There is a new star in the magical realism genre and her name is Heather Webber. Last year's Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe was great. South of the Buttonwood Tree is breathtaking and an experience that will leave you aching for more long after you have closed the pages.

The author's rich description of the woods, the town, and the titular tree pull you so deeply into the story that you forget you are not actually there. Main characters Blue Bishop and Sarah Grace Landreneau Fulton perceive themselves as flawed women, but have no idea of the strength within them. The strength to undo past wrongs, find happiness for themselves, and the ability to change the their small town forever. Add an orphaned baby and a tumultuous marriage and you have the start of a reckoning that will leave no character untouched.

If you love magical realism, then this book will surely become a fast favorite. A veteran pro of paranormal cozy mysteries as Heather Blake, Webber has shown her literary fiction abilities to be even more enchanting. I cannot wait to be transported to her next tale.

I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint. The characters sucked you into the story and the story kept you turning pages as fast as you could. I devoured it in a day. I loved it.

'South of the Buttonwood Tree' is a southern small town magical realism story about family and the invisible threads that join people together like buttons to fabric.

The story follows a series of characters in a small town in Alabama where a mystical Buttonwood Tree with prophetic abilities influences the lives of the characters. Their past, present, and future converge into an inter-connected web that spans generations causing serious but rewarding consequences. Love, heartbreak, and reputation become defining features of each character which act as fasteners, binding them each together in miraculous ways.

I thought this book had the perfect balance of magic and realism which is due to an interesting tree and small town folklore, and relatable and complicated characters who were able to drive the story without losing the magic. The morals and lessons were touching and inspiring and the plot overall was complex and intriguing.

Magical Realism is my favourite genre and 'South of the Buttonwood Tree' is a new favourite of mine in this genre. Well done!

Heather Webber makes you want to visit the towns in her books with her magical storytelling. Loved all the characters: Blue Bishop who has a gift for finding lost items, the Buttonwood Tree gives advice, and Sarah, a contractor, "hears" how a house feels. Full of family dynamics, love & magic that grabs you from the first page.. Looking forward to more by this author! Thank you NetGalley.

“ This is the south after all, where there’s always a touch of magic in the air” , this is a quote from one of the main characters in the book, which perfectly sums up this novel. When I read a woman southern author and a touch of magic is mentioned I know it’s going to be a great book, and South of the Buttonwood Tree perfectly fits the bill.
Blue Bishop has a gift of hearing the wind and being able to find lost items for everyone but herself, but when she finds a newborn in the woods, and the Buttontree says she’s to raise the baby herself, she is overjoyed.
Sarah Fulton who has the gift of hearing what a house thinks, lovingly restores them for a living. Trapped in a loveless marriage she’s slowly starting to realize she puts everyone else’s happiness before her own. The baby Blue finds affects not only the two of them but the entire town as well, changing lives.
A wonderful book, with fully fleshed out characters I cared about and would like to know. I loved the small town where everyone knows all secrets, and how the characters intertwined in their lives. The plot was original, and I was sorry when the book ended. I can’t wait to read more of what Heather Webber writes.
PS.... I didn’t realize Heather Webber wrote Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe too. I loved this book as well, and highly recommend it also.

Heather Webber brings us some more magic with her new book. South of the Buttonwood Tree is magical realism at its loveliest.