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A magical realism book is an exploration of the fantastical. While magical realism is seemingly a niche genre, it actually holds wide audience appeal. The exact definition of magical realism is hard to pin down, but it can essentially be summed up as a realistic story with one abnormal, surreal, or supernatural element. In other words, realism with a twist. Magical realism offers readers the thrilling escapism of fantasy while still being rooted in our world. Oftentimes, the magic used is symbolic or representative of something that the characters cannot verbally express.
An example of this is Laura Esquivel’s best-selling magical realism book, Like Water for Chocolate, adapted to film in 1992. The main character, Tita, is a gifted cook whose emotions seep into her food and affect the people who eat it. This subtle but powerful dash of magic manifests her confined role within her family and her repressed feelings. Its source is never explained, and the magic just occurs as part of the world and is not questioned by its inhabitants. This is a key factor that distinguishes magical realism from fantasy. Readers interested in this genre will be glad to know that there is a booming influx of new magical realism books. Innovative, imaginative, and wholly unique, these novels are guaranteed to brighten up your bookshelf and make fantastic summer reading companions. Check out the list below and see what titles catch your eye!
Orange World By Karen Russell
In each of the short stories compiled in Karen Russell’s riveting Orange World, flights of magical realism take the characters to undiscovered territory. A new mother strikes a deal with the devil, the soul of a tree melds with a young woman, and a wily auctioneer buys and sells tornadoes.
The bold surrealism present in these pieces is guaranteed to get readers on board with magical realism books. Author Karen Russell is a highly accomplished writer and the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. Her style is widely hailed as sharp, witty, and deeply resonant. For readers looking to be hooked by innovative concepts, Orange World is a perfect choice.
The Butterfly Lampshade By Aimee Bender
Critics have hailed the Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender as a marvelous feat of language. Bender’s musical prose leaps off the page and conveys a poignant story of a fraught mother-daughter relationship. A gripping exploration of mental illness is unraveled through the eyes of Francie, a woman coming to terms with her troubled childhood.
She recalls an inexplicable incident on the night her schizophrenic mother was admitted to the hospital. While waiting for her relatives to come to pick her up, Francie drank from a cup with a butterfly in it. Her fractured memories form a powerful mosaic of healing, loss, love, and hope infused with just a dash of magic.
Becoming Leidah By Michelle Grierson
Fresh off the press, Michelle Grierson’s Becoming Leidah weaves a deeply felt narrative of a family in nineteenth-century Norway. Leaning more towards the folkloric side of magical realism, Becoming Leidah follows a mysterious young girl with blue skin and webbed hands and feet who develops strange abilities as she grows.
Her parents struggle to protect her from the God-fearing townspeople and conceal her mother’s magical ancestry. Watching from the sidelines is a powerful shapeshifter waiting for Fate to run its course. Embedded with rich historical detail, this stunning magical realism book is a vividly atmospheric adventure that will immerse readers in a world they won’t want to leave.
The World That We Knew By Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman conjures one of the darkest periods in history with a breathtakingly delicate touch and creates within it a stunning tale of hope. When Hanni Kohn realizes that Berlin has become unsafe for Jews, she risks everything to give her daughter Lea a supernatural protector: a golem crafted by a rabbi’s daughter and sworn to defend Lea at all costs.
Hoffman does not shy away from the horrors of World War II, instead of looking at them head-on and daring to find the light of human compassion. Each element of the narrative pulses with raw, fierce love and will undoubtedly linger with readers for a long time after they close the book.
Gold Diggers By Sanjena Sathian
In Sanjena Sathian’s riveting new magical realism book, a wickedly funny coming-of-age tale unfolds. Neil Narayam, a second-generation American-Indian, is drawn into the world of alchemy when he learns that his crush and next-door neighbor is in possession of a supernatural “lemonade” brewed from stolen gold.
Told across two alternating timelines, Neil reconciles with the expectations of his family, his conflicted feelings about the nature of ambition, and his own personal definition of success. Thought-provoking, fun, and intelligent, Gold Diggers promises a one-of-a-kind adventure.
Folklorn By Angela Mi Young Hur
In this powerful new magical realism book by Angela Mi Young Hur, family saga and ghost story intertwine. Dark and riveting, Folklorn explores intergenerational trauma and mental illness through an unflinching lens.
Elsa Park, a physicist stationed in an Antarctic lab, is faced with a looming ancestral curse that dooms the women of her family to repeat the lives of figures from Korean myth. When her childhood imaginary friend resurfaces in the Antarctic snow, Elsa must connect with her estranged mother and excavate secrets that run deeper than she ever anticipated. Hailed as a wondrous feat of fiction, Folklorn is an excellent addition to the magical realism genre.
Popisho By Leone Ross
Popisho by Leone Ross is truly a magical realism book to be savored. The narrative follows the inhabitants of the archipelago Popisho, where everyone has a “cors,” or a gift from the gods that manifests as a unique magical ability.
These powers range from healing to being able to cook the perfect meal. Playful, imaginative, and dazzling, Popisho examines a unique community and the geography that shapes it. Inspired by Leone Ross’ homeland of Jamaica, the story also explores the lingering impact of colonialism on a society. Readers will be utterly mesmerized by the loving care with which Leone Ross conjures Popisho to life.
Nothing to See Here By Kevin Wilson
In Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, Lillian’s long-lost boarding school friend recruits her to be the caretaker of a pair of twins who burst into flame when they get agitated. Although an initially daunting task, Lillian forms a close bond with the twins and helps them navigate their condition and their intimidating politician father.
This magical realism book taps into a deep well of parental love that develops over the course of a summer. For fans of found family dynamics, Nothing to See Here is bound to be a hilarious and heartwarming read that’s definitely worth picking up.
In Five Years By Rebecca Serle
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle puts a unique spin on romantic tropes and delivers a beautiful and unexpected love story. This magical realism book follows Dannie, a newly engaged lawyer who has a dream set five years in the future in which she is married to a completely different man.
However, when the mystery man makes an appearance in her life, he is dating her best friend. Full of twists and vividly drawn characters who feel achingly real, Rebecca Serle crafts a gripping narrative that is perfectly designed to be read all in one sitting.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars By Glendy Vanderah
Glindy Vanderah makes a breathtaking debut with the magical realism book Where the Forest Meets the Stars. The story revolves around a pair of reclusive neighbors, Jo and Gabriel, who encounter a strange little girl called Ursa, who claims to have come from the stars.
She has been sent to witness five miracles, and over the course of the summer, they come to pass. The trio of Jo, Ursa, and Gabriel becomes tightly knit, and as they begin to wonder what will happen once the fifth miracle is reached, dangerous forces beyond their control threaten to breach their newfound peace. Critically acclaimed and highly original, Where the Forest Meets the stars offers readers a beautiful and profound journey.
Why Is Magical Realism Worth The Read?
Of course, every reader has their own personal preferences, and there is no such thing as a unanimously beloved book. However, magical realism is a truly innovative and flexible category of literature that has something to offer for everyone. It is a pioneering genre that melds our reality with escapist flights of fantasy. It can be difficult to seek out this specific breed of book, but as the genre grows and distinguishes itself, magical realism is becoming easier to find. It will likely continue to accumulate new fans.
