditty. FUN it was not. This was a stunningly unique and powerful book, took me by surprise, asked me to think sideways and circular, brought tears to my eyes and a created a new and curious course for my ponderings about the powers and possibilities of Magik. We are guided by the story of Eleanor "Ellie" Amore and her 'crazy' family. When we first meet her, she is an abused, broken, magikless, woman, empty of spirit, but full of baby. She is pregnant, scared of her wealthy Yale abuser and abandoned by her narcissistic, Parisian-Faux-Glamour mother. Ellie is drawn by a niggling secret call, that only she can hear "Come Home." She finds herself on the stoop of the old family building on 170th street wherein reside generations of people who love her and will help unpeel the onion of her shut down, shut off, absent memory. There are such new, potent levels of mysticism, mystery and ancient family secrets that I am unsure how to even write about it. It was different, clever, hopeful and challenging for my mind all at once. I think YOU may have to unpeel this one for yourself. We have fortune tellers, cartwheels, crying babies, moon gardens, saints, bruises, grief, love, laughter...ghosts, asylums for the insane, a worn out ol' hat and zeppolis. The questions we are asked are: if you saw the future would you believe? Would you think you could change it? Would you do anything in your power to protect your family? And at what cost? What would you do with a new hairdo and an unlocked treasure trunk?