Review - The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

Here on the last day of March, I am so tickled to bring you a review of a beautifully written book - "The Violets of March" by debut author Sarah Jio.

When best-selling author Emily Wilson’s world came crashing down around her, she retreated to the one place where she always felt happiest – her beloved Aunt Bee’s home on Bainbridge Island. Life was a little slower, sights and smells are a little sweeter, and a person can regroup and regain perspective on life while wading in the Puget Sound.

But Emily is surprised to find that her aunt seems to be a little stand-offish during this visit, a little distracted. When Emily discovers an antique red velvet diary hidden in her bedroom, she soon finds that the island is hiding more than a few secrets, and as the story within the fragile pages begins to unravel, the big mystery seems to be directly related to Emily’s life

As Emily finds herself drawn into the 1943 diary of Esther Hanson, a woman with her own share of grief and heartache, Emily finds many parallels and coincidences that connect to island life and its residents today, but when she tries to talk to her Aunt Bee about it, she runs into a stone wall. As Emily researches the mysterious Esther, the men who loved her and her unresolved disappearance, she finds her self-confidence returning.

Emily also found a little romance coming back into her life as two men, one from her past, and one recently  met, vie for her attention and affections. Perhaps there is a cure for heartache in this island air, a fact that is encouraged by the appearance of the illusive wood violets – tiny flowers that choose to appear to those in need of healing.

Part mystery, part romance, “The Violets of March” is one-hundred percent a enjoyable read that will have readers anxiously awaiting Sarah Jio’s next novel.

In “The Violets of March,” debut author Sarah Jio beautifully blends the stories of two women – one of the past, one of the present – together to create a captivating and enthralling novel of romance, heartache and redemption.

About The Author:

Sarah Jio is a veteran magazine writer and the health and fitness blogger for Glamour magazine, a role she’s had for nearly three years. In addition, she is a women’s health contributor to Womansday.com, the web site of Woman’s Day magazine. She has written hundreds of articles for national magazines and top newspapers including Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cooking Light, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, Hallmark magazine, Seventeen, The Nest, Health, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The Seattle Times, Parents, Parenting, and Kiwi. In addition, Sarah is a monthly columnist for American Baby. She has also appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Sarah has a degree in journalism and writes about topics that include food, nutrition, health, entertaining, travel, diet/weight loss, beauty, fitness, shopping, psychology, parenting and beyond. She frequently tests and develops recipes for major magazines.

Her first novel, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, will be published by Penguin (Plume) in May 2011. Her second novel, THE BUNGALOW, will debut in the spring/summer of 2013, also from Penguin (Plume). Her third novel is in progress. (Yay!!!)

Sarah lives in Seattle with her husband, Jason, and young sons Carson and Russell.  (Sarah has a new baby boy, Colby - 8 weeks old!  We can't leave him out!!!)

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher (courtesy of the author - Thanks Sarah!). I was not compensated for my opinion.