Synopsis

Limbo Jubilee is a raw novella steeped in magical realism. Neala’s surreal story begins in the backwoods of St. Roscoe, West Virginia. Neala’s hero is her Aunt Betsy, who saves the day in a pair of red cowgirl boots. Neala’s life is forever changed as she witnesses the death of her Aunt Betsy. Neala longs for a love that will heal her wounds, so when she meets Brick, she is tempted to cross the imaginary line, but she finds herself in a dangerous limbo. Neala’s spooky voyage transports her to the fringes of reality where she flirts with some creepy-crawly surprises. While a macabre sickness hunts Neala down, she experiments with what it means to be human. Neala’s panic escalates with every page, but could her paranoia be grounded in wisdom?

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Author’s Note

It took me ten years to find the courage to publish this book. It was written in equal parts: beast and human, magic and truth, horror and healing. Writing has been as powerful as any medicine for my soul.  In my quest for the cure, I wrote Limbo Jubilee. As the story came to life, I transformed painful experiences, conjured new realities, and explored the lonely frontiers of the human spirit.

Review

This story takes you on a journey through Neala’s life and her joy and pain that she endured as a course of moving through life.

I was drawn to the story and Neala’s experiences. The beginning seems innocuous enough, but as we move further into the book we realize that perhaps Neala isn’t totally grounded in reality.  Or perhaps there is more to the story than even she knows. I am still not really sure if Neala is delusional or if she truly is of another world and a being called a spryling.  As I read the story, it seemed like she was a spryling, but as it came closer to the end and we learn about her anorexia and other psychological issues, was it a mental break or not?

We learn a lot about Neala’s life and the abandonment she felt as a child, her love for her Aunt Betsy, and the feelings she has for Brick that she has never felt for anyone else. The culmination of many events brings her to this point and we can only wonder if the events made her a better person or not.

This book is a nice combination of fantasy and reality and just enough to leave you wondering how her life might turn out.

We give this 3 1/2 paws up.

About the Author

Grendolyn Peach Soleil was born in the land of sweet tea and misty mountains. She is an old soul and carries the folk magic of Appalachia everywhere she goes. During the day, Grendolyn serves her community as a trauma psychologist, and she moonlights as an author because it is good medicine for her soul. Grendolyn is the author of Limbo Jubilee and The Mermaids Melt at Dawn. She is a member of the Visionary Fiction Alliance. Grendolyn is a sucker for twisted fairy tales, all things vintage, tales of true love, and creature features. She lives a merry life in the desert where adventure is around every corner.