A review by bluestjuice
Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

4.0

Well, I read this for the Torchlight program, and initially I was not all that excited about it. It definitely surprised me by its depth and complexity. Rhodes skillfully marries elements of magical realism with a tale that digs into issues of environmental sustainability, family history and lineage, abusive relationships, and more. Maddie is accessible to kids (I think!), and like the best magical realism, the magical elements appear sparingly and the beating heart of the book is the characters, their relationships, and their dedication to the setting and each other.