Anne George | This One and Magic Life

“This is the book I’ve always wanted to write.”

-Anne George

A family gathers at the old homestead on Mobile Bay after the untimely death of one of their own, and the Sullivans must carry out the unfavorable last wish of the aunt and sister for whom it has come to mourn. Bound by blood, marriage, illicit alliances, and a terrible secret still buried, those left behind must deal with bittersweet memories and words left unspoken. And in the often mysterious lands of the deep South, where love and hatred run deep and close, dissension often simmers just beneath the surface. Yet in the unforgettable, almost forbidden place of pain and love, loss and passion, each of the family will discover truths long buried in silence.
Anne Carroll George has created a brilliant portrait of a Southern family, captured in a moment of searing intensity and lyric truth. In this thought-provoking novel—that reads at times more like prose than fiction—rich wisdom and deep understanding binds this compelling saga in the 20th century - and tells a story that is truly timeless.

A novel of scenes. Mystery. Magic.

“The Bay. It draws her these last few nights of her dying.”

Published in 1999, This One and Magic Life was such an prized book of mystery, episodic weaving, and poetic prose that it was widely discussed about being nominated for the National Book Award. It has been an inspiration and a book of study for many including one of the South’s most loved writers, Fannie Flag and her novel, The Whole Town's Talking.

The acclaim Anne received when it was first published still rings true. And new readers are feeling the magic.

“‘Its about time someone said, or wrote, something nice about Alabama.’ who better than Anne, former Alabama State Poet”
–Susan Strickland
“The story of what pulls a family together and what pushes them apart through grief … Like the title suggests, there is a lot of magic in this novel. George captures the mysteries of the South, and her beautiful prose pulls you into the scene so well that you can almost smell the salty air and feel the sand between your toes … George artfully weaves humor and mythology through the fabric of the story … I have been eager to read a positive novel about the South. So many stories make you want to write a letter of apology when you finish them. George is proud of her Southern heritage and this is reflected in her writing.“
–Susan Westerfield (Mobile Registar)
“Anne’s writing is evocative, often lyrical, and some of the shorter chapters read almost like prose poems. As for the story itself, what could be more mysterious than a family, especially one form Alabama?”
–Nancy Pate (Orlando Sentinel)
“It's a powerful, stunning story of a wonderful eccentric Southern family from down around Mobile Bay. There’s a mystery here, and a murder. but the real story, the heart of the matter, is family.
It’s also about love, hate, jealousy, death, and madness. All of this is woven together in a magical tale set on the beautiful gulf coast - itself an often magical place. Listen closely, the way Ms. George writes it, you can almost hear the music from The Grand Hotel.”
–Susan Swagler (The Birmingham News)
“Spaces and overlaps and the time space continuum. Family, heart, soul—southern fiction at its very richest.”
“Whether we name divine presence synchronicity, serendipity, or graced moment matters little. What matters is the reality that our hearts have been understood. Nothing is as real as a healthy does of magic which restores our spirits”
– Nancy Long