The Peach Keeper

Do you need a break from your reality?  Would you like to wander a misty forest trail leading to a most unexpected destination? Do certain sights, sounds and scents transport you back in time? Do you believe, at least a little bit, in magic? Then you need to read The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen.

The little town of Walls of Water, North Carolina has its secrets, and they are about to be unearthed. Willa Jackson's ancestors built Walls of Water, but the depression took all of their money and the finest home in town, the Blue Ridge Madam.  Now Willa's high school classmate, Paxton Osgood, is restoring the old Madam, and she unwittingly awakens the long buried memories of her grandmother Agatha and Willa's grandmother Georgie.  Soon the scent of peaches and regret will permeate the air in this mountain town, and the unbreakable bonds of true friendship will conquer all.

This is Southern Gothic with all of the atmosphere and none of the creepiness.  I loved Allen's book, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, and The Peach Keeper completely lived up to my expectations.  It truly was...wait for it...A PEACH!! (Come on, you knew that was coming!)