The Emporium of Imagination by Tabitha Bird is the second entrancing novel by this talented author.
In his job of long-time custodian of The Emporium of Imagination, Earlatidge Hubert Umbray is sent to the small, rural township of Boonah in Queensland.
Arriving in a 1954 Holden FJ, he is accompanied by a dome-top lunchbox, and a marmalade cat, who has the abilities to gather together the right people and comfort those in need.
Soon after his arrival, however, Earlatidge, realises that he is dying. He desperately needs to find a replacement before that happens as the residents of Boonah are in great need of some restorative magic.
The Emporium of Imagination is brought to life on a vacant block. It has magical powers and does what it pleases. Travelling the world, it brings solace and joy to those who visit it, offering vintage gifts to help repair broken dreams and magical phones that allow the grieving to contact lost loved ones.
As the residents are gathered to the store they are immediately enchanted by its contents. They experience great joy and comfort from the gifts it offers and the magic it can perform.
However, soon all is not well and disaster threatens!
Can Earlatidge help young Enoch Rayne, who is mourning his father, while hiding a guilty secret?
Will Ann Harlow, who is in town to nurse her dying Grandmother, overcome her regrets over Enoch’s father?
And, can Earlatidge face his own demons and find peace before it’s too late?
Is it any wonder that so much magic occurs in Boonah? So much more than a small town in SE Queensland, it is encircled by the scenic rim whose foundations were laid by three shield volcanos which erupted around 24 million years ago. An area of ancient myths and legends, and the perfect place to attract The Emporium of Imagination!
The author is to be congratulated on creating such a place as the emporium, full of wonders and whimsical artefacts. Also, the humour and pathos, created by the town’s residents as their stories are told, draws the reader into their lives.
An extraordinary and magical must-read for 2021
ISBN: 9781760895914
Imprint: Viking
The Emporium of Imagination is available in paperback, e-book and audiobook
About Tabitha Bird
Tabitha Bird is a writer and poet who lives and works in the rural township of Boonah, Queensland. She is the author of A Lifetime of Impossible Days, whichwon the Courier Mail People’s Choice QLD Book of the Year Award. By day Tabitha may be found painting, working on her next book or with her husband, three beautiful boys and Chihuahua.
The Emporium of Imagination by Tabitha Bird – Penguin Books Australia
Leave a Reply