Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Natalie has always been a little different from her family and friends. As a young child she started having visits from a mysterious elderly figure she called “Grandmother.” And lately, she’s started seeing things that aren’t quite right. Buildings in her town aren’t where they are supposed to be. The front door of her house is suddenly red instead of green. A cute boy named, Beau, appears and disappears at random times. What is happening to Natalie? Is she going insane or is something more magical occurring? Keep reading below for my full review of this unique story.

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

---

LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

This is a romance book. But I don’t read romance books. So instead, I’m going to tell you this is a time-traveling, alternate universe, mystery book. There. That makes me feel better!

Actually, “The Love That Split the World,” by Emily Henry is all of these things.

One of my favorite classes in college was mythology. I looked forward to it every time. It was a chance to sit down, relax and listen as my professor told me story after story about powerful Gods, exotic creatures, and all their crazy adventures. I’ve always loved stories, in any form, and this is a main reason why I enjoyed this novel. Yes, there was a teenage love-at-first-sight romance. Yes, there was teenage angst and high school drama. But intermingled with all of that, there were beautiful stories being told, most of which I had never heard before.

Natalie always knew about her adoption. When “Grandmother” mysteriously starts appearing in her room at night as a child, Natalie is at first confused and frightened. Over time, Grandmother becomes her greatest friend and confidant. Each night Grandmother tells Natalie stories that teach Natalie about her Native American heritage. She eventually realizes that these intriguing tales are more than just for fun. They have hidden meanings behind them that will help Natalie make some difficult and life altering decisions. At one point Grandmother tells Natalie that she has just three months to save “him.” But who is “him?” Is it Natalie’s dad? Her brother? Her best friend? Her new love, Beau? Natalie must confront the trauma of her past in order to decipher the mystery of her future.

My favorite story mentioned in this novel was, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky.”

Iroquois legend has it that long before the world was created, there was an island in the sky inhabited by sky people. One day a pregnant sky woman drops through a hole created by an uprooted tree and falls into our world, comprised entirely of oceans. A flock of birds catch her and gently guide her down onto the back of a giant sea turtle. The sea animals bring mud from the bottom of the ocean and place it on the turtle’s back until solid earth begins to form. The turtle’s back becomes the sky woman’s home and she begins to till the earth. She bears twins and becomes the mother of all humans.

Isn’t that beautiful? I love it! As Grandmother says…

“It’s all in the stories. Everything. The truth. The whole world. That girl jumped through the hole, not knowing what would happen, and the whole world got born.”

Now, is “The Love That Split the Sky” a book everyone is going to like? Probably not. It was kind of strange – in a way that I liked, but not everyone will. The time traveling aspect got pretty confusing. But I like it when my mind is totally confused as I try to figure it all out. And you all know by now that I’m a sucker for anything time travel. I love it! Every single time! So, between the time travel mystery and the folktales, I was destined to enjoy this book. When Grandmother would start telling one of her tales to Natalie, I would smile, relax, nestle father down into my chair and enjoy the story…just like I did in my mythology class years ago.

By the way, the ending of this book leaves some things open to interpretation. In my opinion, I loved the last chapter. I thought it made for a beautiful ending. But it’s an ending that can elicit a lot of emotions and debate. So, if you read this book, please contact me so we can have a chat!!