The List of Real Things is a poignant and big-hearted story about love, loss and believing in the magic of the imagination.
Grace knows what’s real and what’s not real. It’s much more difficult to make little sister Bee understand that. There are some very strange ideas floating around in Bees’ mind. Mum and Dad died…that is very real. The family conflicts that have arisen in the aftermath…very real. A secret hotel; the magical Hotel Magnificent on the cliff-top where their parents are waiting; her sisters’ nightmares, the storms that Bee thinks are angry ghosts…those are definitely not real. Uncle Freddy and Grandfather Patrick living with them and taking care of them, that’s real. Grandpa Patrick being immortal…definitely not.
When grief strikes their young lives again, Grace must keep Bees’ imagination from running riot, but the line between reality and fantasy develops loops and tears that even Grace can’t understand. One stormy night, when Grace and Bee find refuge in a most unusual, magical place. the line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred and much more complicated that it seems.
With exquisite touches of magical realism and a poignant look into the world of the heart, this is truly an extraordinary book. It is about family, friendship, grief; falling apart and coming back together; and the absolute magic of love. The story takes us through Graces’ life and all the ordinary things that happen, now tinted by her view after the death of her parents. Gentle and evocative, it shows the little ways that loss affects us as her world unravels gradually and in many little ways, while Grace struggles to gain understanding and normality.
The characters and setting are filled with a delicate texture and nuance that makes it all very real. The quirky exuberance of younger sister Bee acts as a counterpoint to Graces’ struggles to deal with the reality of her difficult circumstances, bringing both joy and frustration with her imaginative ramblings. The cautious and caring nature of Uncle Freddy, the wit and wisdom of the grandfather all create a vibrant base in a life full of all the day-to-day ‘stuff’. Kind, compassionate, sensitive and simply wonderful, The List of Real Things is a timely gift.
