Some treasure hunts are more personal than others.
As a child, Celia lost her sister to cancer. As she watched her teenage sister suffer, she made herself a promise: she would, one day, find the “balm of all”, a legendary plant that can cure anything. Decades later, she moves from Michigan to Florida, into the house her grandmother left her, and decides to get back to her quest for the mythical plant. As an adult and a botanist, she no longer believes it can cure all ailments, but as a scientist, she nevertheless is very interested in discovering and documenting a rare flower. She meets Gem who seems as careless and free as Celia is quiet and dedicated. Gem knows all about the area and, as sparks fly between the two, they explore islands and beaches.
It’s a very sweet story, my first narrated by Tessa Stavers. I liked the narration a lot, once I got used to the new voice. I thought the “villain”, Drake, was a bit too much, but I really liked Gem’s great-aunt Agnes, as well as Celia and Gem.
Jude in the Stars 