Season of the Dragonflies

A Novel

By: Sarah Creech

Narrated by: Kate Turnbull

As beguiling as the novels of Alice Hoffman, Adriana Trigiani, Aimee Bender, and Sarah Addison Allen, Season of the Dragonflies is a story of flowers, sisters, practical magic, old secrets, and new love, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For generations, the Lenore women have manufactured a perfume unlike any other, and guarded the unique and mysterious ingredients. Their perfumery, hidden in the quiet rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, creates one special elixir that secretly sells for millions of dollars to the world’s most powerful—movie stars, politicians, artists, and CEOs. The Lenore’s signature perfume is actually the key to their success.

Willow, the coolly elegant Lenore family matriarch, is the brains behind the company. Her gorgeous, golden-haired daughter Mya is its heart. Like her foremothers, she can “read” scents and envision their power. Willow’s younger daughter, dark-haired, soulful Lucia, claims no magical touch, nor does she want any part of the family business. She left the mountains years ago to make her own way. But trouble is brewing. Willow is experiencing strange spells of forgetfulness. Mya is plotting a coup. A client is threatening blackmail. And most ominously, the unique flowers used in their perfume are dying.

Whoever can save the company will inherit it. Though Mya is the obvious choice, Lucia has begun showing signs of her own special abilities. And her return to the mountains—heralded by a swarm of blue dragonflies—may be the answer they all need.

Didn't want it to end.

I loved it. The story made me want to start making perfume. I wanted to hear more about the lives of the characters, it had a great ending, I just wanted more.

A magical yet human story

I enjoyed this book. It was about a magical lineage. I found it to be quite interesting. 3 women, their lives, the challenges. It was a really good storyline. The narrator was also very professional. I liked it and it was worth the credit but something I cannot put my finger on was missing. I have no idea what. I listened in one sitting. The beginning captured me.

Kind of a weird story...

This was a weird story. I feel like it had great potential, but it took some strange turns and I'm not entirely sure what the message was supposed to be in the end. The daughter who has trained her whole life to take over the family business ends up not being "the one" who is meant to. And then she triggers a curse with her actions (doing something that was forbidden by great great grandma) which results in a whole lot of punishment raining down on her. The other daughter who never cared for the business and has been away from home for 15 years ends up taking over because she's the one who's actually meant to, and then there's a weird twist where suddenly it's time for everyone to find a partner and procreate? But don't worry, they all end up happy in the end!

Great Story: Not Great Characters

What did you like best about Season of the Dragonflies? What did you like least?

The storyline was imaginative and interesting. However, what was tough about this book was that most of the characters were just not very likable. So, I found it hard to really get emotionally invested. The female leads were selfish throughout most of the book, bordering on obnoxious in several cases. Sorry, but as a reader, it helps greatly when I can actually care about the protagonists, and I just couldn't in this case.

What did you like best about this story?

Good narrator.

Wish I had Quit This Book

I kept listening & hoping that the writing would get better. It never did. Written like fan fiction:(