Reviews
Praise for The Secret of Magic "I found this story about race, the South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like the South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "I am mightily impressed with Johnson's work. Her story brought authentic history to light, yet it suggested a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society , Reviews for The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson "[A] riveting novel." - O, The Oprah magazine "There are a million metaphors I could use to describe Deborah Johnson's writing in The Secret of Magic -but all of them are inadequate in conveying the ebb and flow of her phrasing or the care in crafting her characters.... If you liked The Help , you'll love this one! ... [T]he cadence of Johnson's writing is an absolute joy.... I can't think of any other recent book in which I have so enjoyed an author's actual stringing-together-of-words." - Entertainment Weekly "Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." - Booklist "A work of masterful storytelling, telling truth with fiction in a novel that comes alive with every word on the page. With as many curves as there are branches on magnolia trees, this novel will take you into the forest and leave a mark on you."- The Herald-Sun "[A] spellbinding novel of a young, female, black attorney trying to earn justice for a murdered World War II hero."- San Antonio Express-News "A passionate, nuanced drama about Southern race relations...provocative." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review "I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like The South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society "A spirited portrayal of the postwar South."- Publishers Weekly "Get a copy of Deborah Johnson's The Secret of Magic [and] expect the unexpected…A disturbing, but fair, look at life in Mississippi and the South in a turbulent time that lasted far too long. We need to know about that history, however, to move forward."- The Oxford Eagle, Reviews for The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson "[A] riveting novel." - O, The Oprah magazine "There are a million metaphors I could use to describe Deborah Johnson's writing in The Secret of Magic -but all of them are inadequate in conveying the ebb and flow of her phrasing or the care in crafting her characters.... If you liked The Help , you'll love this one! ... [T]he cadence of Johnson's writing is an absolute joy.... I can't think of any other recent book in which I have so enjoyed an author's actual stringing-together-of-words." - Entertainment Weekly "Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." - Booklist "A passionate, nuanced drama about Southern race relations . . .provocative." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review "I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like The South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society, "Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." - Booklist "A passionate, nuanced drama about Southern race relations . . .provocative." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review "I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like The South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society, Praise for The Secret of Magic "I found this story about race, the South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like the South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society , "Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." - Booklist "Passionate . . . nuanced . . .provocative." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review "I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like The South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society, "You can almost hear the rustle of Spanish moss and the clink of ice cubes in glasses of sweet tea in Johnson's novel, which captures the duality of the Jim Crow South. When a black war hero is murdered in Revere, MS, the NAACP sends Regina Robichard to investigate. As Regina navigates Revere with both horror and wonder, Johnson interweaves her story with a novel by a local matriarch, steeping the reader in town mythology. … [a] rich portrayal of Revere and its inhabitants." - Entertainment Weekly , A- "Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters..." - Booklist "A passionate, nuanced drama about Southern race relations . . .provocative." - Kirkus Reviews , starred review "I found this story about race, The South, our country, part history, part mystery-never disappointing. Like The South she tragically portrays, The Secret of Magic is a layered tale of the best and worst of our history, beautifully wrought by a master storyteller." -Robert Hicks, New York Times bestselling author of Widow of the South and A Separate Country "The secret (and magic) in The Secret of Magic is in Deborah Johnson's powerful writing, creating character and story that will linger long after the reading." -Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog and The Book of Marie "Johnson's story brings authentic history to light, yet suggests a seed of reconciliation. Fantastic!" -Augusta Trobaugh, author of Sophie and the Rising Sun and The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society
