– by Caren J. Werlinger
Wow. I never thought I’d one day find a true, unadulterated paranormal ghost story, NOT horror-focussed like my all-time paranormal/horror, “The Haunting of Hill House,” but a pure, spirit-filled, ethereal, metaphysical-induced, classic, gothic ghost story that carries a consequential historical background that ties to the present time, in lesbian fiction!
Caren J. Werlinger‘s latest, “A Bittersweet Garden,” was everything I was looking for in a good old-fashioned classic ghost story, with a hint of romance (an icing on the cake for me, really, because of how strong the main story was written and told!) to “sweeten” the deal, so to speak! The entire feel of the story – the visually stunning descriptions of the surroundings, the architecture, landscapes, animals and nature in a country that I’ve always felt a strange affinity to all my life (Ireland), its characters and most of all, the back story, the history of the ghost story which was so richly chronicled via a series of flashbacks that were effectively positioned throughout the present story – was so utterly mesmerising that I was completely spellbound from the first page onward until the very end! I couldn’t believe just how superbly well-researched, developed and well-executed Werlinger’s story was about Nora and her life-altering, life-changing journey of self-discovery and truth. Bloody well done, Ms. Werlinger!
IN BUGS’ OWN WORDS 