Ellen Block

This gentle novel takes place in an island off the N. Carolina's Outer Banks, where lexicographer Abigail Harker lands after the tragic loss of her husband and young son. Sight unseen, she rents a decrepit lighthouse keeper's cottage and slowly adjusts to life on Chapel Isle in the off season. Charmingly, each chapter begins with an illustration, A-Z, of an unusual word and its definition. Abby's transformation of her living quarters and her growing involvement with the eccentric residents is quite charming, and rather than saving it for a summer beach read, my suggestion is to use its warmth now, in the deep midwinter, when we all really need it. And there's a sequel, The Definition Of Wind, so I'm looking forward to seeing how Abby fares during the summer season on the island.… (mais)

I loved Language of Sand and now Defintion of Wind. These 2 books are delicious reads! Love the storyline,the characters and beach locale.A perfect summer/beach read.
Read these books in order! Abigail Harker is a lovable character as are the people of Chapel Isle.I hope there are more books to come in this series.
This story is part starting over,mystery,ghost story and making new friends.I love how each chapter starts with a dictionary entry.Ellen Block writes a lovely story.
There are a few querky things that Abigail does that didn't make sense to me or that of her character,but it didn't mess up the story either.These are wonderful books!… (mais)

I would have given this novel 1 star except it ended up serving a purpose. Woken up from a nightmare at 3:30 AM, it turned out to be mind-numbing enough to distract me for a couple of hours until I could get back to sleep. The author certainly didn't have insomnia therapy as her intention, although her protagonist herself, Abigail (who annoyingly obsesses about her newly given nickname, Abby), a lexicographer by profession, puts a second-hand pulp romance novel to similar use in the book. That Abigail/ Abby is a lexicographer is hardly significant, other than that I suppose the author had to choose some titillatingly exotic profession for her. Block's other aim might have been to justify the Random House Unabridged Dictionary entries that she inserted as headings or epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. To no great effect, in my opinion. They neither illuminate nor even really intrigue (odd admission coming from me, an ardent devotee of unusual words). Both the plotting and character development here are pedestrian & predictable. Almost everything in the novel is obvious. Only one turn in the narrative caught me a bit by surprise, & that only because I probably dozed off & missed a"wink wink" knuckle rap to the skull earlier in the novel. Oh dear, I've torn the poor thing to pieces. Here's the short story: a grieving widow (young, of course); an island with quirky year-round (i.e. not summer vacationing) residents, a "haunted" lighthouse with a "secret" history; a misunderstood guy who seems to always be getting on the wrong side of everyone, a couple of bighearted older folks who have experienced "loss" & who become stalwart friends & advisers to Abby, etc. Oh yeah, & an almost hurricane, some burglaries & a suicide thrown in for good measure. Why did I read the book at all? Well, it crossed the threshold, so the 100pp trial period rule went into effect. Page 100 hit right at the beginning of my nightmare therapy. Enough said. Don't waste your money.… (mais)