Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time

Random Retro Read

What if you stumbled into a timeless party, in a secret garden only you could see?

Kelsey Willoughby doesn’t have time to pursue her writing dreams. Imagination doesn’t pay the bills, and she’s busy saving her beautiful city bookshop from online competition, hotel developers, and the sneaking suspicion that nobody reads anymore.

Not to mention all those voices telling her she doesn’t have talent.

But then the vacant lot of weeds next door starts to shimmer.

When Kelsey stumbles into a luminous nighttime garden party, larger than the vacant lot that holds it and filled with enigmatic guests, she suspects they hold the key to saving the bookshop, and perhaps even to her own mysterious origins.

But answers aren’t forthcoming, not until Kelsey is willing to confront her past, step into her potential, and push deeper into the unknown edges of the garden, where an unexpected journey takes her into a world of dangerous revelation.

My Review:

This book has been on my TBR for quite some time. It’s also way out of my comfort zone so I kept avoiding it. 🙂 But then I added “Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time” to my ’26 in ’26’ list and here we are. I thought I’d get it over with right at the start of the year too! Bwahahaha! That makes it sound like a chore to read, but it wasn’t at all.

I was captivated – Higley’s evocative storytelling touched my reader’s heart and there are so many wonderfully bookish connections throughout the entire read. And what a ‘novel’ adventure! I honestly didn’t know what was happening half the time. There were a few plot points I figured out early on, but so much more of the story was mysteriously engaging. And the description of Kelsey’s bookstore? What a bibliophile delight! Well worth the read just for that part!

I’d categorize this as a speculative novel with allegorical elements and a healthy dose of magical realism. It’s written in such a way that I think every reader will come away with their own truths. For me, this is a story that celebrates the strength in community, a theme that plays out over and over again in so many different ways. An uplifting, often intriguing and sometimes confusing read.

12 thoughts on “Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time”

  1. I absolutely loved this book. I think about it from time to time. I guess I need yo re read it. One of my top picks from last year.
    i need to read more of this author.

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  2. This is one I’ve had my tbr for years as well, and I found it at the thrift store for $.89! Maybe I’ll read it next to get out of my reading rut. I love realistic sci-fi (think Person of Interest but not Transformers), so I’m interested in giving this speculative book a read!

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  3. NIGHTFALL IN THE GARDEN OF DEEP TIME definitely sounds out of my norm, but from your review sounds intriguing and something I would enjoy reading. It has to be a good read just to have the existence of a bookstore and details about it.

    Thank you for bringing this book to our attention. Great job working through your 26 by starting with what could have been a difficult one.

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  5. Tracy Higley is one of those authors I’ve heard good things about, but haven’t yet tried. A mystery and magical realism story sounds like a good place to start! 🙂

    Jolene – iwant2save34 at gmail dot com

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    1. I’m feeling might proud of myself. I’ve read 2 of my 26 already! And I picked one of the scariest ones to read first. I’m finding making a list can be motivating. 🙂 Happy Reading, Cindy!

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