Review: Magical Realism Done Well
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2013
My rating is actual 4.5, but I don't know how to make a 1/2 star.  I was sent this book by the virtual book tour coordinator in exchange for an honest review on my blog.When I signed up to review this book it was the cover that drew me in.  It reminded me of time I have spent in the Middle East and time my husband has spent in parts of Western Africa. However, reading the blurb and other reviews I really had no idea what kind of book this was or what  to expect.  I think it was really good not to have preconceived expectations because they would have been shattered.  This book is unlike any book I have ever read (and I've read over a thousand fiction novels in my life).The author classifies the genre as "magic realism." I would guess that many people, like myself, don't know what that means.  So, let me clear that up first, because I think it is important that people DO set their expectations correctly in order to approach this work in a mindset that doesn't expect magic, fantasy, witches and warlocks or other things we associate with magic. Magic Realism doesn't mean the book is filled with magic, as in Harry Potter or the average Witch tale.  It doesn't mean the book is filled with action and adventure as one associates with Urban Fantasy or many of the TV fare that includes magic backstories with fighting good and evil, witches and politics.  I also would not put it in the genre of "paranormal." In fact, the word "magic" in my opinion obscures the definition.I never studied literature, so I know Magical Realism was not a term ingrained in me. I knew that One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was called "magic realism" but I still didn't really know what that meant or why.  Here is a definition I found from Franz Roh (1925) that I believe captures this book and explains the genre in the best way.  I have bolded words in the definition for emphasis from me.Magical Realism--We recognize the world, although now--not only because we have emerged from a dream--we look on it with new eyes. We are offered a new style that is thoroughly of this world, that celebrates the mundane. This new world of objects is still alien to the current idea of Realism. It employs various techniques that endow all things with a deeper meaning and reveal mysteries that always threaten the secure tranquility of simple and ingenuous things. This [art offers a] calm admiration of the magic of being, of the discovery that things already have their own faces, [this] means that the ground in which the most diverse ideas in the world can take root has been reconquered--albeit in new ways.More recent popular novels (and movies) that are shelved as Magical Realism are  Like Water for Chocolate, and the recent Academy Award winning Life of Pi.Those bolded sections in the definition above were beautifully executed in Love of Shadows.  The entire concept of "the Shadow" serves both as metaphor for us as readers, and as reality for the world of the characters.  The deeper meaning of the relationship of "shadows" to this world and to our own is revealed and it does make you think and re-examine your own relationships, prejudices, and philosophies in more depth. At least it did me.The book drew me in immediately with the  suicide of Judith's mistress/mentor, Elma.  We learn from the beginning that everything known about Elma's "real" life must be covered up for fear that discovery of her true calling, as a Healer, would put all those in contact with her in danger. Healers are killed--either by mobs who fear them or jailed and put to death by the law.The book reveals the daily life of a woman who reluctantly learns to accept her own gifts as a gifted healer, and struggles with whether she can accept the call to use those gifts and to risk her life and those around her.  Sarah, her "shadow" appears first as a best friend, like a sister, but who is the opposite. Where Judith is emotional, Sarah is seemingly without emotion. Where Judith is simultaneously driven forward by her demons or her bravery, Sarah moves forward based on logic and planning.  Neither are perfect and, most importantly, neither are whole without the other.To those used to action, adventure, love and sex serving as the outward tension to move the plot forward, you will need to take a breath to enjoy this book. The plot moves forward based on how the decisions in one's inner life in fact drives one's outer life.  The learned behavior of having learned to fend for oneself--to never count on anyone else for help--is juxtaposed against the absolute need to be affirmed, to be love, and to desire give up control to someone else.  That is played out exceptionally well through emotions of jealousy, distrust, envy, and eventually a very real loss of control.The build of those emotions, seamlessly interwoven with the tension of daily life, is based on an underlying treatise that constantly questions the differences and similarities between traditional medicine and modern medicine. It also explores the differences and allocations for care between the classes and between what are termed "humans" and "shadows."It is in the heat of the plague that Judith, an underground traditional healer is actually sought out by a modern above-ground medical doctor.  That relationship and all that it means drives the external tension and builds the internal tensions to the climax and beyond.There are some manuscript formatting/conventions that did bother me.  In particular, was the use of quotes.  In addition to present dialog, the author also used quotes for internal dialog and for dialog in the mind or with someone who was dead. For me, that became very confusing. Perhaps that is a U.K. convention not used in the U.S.  In the U.S. all internal dialog is not quoted, but simply stated. Most presses in the U.S. also designate dialog in the mind (whether with an imaginary person or an actual person, as in mind-reading or talking with a dead person) is usually done in italics to differentiate it from the present "real" world.In the end, I really enjoyed the book and I heartily applaud the author for taking on magic realism and so successfully executing it.  I had not read the first book, and did not find that to be a detriment to my enjoyment. I definitely believed in the entire world without question. I accepted it as reality and appreciated its nuances. The descriptions were beautiful and there were many paragraphs, phrases, and passages that showed the heart of a poet.  For readers who want something unique that speaks to the heart of relationships, prejudice, and the difficult decisions one must make to lead in the face of unspeakable tragedy, then this is a book you will not want to pass up.  Also, if you want a great example of magic realism literature that is well-executed I would highly recommend this novel.