Dust Spells - by Andrea Lynn (Hardcover)

About the Book

Short Summary: Bootlegging is Stella's ticket out of the Dust Bowl and into Hollywood, and she won't let her sisters or a handsome drifter get in her way. They discover a secret, magical realm more thrilling than the movies, but a ghostly storm more deadly than dust slinks beneath its surface. Stella must stop it before it obliterates everyone she loves.

Book Synopsis

"[An] electric and harrowing Dust Bowl-era debut." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"A captivating story filled with suspense and magic." --Kirkus Reviews

She thought a dust storm was getting in the way of her dreams, but there are storms more deadly than dust.

Ever since the dust storms arrived and turned her world upside down, ambitious Stella Fischer spends her mornings hiding moonshine in laundry stacks for delivery before returning home to help her sisters--Lavinia and Mattie--run their family home turned boarding house, hoping to make enough money to finally escape to Hollywood. She has no time for distractions, especially from Lloyd, the handsome drifter who works as a hired hand at the boarding house.

When the group decides to forage for building materials at an abandoned cider mill, they discover a magical passage that sends them back to the mill in its prime. There, they meet Archie, a man trapped in the realm who can conjure lavish parties and bring back a world of joy and splendor. But Archie isn't all he seems, and Stella must discover the truth before a storm more deadly than dust destroys her and everyone she loves.

For readers who love The Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale or enjoy The Diviners by Libba Bray, When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore, and Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor.

Review Quotes

"A cautionary 'Be careful what you wish for' tale that melds 20th-century history with fantasy elements . . . perfect for fans of fairy tales like 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses' or the atmospheric allure of Libba Bray's Diviners series." --Booklist

"A spirited blend of fairy tale and deeply researched historical fiction. Readers will root for Stella, a heroine as gritty as the dust-blown plains she longs to escape." --Kathryn Williams, author of The Storyteller

"History meets the fairy tale realm, in a wonderful story about what it means to be good." --Kathryn Barker, author of Waking Romeo

"Lynn weaves historical fiction, fairy tale lore, and simmering romance to craft an electric and harrowing Dust Bowl-era debut . . . With one foot entrenched in the brutal reality of the Great Depression and the other in a fantastical utopia, the novel never sacrifices the urgency of human need while establishing its supernatural charm." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"The author makes the most of every page in this short novel, bringing to life characters who are worth supporting. The compelling narrative seamlessly blends genres as it unfolds against the harsh, dusty backdrop . . . A captivating story filled with suspense and magic." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Andrea Lynn grew up performing on the stage but now directs behind the scenes as a high school English and Drama teacher. She lives in Winfield, Kansas with her two sons and loves tea, comfy hoodies, Broadway musicals, and of course, books.