The Gilly Salt Sisters

If you like to read magical realism and/or Alice Hoffman, you will like The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker. Jo and Claire live on Salt Creek Farm in the isolated Cape Cod village of Prospect in New England. They are both feared and revered by their fellow villagers because of the custom of casting salt into the bonfire every December's Eve to tell the future of the village for the coming year. If the fire flashed blue, it meant the town would prosper. If it flashed yellow, some kind of change was on the horizon. If it flashed black, dire consequences would follow. Instead of being a comfort to each other, Jo and Claire become enemies when Claire marries Jo's sweetheart, Whit, after her first love, Ethan, joins the priesthood. Throughout the novel, loyalties shift, the boundaries of family are tested, and secrets are revealed. The novel is an entertaining read and I enjoyed it. All of the characters are multifaceted and I can relate to most of them, except for Claire and Whit. Claire and Whit seem to be unbelievably selfish and self-centered. Also, Claire has a very unhealthy fascination with fire. But it's hard to put this novel down and I recommend it.