SQEEEEEEE!!!!!   My adult reaction, go on about your business...

I immediately fell in love with the pace and lush descriptions in this book.  The main character, Alexandra, came to Bulgaria under the guise of teaching English.  She was really there as an act of penance.  From the moment she is dropped off by the taxi at the wrong hotel, her story becomes tied to the strange family she attempts to help.  Add a poet taxi driver, a powerful politician, and a stray dog to the mix, and you get an unforgettable narrative that pulls you in and keeps you in.

Blending the modern Bulgarian story with a tale from post World War Two highlights the changes that have happened in that country in a relatively short amount of time.  Jumping back and forth between Alexandra and the mysterious musician from the past, Kostova does a peerless job of pulling together a deliberately paced, almost gothic story.  I know that everyone will be comparing this to The Historian, but this novel is quite different.  The Shadow Land has its own style, its own sense of urgency, its own unique story.  One of the best I've read in quite some time.

Myfanwy Thomas is my hero.  Calm, cool and collected in a VERY strange world.  She wakes up with no memory of who she is, surrounded by people she apparently killed.  This is only the beginning of the mysteries in this novel, which is packed to the gills with weird, wonderful, scary and amazing... people? As Myfanwy attempts to understand who she is and how she fits into the world she woke up to, the reader is pulled into a story that is complex, but so satisfying.  This is one of those books you won't want to put down because you just have to find out what the heck is going on!  The second book in the series just came out, they are both really worth your time.

I'm going to start by saying that Backman is one of my favorite authors and I have loved all of his books.  I have to admit that the content of this story led me to delay reading it, it just hit a little too close to home.  That being said, I am so glad I made the plunge and picked this up.  It was beautifully written, sad and glorious at the same time.  How on earth does Backman continue to create these amazing characters who resonate so strongly with me?  Pick this novella up, and don't be afraid to read it.  You won't be sorry.

There are so many things that I love about this book, it's hard to list them all. The main character has dealt with debilitating depression and come out the other side. She has tragically lost her husband and young daughter, which causes her to go through a mental breakdown. How does she decide to bring herself back to normalcy? Move to a once inhabited, now deserted island in the Pacific Northwest to rebuild a "folly" of a house. Once there, King describes the process of building the house and the process of Rae re-building her sanity. Both are fascinating to read about. There is a central mystery about the island to keep you even more interested! The characters in this book are so believable, Rae's backstory is so intriguing, you won't want the story to end. Everyone I have recommended this to has loved it!