Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    First Frost
    First Frost
    First Frost
    Audiobook8 hours

    First Frost

    Written by Sarah Addison Allen

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Sarah Addison Allen, beloved author of Garden Spells, returns with a luminous story of the trouble with hanging on too long, and the magic that happens when you finally let go.

    Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beat-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever. But the Waverleys have enough trouble on their hands. Quiet Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley's Candies, but it's nothing like she thought it would be, and it's slowly taking over her life. Claire's wild sister Sydney, still trying to leave her past behind, is about to combust with her desire for another new beginning. And Sydney's fifteen-year-old daughter Bay has given her heart away to the wrong boy and can't get it back.

    From the author of the New York Times bestselling sensation Garden Spells, First Frost is magical and atmospheric, taking readers back into the lives of the gifted Waverley women—back to their strange garden and temperamental apple tree, back to their house with a personality of its own, back to the men who love them fiercely—proving that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It's where the real story begins.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 20, 2015
    ISBN9781469222066
    First Frost
    Author

    Sarah Addison Allen

    Sarah Addison Allen lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.

    More audiobooks from Sarah Addison Allen

    Related to First Frost

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Q&A with Erin Morgenstern, author of ‘The Starless Sea’

      Nov 5, 2019

      Erin Morgenstern, bestselling author of "The Night Circus," answers questions about her latest novel, including where she finds inspiration.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lunch at Captain’s

      Nov 30, 2023

      Lunch at Captain’s
      8 min read

    • Article

      Last Love

      Dec 8, 2023

      Last Love
      13 min read

    • Article

      Dance with Me

      Sep 17, 2021

      Dance with Me
      9 min read

    • Article

      Caribbean CHRISTMAS

      Nov 9, 2022

      Caribbean CHRISTMAS
      9 min read

    • Article

      Vagaries

      Mar 1, 2024

      Vagaries
      8 min read

    • Article

      Guests

      Jun 15, 2019

      The month after our mother died, our father began bringing women home. It felt like a behind-her-back kind of operation. “I’m going to have a guest over tonight,” is what he would say. David and I stayed out in the living room, turned up cartoons, bu

      11 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      Everything But The Kitchen Sink

      Oct 10, 2021

      When Mary Little walks into her kitchen on Tuesday morning, the sink is under the window. At first she can’t even find it. She looks at the space where the sink is supposed to be, at the end of the island, and the sink is gone. Her son, Ben, sits the

      18 min read

    • Article

      Best Of The Best

      Oct 29, 2022

      Best Of The Best
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Nanny

      Dec 15, 2019

      There isn’t much in the house,” Mary said. “I’m sorry.” Kayla looked around, shrugged. “I’m not even that hungry.” Mary set the table, bright Fiestaware on place mats alongside fringed cloth napkins. They ate microwave pizzas. “Gotta have something a

      21 min read

    • Article

      Night Visions

      Sep 10, 2022

      Night Visions
      6 min read

    • Article

      Hauntings

      Jul 5, 2023

      Hauntings
      11 min read

    • Article

      Legacies of Grace

      Mar 21, 2023

      Love is the source of inspiration, energy, creativity, and motivation for living graciously. Theearliest experiences most prominent in my memory were with my grandmother, who, being Ukrainian, was instinctively inclined to generous hospitality with s

      6 min read

    • Article

      Tea Books for Children

      Sep 27, 2022

      Tea Books for Children
      8 min read

    • Article

      My Country Childhood

      Sep 4, 2019

      AUTHOR AND FORMER executive director of the Australian Writers Guild, Angela Wales, 71, moved from Bondi in Sydney to Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW when she was five years old. Angela’s father, Bob, was to take over a struggling sheep prop

      7 min read

    • Article

      A Plain Little House

      Apr 8, 2019

      The house is real, not imaginary. But it is also a place lodged deep in the imagination, a dream place whose actual coordinates have been forgotten. In the last years of her very long life, my mother’s memory, eroded by time and general anaesthetics,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Wary Welcomes

      Apr 4, 2023

      Wary Welcomes
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Walled Garden

      Apr 30, 2020

      The Walled Garden
      4 min read

    • Article

      Lineal Gaps

      Apr 6, 2021

      Lineal Gaps
      15 min read

    • Article

      By the RIVER’S EDGE

      Mar 22, 2023

      By the RIVER’S EDGE
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Wildest Place OF ALL

      Mar 2, 2022

      The Wildest Place OF ALL
      9 min read

    • Article

      Christmas In The 1940s

      Oct 4, 2022

      Christmas In The 1940s
      4 min read

    • Article

      The New Girlfriend

      Jul 7, 2022

      The New Girlfriend
      4 min read

    • Article

      One Carrot

      Jul 2, 2020

      One Carrot
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for First Frost

    4/5

    667 ratings66 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to settle down into another tale of the Waverly's but it didn't take long for me to get invested once again in this magical, quirky, unique family. There's enough backstory to make them feel like old friends if you've read previous books, but if this is your first you can pick right up and not be lost. When I don't want a book that's too heavy it can be hard to find something that isn't poorly written or ridiculous chick-lit over the top romance with with one dimensional plots and heroines. Sarah Addison Allen never disappoints.
    • 4/5
      This is the follow-up book to Garden Spells, a book I loved. This follows the Waverley families from there, and while it's still a great book, I found the sections about Bay the most interesting. Both Sydney and Claire's stories seemed a bit more forced, focusing on Sydney's fertility issues and Claire's worry about her new candy business. I could see how both were going to end pretty early in the reading, so...Bay's story was a teenage romance with the popular rich kid, a parallel to her mother's in the first book, but it doesn't look like it will end up that way. There were all the other characters from the first book that I loved as well as the apple tree and the Waverley magic.
    • 5/5
      If your favorite candle was a book. Great story. Perfect reader. Loved it.
    • 3/5
      Claire and Sydney are sisters. Claire is the more practical of the two and lately, she is drowning under the weight of a blossoming candy business. Sydney runs a hair salon and worries about her teenage daughter, Bay, who seems to be drifting away from her. In addition, Sydney longs for another baby. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up in their tiny town and threatens to disrupt their lives, especially Claire's.

      This was an interesting read and definitely more on the 3.5 star end. I was about halfway through when I realized there was a book that came before this one - I'll probably read that one at some time, but I was already committed to this one. The book has a mystical edge to it; supposedly, each of the Waverley women are blessed with a gift, and Claire's house - the old Waverley home - has strange powers and a mind of its own.

      At first it's a little strange to add the magic to the story, but it actually works well. Claire, Sydney, and Bay are all interesting characters. I actually found myself hoping there will be a third book that focuses more on Bay, because she's a compelling person. In a way, not much happens in the story, things just sort of float along as the women wait for the "first frost" to occur, but I still found myself compulsively flipping pages, wondering what would happen next. All in all, that's a sign of a good tale. Definitely a fun little read.
    • 5/5
      This was a re-read/re-listen for me, but it was just as good as, if not better than, the first time I had read it. When I read it previously, I had not realized it was a sequel to 'Garden Spells,' but this book also stood alone well enough for it to be alright read solo. Now that I have listened to both books (narrated by the same person), it has made me enjoy 'First Frost' even more. I adore the magic system that Sarah Addison Allen creates and the scenes she illustrates in one's mind's eye. The character progression and plot is plausible and relatable. The right amount of youthful entertainment value balanced with the perfect amount of dramatization and realism.
    • 4/5
      I received a copy of First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen and enjoyed it immensely, which is high praise for the author as I typically do not read this genre and now cannot wait for more to come. I was drawn quickly into the story and the lives of the Waverley sisters. Sarah Addison Allen’s writing is very atmospheric and her characters captivated me as much, if not more so than the story itself, which exceeded my expectations. The only drawback for me was I had not previously read Garden Spells, which I shall remedy immediately; I want to know more about the Waverleys. I highly recommend First Frost especially to those new to this genre or who have not previously read Garden Spells.
    • 3/5
      "First Frost" is the sequel to Sarah Addison Allen's "Garden Spells", which is my favorite book from her. It's just as cozy-cute as the others but somewhat lackluster overall.

      This story picks up 10 years after Garden Spells. Sydney and Claire are both married now, Claire has a young daughter named Mariah, and Bay is a teen. Each sister is successful in her individual business, but as fall passes by they both become anxious. The Waverly women know that until first frost comes each year there will be all kinds and sorts of drama, but after it's happened everything will be fine and they can celebrate. When a mysterious stranger breezes into town, suddenly there are doubts and angst all around.

      "First Frost" was a little different than the other books I've read from SAA (although I haven't read "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" or "The Peach Keeper"). While enjoyable, it is easily my least favorite. It's as if Allen was trying to do it all in this book. In addition to the Waverly sisters, Bay has a major story line and their cousin Evanelle and the stranger get a lot of attention as well. Consequently the story is uneven and all over the place. I imagine a lot of it was setting up for another book that will focus on an adult Bay and her Waverly quirk.

      My other issue is that the primary conflict was so contrived that the climax came off as plain silly. I really almost laughed when it came to pass. However, I found a lot to like about the book: the lighthearted humor, the parts that built on the history of the Waverly family, and more background for the setting. I also loved the ending.

      This book could work as a stand-alone, but those that didn't read "Garden Spells" will find that some of "First Frost" will go over their heads.
    • 4/5
      I did not think that she would ever revisit the Waverleys, since the first book was so complete in and of itself. It was a pleasant surprise and her language is a pure delight. Magical apple trees and gardens and thinking about how to be true to oneself, if one can ever figure out who that is.
    • 3/5
      A return to Bascom, North Carolina, and the magical Waverley family. Nine years after the first book, Claire has begun a wildly successful candy-making business, Sydney is well-known for her hairstyles but craves a son, and Bay has entered high school and knows, in her special way, that she and Hunter John's son belong together. As the first frost and the blooming of the Waverley apple tree approach, the family's gifts begin to run a little wild, and a mysterious and almost ethereal stranger arrives in Bascom.This was a nice and seasonal fall read. It was fun to return to the world of the Waverleys. It didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed the very mild level of tension and the look at each of these characters.
    • 2/5
      2.5 in fairness. Another instance of not reading the first book first, even though I didn't feel out of the loop and this could stand alone....A charming story of the Waverly family in Bascom, NC -- the kind of town people either try to stay in or get out of. The Waverlys have been there for generations -- in a big old house with a bewitched apple tree. This book is an adult version of Savvy and that's the part of the book that's likeable -- that each family member (or at least female) has some special talent -- not quite a magical power, but a tweak that allows them to do things others cannot. For Claire, her cooking lets her tap into others emotions, for her sister Sydney, it is the ability to make other women look beautiful, for her daughter Bay, it is the ability to see how things (and people) fit together. Entertaining. The story line itself isn't very strong...the action in the book is centered on Bay trying to help the popular boy in school see that they belong together, Claire and Sydney trying to learn and understand more about their dead mother Loralei, and the main antagonist is a drifter who comes to town to blackmail Claire after reading about her famous candies and cooking. Pleasant enough to read, but no great revelations or impact.
    • 4/5
      Returning to the cast of the novel Garden Spells is more than any true Allen fan could hope for. I had even reread Garden Spells, just to make sure I had everyone set in their places, just right. I loved every single character in this novel, and was so very glad to have them back again.
      Mostly, First Frost delivers. Allen has been through some massive changes herself, so trying to write from the same perspective her life had been in before the cancer, where the first novel was, would have been completely impossible. I took this, and the time jump of ten years into account. But for some reason, at first, I could not seem to get attached to the characters of First Frost as readily as before.... I am not entirely sure why, but that's ok. It didn't bother me much. I got through it just fine, and settled in.
      Great storyline, great follow-through, and great ending. If you are a fan of Sarah Addison Allen, or her wonderfully quirky novels, then I could not recommend this book more. But read garden spells first, please. For yourself, as well as for your reviews.

      4 stars, heartily. And.....maybe the #2 next to the title means there will be a third one......? I am hoping this, anyways. A lot.
    • 4/5
      Good one! More of the Waverlys.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen is a delightfully charming and mystical novel featuring the women of the Waverly family. This heartwarming multi-generation tale is a follow up to Garden Spells, but it can be read as a standalone.

      Sisters Claire and Sydney Waverly are as different as night and day, but they share a tight bond. Claire lives in the family home with her husband Tyler and daughter Mariah and she has a thriving candy business. Sydney is married to her childhood friend Henry and they live with teenage daughter Bay on Henry's dairy farm. Sydney owns a very successful beauty salon but her happiness is marred by her inability to get pregnant and her tempestuous relationship with Bay. As the first frost approaches, all three women struggle to find the happiness that is almost within their reach.

      Claire is overwhelmed with the demands of her candy business. She is out of touch with daughter Mariah's day to day life and she has turned over most of the childcare duties to her loving, but absent-minded husband. Claire has also been forced to take a shortcut with her candy making enterprise that leaves her questioning her special Waverly "gift". When a stranger comes to town, Claire notices him keeping a close watch on her family home, but what could his sudden appearance possibly mean for her or her family?

      Sydney is deliriously happy with Henry but she is almost obsessive about trying to get pregnant again. Henry eagerly stepped in and adopted Bay when he married Sydney and he is content with their family as is. Sydney's longing for another child is exacerbated by a situation with one of her employees and while the resolution to this part of the storyline seems obvious, there is just enough doubt to keep readers guessing how it will eventually play out.

      Bay is a refreshing breath of fresh air and her special gift makes her wise beyond her years. She has an uncanny knack for knowing where things and people belong and she knows she belongs with Josh Matteson. But trying to get Josh to realize this is an almost monumental task. Her effort to get his attention backfired and while she has steadfastly refused to give up on him, Bay is beginning to realize that he might be a lost cause. And unbeknownst to Bay, there is unpleasant history between the Waverly and Matteson families that threatens to derail any chance of a relationship between her and Josh.

      All of the various story arcs are brought to their conclusions with the first frost. The first frost is a special and magical time not only for the Waverly women, but also for the extremely unique apple tree that grows on the family property. The apple tree and the women's special abilities provide a very whimsical touch to the storyline that I greatly enjoyed.

      First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen is a captivating story that is fast-paced and engrossing. The various storylines are quite fascinating and the character growth is phenomenal. Heartfelt and engaging with appealing characters, I absolutely adored First Frost and highly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction.
    • 4/5
      Transported to the Waverly house as the season transitions to fall. A light, breezy read perfect for curling on the couch as the cool wind causes the candle to flicker and the tea to cool.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Addison Allen is a queen of magic realism. She and Alice Hoffman weave spells so very rich and enticing. With wonderful, soft images, we learn of the Waverly sisters, Sydney and Claire, who follow the Waverly tradition of being known for their excentricities in the small college town of Boscom, North Carolina.An Apple tree that blossoms in the fall instead of the spring, candy that is made using lavender and lemon verbena, children wished for and children received, friendships that bloom, as the air is filled with expectation.This was a wonderful journey of mystery and soft, wonderful images that left me longing for more pages. That is the beauty and artistry of Addison Allen, while reading the pages, hoping to learn what is next around the bend, I hate for the book to end.No amount of description could suffice to explain this magical book. Read it and enjoy!Four Stars!
    • 4/5
      Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Ms. Allen's newest book.
      She has written another wonderful, magical story. Make sure you pick this one up!
    • 4/5
      Another winner by one of my favorite authors. She weaves magic into every one of her stories and I LOVE THAT!!! Her characters are always quite charming as are the stories they inhabit. I like how her novels are not HEA's. I thoroughly enjoyed her added chapter at the end to continue the story of Anne.
    • 4/5
      I loved the story. I listened to it on audible and although I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator, the story kept me going. I loved that there was a bit of magic entwined into the story. Great characters. Would recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      This book has a little bit of magic, a little peculiar, and a lot going on. I loved Garden Spells a few years ago and couldn't wait to read this. Once again you're pulled right into the Waverly world and all its magical wonder. I stayed up late last night wanting to see just what would happen next with the main characters. Can honestly say I didn't care for the character Russell.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed Garden Spells so I was excited to read this sequel. I heartily enjoyed this one as well! It continues the saga of sisters who have special gifts and who are affected by the strange apple tree that grows in their ancestral home. Clair, whose gift centers around her cooking, has been focusing all of her time and attention on her new business - Waverley's Candies. The huge amount of time she is giving to this is stressing her out and also affecting her loved ones - including her favorite niece Bay. Bay's mom, Sydney, is wrapped up in her obsession to have another child. She is also worried about Bay, who is now a teenager and navigating ups and downs of teen romance and high school. There is also a mysterious man who has showed up in town and who seems extremely interested in the Waverley family for some not so good reason.As this followed this family through there ups and downs (mostly downs that they were hoping to turn into ups) I felt thoroughly engaged with the characters. I was most interested in Bay's story - a young girls desire to for love that conflicts with her peers, her parents, and even the boy in question. I was rooting for things to work out for her. I also enjoyed some of the side characters who popped up and the general quirkiness of the mysterious force from the apple tree and their gifts that was involved in their lives. In the end everything works out - perhaps a bit too neatly or quickly - but it was very satisfying. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a family story with engaging characters and interesting twists.
    • 3/5
      These books & I have an odd relationship.... I like the characters, the premise.... the turns of phrase can be both wonderful/fitting and tiresome.
      Strange, huh?
      Sort of goes with it all though; I recommend the author frequently to library patrons, I always read the newly released.... A flavor I *want* to enjoy more than I do.
      But that's ok.
    • 4/5
      The Waverley saga continues in this tale of magic and romance. Bay has fallen in love, but with a boy her mother, Sydney, disapproves of heartily. Claire is given to doubt her ancestry, and Sydney is fearful of not having more children. A new venture of candy making has taken Claire from she really likes to do: her catering business and cooking for her family. And a stranger threatens to disturb this family with unsettling news. A delightful tale full of hope and magic and perfect for anyone wanting to escape their own world for a while.
    • 4/5
      "Every crooked pot has a lid."

      Allen's novels always depict a quietly magical world, one in which I wish I lived, and are superbly satisfying reads on cold winter days. First Frost was no different; full of whimsy, something of a sequel to Garden Spells, and again featuring the Waverleys, one of my favorite fictional families. This story features all of Allen's beloved Waverley women and their various gifts: the inscrutable caterer Claire with her bewitching concoctions, the fiery Sydney with a knack for styling hair in a manner that includes the power of suggestion, and the aging yet spunky Evanelle who's always delivering people objects that they don't yet know they need. But First Frost is primarily centered around Sydney's daughter Bay, who is now in high school and struggling to reconcile her mystical knowledge of how things are meant to be with how they actually are. Enchanting as ever.
    • 5/5
      I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to settle down into another tale of the Waverly's but it didn't take long for me to get invested once again in this magical, quirky, unique family. There's enough backstory to make them feel like old friends if you've read previous books, but if this is your first you can pick right up and not be lost. When I don't want a book that's too heavy it can be hard to find something that isn't poorly written or ridiculous chick-lit over the top romance with with one dimensional plots and heroines. Sarah Addison Allen never disappoints.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this slightly magical tale of life in a small Carolina town where gossip lives long after its characters
    • 2/5
      Readers Digest Best Fiction short story. Engaging and quirky characters.
    • 4/5
      A nice follow-up to Garden Spells but if left to stand on its own, I think most would find it rather light in plotting, tension and emotion. I prefer my reads to be light in emotion, so I quite enjoyed First Frost; it was a visit to Bascom and a catch-up with characters I got hooked on the first time meeting them. I was really bummed, though, that my favorite character was dormant (literally) until page 265. I love that cantankerous old apple tree.
    • 4/5
      As always what a delightful and heart warming story.. I want an apple tree.
    • 5/5
      What can I say except First Frost is just another example of Sarah Addison Allen's writing talent!! I absolutely loved this book and it brought me right back to the memory of when I was first introduced to the Waverly sisters.

      I love how the author never fails to incorporate a little magic into everything she writes. Her books make me feel uplifted and leave me with that "anything is possible" type of feeling. Her writing always provides us with beautiful quotes from her lyrical and poetic words, and I will never tire of the author's enchanting stories.

      I highly recommend ALL of Sarah's books to anyone who can appreciate a little magic in their lives and enjoy reading books that leave a smile on your face even after you have closed the back cover. I do recommend that you read Garden Spells first to get the complete story of the sisters.
      I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review such an exceptionally wonderful story!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoy reading Sarah Addison Allen's books. The characters are well rounded and are not perfect, yet they are likeable and tend to have qualities I can relate to. In this story, the main character is a young girl struggling to find herself in a world that is changing around her. She shoulders the worries of her changing and evolving family members as they struggle for their own peace and acceptance of their lives and surroundings. At the same time, she is a teen who knows her own mind and wants in life, but stands out as odd because of the stigma of who she is and her own honesty.

      I received this as an e-version NetGalley, and I am grateful to have read it. It was easy to read, engrossing and captivating.