A Novel That Will Open Your Mind To New Thoughts

 

Author: Erica Bauermeister
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 21, 2019)

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Kindle: 310 pages

Thanks for visiting and I hope you mark your calendar for May 21. That’s when you can scurry out and pick up a copy of the book you’ve been hearing about! We are now midway into Erica’s blog tour and if you’d like to know more about The Scent Keeper, this review should help you out.

About the Book:

Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.

Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world–a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination.

Lyrical and immersive, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek and even help us find our way back home.

My Thoughts

Since Emmeline has known nothing other than island life, it takes time for her to realize, through books, that her family isn’t like some of the fairy tales she reads. Where is her mother? But when she asks questions, her dad brushes over them.

I must admit when I started reading this book, I immediately started to wonder if it was going to be a little out of my comfort zone. Collecting scents? A scent machine? Bottled sents along a wall. Hmm, not really my cup of tea, as the British might say, and I guess since my maiden name is Shakespeare, I can say that.

But I kept reading since I am definitely a fan of mysteries. I wanted to know why these two were isolating themselves and living off the land. And I have to admit I was a little curious how the valued machine fit into this story. The machine that made little papers with scents that were stored in small glass bottles that were color coded.

So I kept reading. And soon I realized that the book was a bit different than my normal choices, but it was good. Very good. Then, due to an accident, Emmeline is rescued from the island and taken to the mainland where yet another interesting story pulled me in. Yes, another mystery of sorts.

This coming of age novel of scents, learning, struggles, and emotions slowly but surely captured my interest in a very short time.

Thank you very much #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for allowing me to read this ARC and participate in this book tour. And for those who might be wondering, I was invited to participate in this tour and give my feelings regarding this book well ahead of reading this book or them knowing my reaction. Thanks again for this opportunity!

What Concerned Me: Though I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would purchase it, I was pretty disappointed with the ending. It felt a bit abrupt and unfinished.

What I Liked Most: As I stated above, I was afraid this story was going to be a bit off-the-wall. (Don’t ask me what that means!) And it does require some leeway and imagination but I quickly became acceptant.

The characters quickly drew me into their story, and takes a good author. . . and a good book.

5 STARS

This author is definitely one I will be keeping an eye on. Her writing felt unique and, though I’m not one to love too much description in a book, the description was just enough to make me feel and visualize the locations.

I think if you read this, you will never smell a fragrance without recalling this book.

I don’t have a 4.5 rating, but that’s where I’d rate it. And I always round up, since the author’s hard work deserves it.

Q&A With Erica Bauermeister

After reading the book I had a few questions that I wanted to ask the author. St. Martin’s Press conveyed these questions and replied with the following answers:

1. What inspired you to write about this subject?

For years I watched my dog navigate a far more complicated olfactory world than the one I perceived. And I wondered, what would our world look like to a child who was brought up with smell as her primary sense? It took my imagination in all kinds of directions, and eventually to the wilds of British Columbia and a little girl living in a cabin, surrounded by magical scents.

2. What was your favorite book as a child?

It would be a tough choice between Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series and My Side of the Mountain. When I think about these titles, it makes perfect sense that I would write a book about a girl growing up in challenging natural conditions. It’s all about independence and survival and making a home.

3. Any advice for someone who would like to write a book?

My first novel was published just a few months before my 50th birthday. I was a writer for 20+ years before that. Writing takes an extraordinary amount of work—refining your skills, becoming a deeper human being so that you can better understand your characters. And yet, every moment of that is precious for what it can teach you. Publishing is the icing on the cake. But learning to bake is the point.

About the Author:

Erica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novel The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the co-author of the non-fiction works, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. She has a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Washington and has taught there and at Antioch University. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
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