Do you believe in the power of dreams?
Way down south on Marigny Street in the heart of New Orleans, the land of Catholic intersessions, purgatory, and supernatural superstitions, young Evangeline Chenier dreams of a radiant boy who saves her from a storm. She takes the dream seriously – in her family, dreams are sometimes more than dreams. Sometimes they foretell the future. Sometimes they create it.
Years later, Eva is no longer the same wistful girl but a hardened woman who no longer believes in dreams. Losing faith in her gift, she becomes lost in a nightmare of emotion, mourning her son, separating from her husband, and stewing in a dead-end job. And then fate brings her an unlikely surprise: one of the most famous movie stars in the world, Gabriel Roberts.
Caught by something in his eyes, Eva agrees to show him the real Big Easy on his last night in New Orleans—an evening that turns into four dreamy days spent recapturing lost faith and discovering a love neither expected. Realizing Gabriel is the boy from her childhood dream, Eva must leave everything behind—her husband, her family, her history, and the beautiful city she calls home—and gamble it all for the dream that has saved her on MARIGNY STREET.
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I’ll be honest, there are a lot of themes in Marigny Street that aren’t typically my cup of tea. It deals with loss, angelic beings, and ooey gooey romance. All of these things are a far cry from what I usually enjoy, but something about Marigny’s cover made me want to give it a shot.
I’m glad I did! There was one chapter that I really connected with for reasons that I wouldn’t discuss even if they weren’t spoilers, and I think this set the precedent for my enjoyment of the rest of the novel. It hit home and I was able to connect to the story.
Another thing is the writing. Welch’s writing has a delicate, poetic edge, while still capturing the scene very well. It made me feel as if I was transported into another place. There were times when I would put down the book and look around me and it literally took me a few seconds to realize where I actually was. Despite how often you hear people rave about the place, I'd never had the urge to actually visit New Orleans until I was reading Marigny Street.
If I had anything remotely negative to say about Marigny Street, it would probably lie in the romance, or Gabriel in particular. It was just a bit sappy, and he was just a bit too good to be true. But as I said before, ooey gooey isn’t usually my thing, so I don’t see this being an issue for people who are into sappy (for lack of a better word) romance.
Despite the hint of supernatural and the gooey romance, something about Marigny Street still felt honest and just…pure. I would recommend it!
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Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn’t stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.
When she’s not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. She currently (still) resides in the big shake (although her southern roots are calling her home) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent).
For lagniappe (a little extra), a virtual cup of café au lait and beignets, please visit Annie’s website.
She can also be found on Facebook & Twitter.
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