by John Crowley
First published 2011
Smoky Barnable leaves the City on foot, walking toward Edgewood to marry Daily Alice Drinkwater. Edgewood appears on no map. The Drinkwater family home contains many houses built inside and across each other. The deeper Smoky ventures into this place, the larger it becomes. He discovers he stands at the border between the ordinary world and another realm filled with mystery and magic. Daily Alice's family knows secrets about this otherworld that Smoky must learn to understand. The house and grounds pulse with enchantment that grows stronger as he moves inward. Smoky finds himself caught between two realities. One follows the rules he has always known. The other operates by different laws entirely. His love for Daily Alice draws him deeper into Edgewood's mysteries. The family's connection to the otherworld shapes everything that happens within these nested houses. Smoky must choose between the familiar world he left behind and this new reality that seems more real than anything he has experienced. His journey becomes a story of love that transforms and loss that teaches.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Edgewood, The City
Audiobook · Blackstone Publishing