The Sisters of Luna Island - by Stacy Hackney

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Marigold Lafleur must uncover the origins of a curse threatening her family, but to do so she must learn to trust her instincts and use the magic she promised her sisters she would abandon.

Book Synopsis

Little Women gets a Nevermoor twist in this "captivating...charming" (Kirkus Reviews) novel about a young girl tasked to break a centuries-old curse or risk losing her beloved sisters.

Twelve-year-old Marigold Lafleur is the last of a long line of aromages: witches who blend scents into practical charms using aromagic. But ever since a terrible accident injured her father and damaged Luna Island, Marigold and her sisters, Birdie and Lou, have vowed to abandon their family legacy and mama's way of life. Shunned by their neighbors and overlooked by their parents, Marigold relies on her big sisters above all else.

But when Marigold discovers a secret curse that threatens her family, her sisters can't stop the impending danger. It's up to Marigold and her best friend, Sam, to uncover the origins of the curse and break the spell. To do so, she must learn to trust her instincts and believe in her own unique magic or risk losing her sisters forever.

Review Quotes

Afraid to use her magic, Marigold must learn to accept her gifts to break a 200-year-old curse.

Seventh grader Marigold Lafleur lives on North Carolina's Luna Island, a place with a history of magic. Hers is the last known family to possess aromagic, or the ability to make charms out of scents. Unfortunately, aromagic comes with consequences since its use means that someone's fate is altered. When Marigold uses a charm to try to stop her dad from leaving the family, it causes an earthquake, hurting him and damaging the town. She and her sisters swear off magic, but even so, everyone believes she's a witch, and her family become outcasts. Even worse, her parents still separate, her dad leaves the island for Asheville, where he can receive physical therapy, and her mother immerses herself in magic. When a rotten smell appears in town and strange accidents start happening to her sisters, Marigold investigates and discovers a curse that could destroy her family. Marigold must believe in her own abilities and control her magic in order to save her sisters. This is a captivating fantasy with a touch of mystery centered around family. Readers will connect with Marigold's thoughts and emotions as she deals with her parents' separation, sibling conflicts, and middle school drama. Marigold and her family read as White; other characters have a variety of skin tones.

A charming story of magic and sisterhood. (Fantasy. 8-12)--Kirkus Reviews "2/1/2022"

Blooms with heart--steeped in splendiferous scents and in the poignant complexities of magic and family.--Newbery Honoree and New York Times Bestselling Author, Ingrid Law

About the Author

Stacy Hackney grew up in Virginia where she spent her early years forcing the neighborhood kids into performing plays she wrote, reading everything she could get her hands on, and singing in the school choir. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in English literature and received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, four sons, and their rescue dog named Albert. Stacy is the author of Forever Glimmer Creek and Sisters of Luna Island. Learn more at StacyHackney.com.