“Impossible” by Nancy Werlin

I’ve been waiting to read this National Book Award Finalist title for years. I heard the author speak about it just before it was published, and I was intrigued. A modern fairy-tale taken from Scarborough Fair. Long before Simon and Garfunkel got hold of it, Scarborough Fair was a medieval poem. One with darker implications. One that told of a love unfulfilled and the spurned lover who took a terrible revenge. Enter Lucy, a contemporary teen who knows nothing of magic and evil, but is inexorably walking a path not of her own making. Grounded in solid reality, the mystical elements of the story are easily acceptable to those who enjoy a good fantasy. A strong romance element would also be hard to swallow if not for the excellent writing and compelling voices of the characters. To be honest, I raced through this novel, frustrated when I had to put it down, because I simply had to know what happened next. Unreal as it may be, I’m a big old softie who really wants everything to work out in the end. In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I will simply say I was very impressed with this book and purchased a gift copy for a relative right after finishing it. A great story to curl up with on a gray winter day. Feel free to be transported … and, to learn the secrets that may help you break an ancient curse.