The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Ava Lavender’s family has a history of tragedy related to love. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender chronicles three generations of her family, from her grandmother Emilienne, who married for security after love led to the death of her three siblings; to Viviane, Ava’s mother, who bore two children for the man who loved her but not enough to marry her; to Ava herself, born with the wings of a bird and sheltered from the world until the age of sixteen, when she finally ventures out and attracts the attention—and obsession—of a man who believes her to be an angel. Ava, it seems, is destined for her own share of tragedy.

Leslye Walton’s debut novel is an absolute gem. Written with honest introspection and a subtle sense of whimsy, this story, which should be depressing due to the many unfortunate events that populate it, manages instead to end on an uplifting note and to keep readers feverishly reading until they get there. Walton has a beautiful way with words, and a fantastic attention to detail that makes this novel inexplicably beautiful.