Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is as wonderful and lovely as its book cover. Please read it.
There. DONE! Book review complete.
Oh, okay. I suppose I should tell you a little more about why I blazed through this utterly charming novel by Heather Webber.
What’s Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe about?
Anna Kate Callow unexpectedly inherits her grandmother’s adorable Blackbird Café, on the stipulation that she uproot her life and move to Wicklow, Alabama, where magic seems to abound in the form of mysteriously delicious homemade pies, rare blackbirds that have a mind of their own, and sweet dreams sent to family members and friends from loved ones who’ve passed on.
Amidst the food and magic, there’s intriguing family drama as Anna Kate meets long-lost relatives; a little bit of romance; and reminders of the importance of love, in all of its many forms.
Why I loved Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe combines all of my favorite genres: Southern fiction and magical realism and foodie fiction (oh my!). The minute I stepped into Wicklow and Anna Kate’s world, I never wanted to leave it.
One of the main plot lines of the novel involves Anna Kate deciding if she wants to stay in Wicklow or sell the café, and whenever Making-a-Decision-Time came up (which was often) I wanted to cry out, “I’ll buy it! I’ll flocking buy it!! (If you read the book, you’ll get that one.)
There’s a particular place in my literary heart for stories of Northerners who move to small, Southern towns, especially if those towns happen to be in Alabama. I’d like to blame this on binging Hart of Dixie episodes while I was concussed, but my affinity for this trope started long before that. I will say, though – Webber’s fictional town of Wicklow in Midnight at the Blackbird Café reminds me a lot of Zoe Hart’s Bluebell.
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is magical realism perfection
If you’re a fan of Sarah Addison Allen or Lisa Van Allen, you’re going to love Midnight at the Blackbird Café. It’s a perfect read for getting through the “dry spells” when SAA and Lisa Van Allen are in between new books.
And, if you’re new to the genre of magical realism, I can’t think of a more perfect place to discover it than at the Blackbird Café, which is full of quirky, nosy, loveable, loyal customers who beat down the door every morning. There’s plenty of delicious food, both sweet and savory, and foodie fiction fans will be salivating over fruit pies, biscuits, pancakes, fried chicken, frittatas, blackberry tea, and OMG, so much more!
Should you read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe?
If you’re looking for a relaxing end-of-summer read – heck, an anytime read – then run to get a copy of Midnight at the Blackbird Café. This is easily one of my top favorite books. Ever. It’s perfect for fans of books like First Frost, The Sparrow Sisters, and Once Persuaded, Twice Shy.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe?
With so much delicious-sounding food in Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, it was hard to choose just one dish to make as my book-inspired recipe! Be sure to check out what I finally decided on: Zucchini Bread!
