The Three Loves of Persimmon, by Cassandra Golds

I can now safely say that The Three Loves of Persimmon (Penguin Books Australia, 2010) is my favorite of Cassandra Golds' books, (although The Museum of Mary Child has a place in my heart as well).  The story of a lonely young woman (Persimmon), instructed via letters from her deceased, clairvoyant aunt to allow herself to look for love, and the story of a lonely young mouse (Epiphany), longing for some unimaginable, more beautiful life beyond the subterranean railroad platform that is her home, intersect beautifully to make a satisfying whole.   There is a happy ending for both, and I read it in a single sitting.

Really, that's all that needs to be said.  But just for the sake of a longer blog post, I will add that Persimmon has a flower shop (following her dream of flowers alienated her from her vegetable- loving family, leading to her loneliness), and it is flowers that draw young Epiphany up from below, leading to her important encounter (quite near the end of the book) with Persimmon.   I like flowers.  And I will add that a book plays an important role in Persimmon's happy ending, and I like books too.   And finally, like all of Cassandra Golds' books, the world is almost our own, but made just a more dreamlike and more magical; in this case, with light, rather than darkness---for instance, Persimmon's best friend is a talking ornamental cabbage named Rose (who is now my favorite fictional cabbage).

I was a tad worried that Persimmon, naïve and shy and vulnerable, was going to be need Saving (especially after the first two loves leave her in need of a third), but happily she finds her own strength and does not need that third love to make her believe that she is a person who matters.

A lovely book, and if you want a dreamlike, beautiful love story to escape winter with, this is an excellent choice.

Note:  I have wanted this book ever since it first came out in Australia, but the Book Depository didn't stock it, and Amazon only has it in Kindle form.  Years passed.  Then I found that there was way to get books with free shipping from Australia, via a website called Fishpond, and I am now slowly asking my loved ones for all the Australian books on my wishlist...this one was a Christmas present from my dear mother.