The Fabled Earth is truly a lush, gorgeous novel. Some may deem it a “quiet” book, dwelling in character, emotion, and description rather than high stakes action. But the voices and characters populating this mysterious Southern landscape captivated me throughout. The 1932 timeline also drove my keen interest, with eagerness to know what transpired on the dramatic summer evening that altered the course of so many promising young lives. This is definitely a recommended, atmospheric read. Thank you for the complimentary copy!

The Fabled Earth is a wonderful novel that involves the challenges of relationships and the power of memories from the past. There are many characters in this dual timeline story that continue to draw you in even deeper into the story.

The story centers around multiple characters but focusing on Cleo and Joanna from the past and then Cleo and Joanna's daughter in the present. Joanna's daughter delves into her mothers life and secrets as she uncovers much about her own past that will shape her future. The novel involves many generations, and how the past has such impact on the present.

Kimberly Brock's writing is poetic and magical and truly brings you right into the setting of Revery and Cumblerland Island. The Fabled Earth is a beautifully written novel that offers a look at the bonds that tie us to our families and the land. This book is a wonderful and draws you in from the start. I found it hard to put down and highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. Set on the coast of Georgia, the book goes back and forth between the present and the past. I thought the characters were well developed and I liked the way the mysteries were revealed. When I finished the book, I it felt like I’d traveled down south and become part of their community. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Set on a remote island off the coast of Georgia, this novel deals with a set of young friends who met there in the 1930's and have never come to terms with "what happened" during their youth. The main character is an older woman who lives by herself and works as an artist on a spit of land off Cumberland Island. She had stayed there as a young girl to be a companion to a young guest of a wealthy family living on the island. Years later, the daughter of this guest appears out of the blue, along with other descendants of the group of friends from decades ago. The plot of the novel keeps you guessing as to "what really happened" all those years ago.

The novel has a nice, slow pace and is a relaxing read. The prose is beautifully written, and the characters well drawn and authentic to the South. This would be a good novel for those interested in fairly recent American historical fiction and/or interested in novels set in the Southeast.

Kimberly weaves past and present together as she tells of Frances, a woman living alone on a small island of of Georgia. Living in the shadow of the grand mansions, part of her past comes back and her memories and past life are brought in question. Was it as she remembers?
The descriptions of the area, people and so engaging!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for an early read.
On sale Oct 1, 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse books for this ARC for review. This was a beautiful and enchanting novel that sweeps back in forth in time between what happens in 1932 and what happens in 1959. As the story weaves itself together, you find out how Cleo has come to where she is and what happened to her and around her to make her the recluse she is now. This story was both beautiful and heartbreaking as secrets were revealed and lives were lost. This was my first Kimberly Brock novel, but it will not be my last.

Beautifully written, this was a book I savored for the plot, the characters and the writing itself. Thank you to a Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery in this story, but I had a hard time finding the plot. I felt like I was pulling the plot out of all the descriptions, which was very distracting. This book seems to have a lot of positive reviews, but it just wasn't for me. I had a hard time connecting to the plot and the characters.

This Southern Historical story follows three strong women, Cleo, Audrey, and Francis in the lush setting of Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia. The novel shifts point of view by time periods of 1932 and 1959 showcasing the three unique perspectives on this interesting life and rich location which frames the narrative of a woman’s search to uncover the mysteries and secrets of her mother.
I greatly appreciated the beautiful writing and the obvious research Ms. Brock put into the story, bringing both the elements of Cumberland Island and the time periods to life. I had a special fondness Cleo who is the opening point of view, and especially was interested in the house party at Plum Orchard and how all the intriguing elements would resolve. My pages turned quickly, as I wanted to see how Cleo’s story unfolded with the parallel narratives reflecting the happenings which changed lives through the years.
A delightful and engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus/Harper Muse for allowing me to read this advanced copy for an unbiased review

I was drawn to The Fabled Earth due to its location, Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia. I’m fascinated by locales that were scooped up by rich families to create summer homes. Think Jekyll Island or Newport. Cumberland Island was a retreat for the Carnegies. In 1932, a group of young rich men come down to hunt. A young heiress looking for a husband and a young female artist who is meant to be her chaperone are also in attendance. By the end of their stay, two young men are dead. In 1959, the artist is still in residence on the island, almost a hermit. Her life is uprooted when the daughter of the young heiress and the man who saved her life 27 years before show up on the island. Not much has changed in those decades. Jim Crow still rules, misogyny is the norm.
Brock does a good job of putting the reader firmly in the setting and both times. Her writing was beautiful, truly eloquent. Both timelines were equally interesting and both had a haunting quality to them. I enjoyed the importance of stories and folklore to both plot lines. The characters were all well defined and mostly people I wanted to spend time with.
This would make an interesting selection for a book club.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Focus for an advance copy of this book.

Kimberly Brock sure can write. The way she constructs her sentences, stringing together words to form the most beautiful imagery, is nothing short of art. But I struggled to get through the dense descriptions and found my attention wandering in search of plot or any kind of propulsion. I wanted to love this book, because the writing is so stunning, and in a world of mediocre, churned-out mysteries, true talent like Brock's is so appreciated. But for me, I need more plot, more stakes, and/or stronger relationships so that I'm not just intellectually stimulated, but also emotionally invested. I will definitely read her next book, as I'm certain this author is poised for greatness.

Kimberly Brock writes a gorgeous story and The Fabled Earth is her latest book. The story is told in dual timelines of 1932 and 1959 and tells the story of Cleo Woodbine. In 1959 she has lived pretty much as a recluse since the happenings on a night in 1932 changed the lives of all involved forever. When Frances comes to town all of the secrets and mysteries start to be uncovered.

5 huge stars for another Kimberly Brock masterpiece. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the honor to read and review this book!

The Fabled Earth is a book to savor on a long, redolent afternoon, with a glass of sweet tea and time to fully immerse yourself in the wondrous atmosphere of historic Cumberland Island. Kimberly Brock's lush, lyrical prose is transportive, and her cast of colorful, memorable characters will entrance readers craving an authentically Southern story with a touch of melancholic, earthy fabulism. Spanning generations, this hypnotic tale delights with an exquisitely poignant reverance for the places and people of coastal Georgia. Highly, highly recommend!

This novel is a love story to story – its importance, its power, its impact. It speaks so much to this author’s passion (I remember her earliest blogs and the magical way she spoke of the transporting effect of storytelling. Here, she weaves that belief firmly into her own story).

"Every one of us has a library we’re carrying around right inside us. All those stories just waiting … Did you know that’s why all stories are ghost stories? They’re our ghosts and we give them life to walk this earth and keep us company.”

The novel features a large ensemble of characters healing from their own personal tragedies, and of course, it includes stories and fables, and questions of the blurred lines between the stories we believe vs. reality. Also within the pages: emphasis on the natural, coastal world of Georgia.

While I don’t read much women’s fiction, and rarely mysteries - I think this book will be a big hit for readers of both genres – and for anyone who enjoys a book with hidden secrets at its heart.

This was such a beautiful book! A dual timeline story telling the story of Cleo (in 1932 and 1959) and Audrey (1959) and Frances (1959) combined with the folklore of Cumberland Island was a read that I could not put down. Fable and truth are eventually sorted out, but the fun part is seeing how it was. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful work of art. Loved all of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Fabled Earth
by Kimberly Brock
Pub Date: October 1, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Inspired by the little-known history of Cumberland Island, The Fabled Earth is a sweeping story of family lore and the power of finding your own voice as Southern mythology and personal reckoning collide with a changing world.
This is a book that is meant to be savored. I took my time reading it and learned so much from the characters.
Thank you, Kimberly Brock, for your great storytelling.
I recommend this for book clubs. It will promote wonderful discussion and has questions included in the book.

I had never heard of this island but this story pulled me in and made me want to go visit. I loved the story switching from past to present. Some of the characters stories were slightly harder to follow and felt like they needed more background

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy for an unbiased review. The Fabled Earth was a piece of literature that is meant to be savored, chewed and digested. It is just that good.

The novel is set in two timelines in a backwater town off of the southern Georgia coast - Cumberland Island. It takes place in 1932 and then in 1957. It deals with a specific group of people - some family, some friends, some neighbors and some descendants from 1932 in a quaint small town named Revery.

The events of 1932 remain important in 1959 just as the town is getting ready to integrate their schools.

I woke up during the night and started to think about the characters in this book and how their lives were entwined with each other. I had trouble falling back to sleep. It has left such an impression that I just sought out another book by Kimberly Brock dealing with the lost colony of Roanoke.
This is my favorite book of the year - congratulations, Kimberly Brock!

I very much enjoyed this book. Folklore, mystery, history...it had everything a good historical novel needs. A very talented author