Publisher's Weekly Review
In Allen's charming latest (after First Frost), a motley cast inhabit a condo building on a South Carolina island. Recent high school graduate Zoey Hennessey leaves behind her father and stepmother in Tulsa, Okla., to spend the summer in her deceased mother's apartment in the Dellawisp, named after the birds who stalk the residents. There, Zoey is disappointed to find little in the way of clues about the life of her late Cuban immigrant mother, Paloma Fernandez Hennessey, but she does encounter a cast of intriguing and quirky neighbors, including Charlotte, a henna artist raised in a cult who is at first reluctant to become Zoey's friend and hides a major secret. Lizbeth Lime, a hoarder killed by a falling bookshelf on Zoey's first night at the condo, providing an impetus for the plot as Zoey is hired by the manager to clear out Lizbeth's apartment, then gets help from Charlotte. Allen skillfully weaves the various threads, as vignettes narrated by ghosts of former building residents provide further context as the plot unfurls, shedding light on the mysterious birds and absent figures such as Lizbeth's estranged son and her reclusive sister. This will move readers. (Sept.)
Kirkus Review
Ghosts with untold stories and guests with long-buried secrets reside in Mallow Island's mysterious Dellawisp condos. Made famous by Roscoe Avanger's legendary novel Sweet Mallow, quaint Mallow Island, South Carolina, proves a welcome respite for Zoey Hennessey. With her inattentive father and stepmother's eagerness to convert her bedroom into a crafting oasis, the 18-year-old decided to leave her home in Tulsa to spend the summer before college at her late mother's old studio on the island. She hopes that the condo, located at the horseshoe-shaped Dellawisp complex, will unearth memories of Paloma, who died 12 years ago in a car accident. Joining Zoey is her imaginary bird, Pigeon, and when they arrive, Zoey is disappointed to discover few traces of her mother…though her new environment proves anything but lonely. Maintained by the elderly Frasier, who is constantly tailed by turquoise dellawisp birds, the condos house a hodgepodge of colorful neighbors, including the burly redheaded chef Mac; the guarded, henna-covered artist Charlotte; the paper-hoarding busybody Lizbeth and her chain-smoking recluse sister, Lucy. When Lizbeth unexpectedly dies the first night of Zoey's stay, Frasier asks Zoey to clean out her neighbor's cluttered home. With Charlotte's help, Zoey is determined to understand the secrets of this eccentric woman, but she soon realizes that Lizbeth may not be the only Dellawisp resident haunted by the past. Allen weaves together an intriguing mystery, following each resident of Dellawisp as they navigate loss and love and uncover what is true and what is real. Charlotte's story in particular stands out; once beholden to her parents' religious cult, she hesitates to trust Zoey's innocence and Mac's selflessness. Allen breathes life into her characters, those living and those in between, and fashions a narrative that imparts a powerful belief in everlasting memory: "Stories aren't fiction. Stories are fabric. They're the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them." A lyrical mystery that embraces letting go and living freely. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Zoey is spending the summer before college on Mallow Island in the studio apartment left to her by her mother. Zoey is hoping to better understand the mother she lost in her childhood and to create a place for herself at the Dellawisp Condos, a place made special by a mischievous flock of birds, the Dellawisp. Not long after she arrives, however, longtime resident Lizbeth Lime is found dead. Zoey volunteers to clean out her condo, thus getting to know her neighbors and unearthing a decades-long secret. There's so much to appreciate in Allen's latest, following First Frost (2015), from the quaint island setting to the visiting spirits of lost loved ones to the bravely lived lives of an endearing cast of characters. The biggest challenge for the reader is to try to not turn the pages so quickly in order to extend the fun. Intriguing details and magical realism are hallmarks of Allen's fiction, along with a slow-burn mystery that connects the past and present. Once again, she mixes those alluring elements together in the perfect ratio to create an outstanding reading experience. Readers who enjoy a Southern story, a touch of the unexplained, and works by Fannie Flagg and Karen White will all be delighted by this novel.
Library Journal Review
On dreamy Mallow Island, outside Charleston, SC, resides an engaging ensemble of misfits who live in the Dellawisp apartments: Mac the executive chef, Charlotte the henna artist, Frasier the property manager, Oliver the recent college graduate, and two estranged sisters, Lizbeth and Lucy. New resident Zoey, a bubbly incoming college freshman, is the catalyst for bringing the Dellawisp folks together after the passing of one of the residents. Siiri Scott's engaging narration accompanies listeners as the story moves from past to present, revealing the residents' backstories and introducing ghosts, both symbolic and literal. As residents come to know one another, they are able to reconcile with the past and slowly begin to heal from their metaphorical ghosts and bid farewell to the literal ones. Scott sensitively takes listeners through the twists and turns in each resident's story, ending on a hopeful note. With ghosts that are comforting rather than frightening, this story, gently laced with magical realism, weaves a charming spell. VERDICT With its underlying theme of resilience and growth, Allen's (First Frost) latest will have wide appeal. A great match for book clubs.--Kym Goering
