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Paper and Ink, Flesh and Blood
“You’ll remember this wise and heartbreaking tale long after you’ve finished it! A dazzling love letter to the power of books!” — Constance Sayers, author of A Witch in Time As a tormented young girl, Margaux Locke had very few friends not made of paper and ink. A strange and wonderful inheritance from her aunt allows Margaux to hear books speak aloud to her—with earnest words of wisdom and ominous warnings. When her husband, August Locke, falls to his death in a horse race, she must return to her Virginia roots and forge the flesh and blood strength to uncover the bitter truth about her late husband and save her beloved land. A suspenseful literary tale for all book lovers Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood leads the reader through a story of love, loss, and danger as Margaux defines her path and comes to terms with a life far beyond the one she’d plotted. “Elegant and strange, magical in its metaphor, Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood gives us an old-fashioned kind of heroine in Margaux, a woman who lives inside her lifeblood connection to books. This is a story full of its own electricity. ”— Ashley Warlick, author of The Arrangement “Margaux’s sensitivity and razor-sharp observations make her the perfect narrator for this enthralling coming-of-age story.”— Gisele Firmino, author of The Marble Army "Rita Mace Walston’s debut novel Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood immediately draws you in… This fun read is perfect for all of the book lovers in your life."—Perry Pidgeon Hooks, president, Hooks Book Events
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2020
11 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mace Walston
2 books20 followersRita Mace Walston was born and raised in Michigan. After moving four times in five years and never staying in the same time zone, she and her family settled in rural northern Virginia. She and her husband have a small homestead with extensive gardens and a greenhouse, as well as a dog, a cat, two beehives, and a dozen-plus chickens.
Rita loves experimenting in the kitchen with ingredients from her gardens and foraging. Her first novel, Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood, was published in 2020. Rita is a graduate of the Queens University MFA program in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rita loves experimenting in the kitchen with ingredients from her gardens and foraging. Her first novel, Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood, was published in 2020. Rita is a graduate of the Queens University MFA program in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 29, 2020
Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood by Rita Mace Walston is a captivating read. Reading To Kill A Mockingbird the first time 25 years ago, I was surprised by how much it triggered memories of childhood for me—Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood is the second book in my bibliophile lifetime that made me the purity and innocence of being a girl. Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood is rich with characters to fall in love with “who chose to dance through the world when others chose to walk.” I reread passages that capture a moment or a feeling that I recognized so well from my life:
He looked at me. A smile tugged at the corner of his sensuous mouth. I recognized that look; had seen it before. It said I was a book he already knew, even though he had never read me. That I was like so many other books he’d read over the years.
This book is one that I will be thinking about for a long time. Highly recommend!
He looked at me. A smile tugged at the corner of his sensuous mouth. I recognized that look; had seen it before. It said I was a book he already knew, even though he had never read me. That I was like so many other books he’d read over the years.
This book is one that I will be thinking about for a long time. Highly recommend!
July 1, 2020
"In retrospect, shooting the horse was probably excessive."
I was at a loss for how to begin this review, so I decided to simply steal the opening line of the novel, my favorite that I have read in quite some time. It immediately put a smile on my face, assuring me that as a reader I would be in good hands, both with the author who would write such a bold beginning and the character who would say it, a
character filled with the kind of strength, sass and sorrow the line implies.
I can happily say that the impressions I got from the first line stayed with me until the end. I greatly enjoyed all the time I spent with Margaux's thoughts and Rita Mace Walston's flowing prose. Even without her "family trait," the extra sense that lets her hear books speak their lines aloud to give her warnings and insights about those around her, Margaux would be an interesting character well worth following. I feel I came to know her, even though her life's experience couldn't be too much farther from mine.
That said, any avid reader can probably find something of themselves in this book. Like another reviewer here, I was also taken back to my childhood, a time with far more books than friends. I remembered the look and smell of the shelves of my school library for the first time in years. Much of it aches with nostalgia, and left me feeling wistful for places I've never even seen.
Somewhat related, I found myself really wishing I had read "The Secret Garden" as a child. I am also definitely going in for another read of "To Kill a Mockingbird" soon. The passion for books that Margaux and her spectacular Aunt Vieve share really is contagious. One doesn't have to have read the novels quoted in "Paper and Ink, Flesh and Blood" to enjoy it, but it does help. It was a special treat when books I did know well started speaking up at parts, albeit very unnerving in some cases. (Hint: think Gothic)
I struggled to come up with any real negative feelings I have toward the book. I only really tried because I thought this review would seem incomplete otherwise. I'll say that the two halves can feel a bit disjointed, more separate acts of someone's life than parts of a single story. But I didn't really care while reading, because it is such a rich life, peopled wall to wall with dynamic and deeply human characters, and the pacing of events moves quite swiftly. The resolution may be a bit too swift, but then again I read it all in one sitting, so perhaps that's my fault.
TL;DR: I read this very quickly, and am sure to read it again some day. This is the purest recommendation.
*note. I did receive an advance reader copy from a friend at SFK. I don't particularly think that influenced my opinion. I certainly wasn't thinking about where the book came from or much of anything else while I was engrossed in the story, but those who prefer full disclosure may now have it.
I was at a loss for how to begin this review, so I decided to simply steal the opening line of the novel, my favorite that I have read in quite some time. It immediately put a smile on my face, assuring me that as a reader I would be in good hands, both with the author who would write such a bold beginning and the character who would say it, a
character filled with the kind of strength, sass and sorrow the line implies.
I can happily say that the impressions I got from the first line stayed with me until the end. I greatly enjoyed all the time I spent with Margaux's thoughts and Rita Mace Walston's flowing prose. Even without her "family trait," the extra sense that lets her hear books speak their lines aloud to give her warnings and insights about those around her, Margaux would be an interesting character well worth following. I feel I came to know her, even though her life's experience couldn't be too much farther from mine.
That said, any avid reader can probably find something of themselves in this book. Like another reviewer here, I was also taken back to my childhood, a time with far more books than friends. I remembered the look and smell of the shelves of my school library for the first time in years. Much of it aches with nostalgia, and left me feeling wistful for places I've never even seen.
Somewhat related, I found myself really wishing I had read "The Secret Garden" as a child. I am also definitely going in for another read of "To Kill a Mockingbird" soon. The passion for books that Margaux and her spectacular Aunt Vieve share really is contagious. One doesn't have to have read the novels quoted in "Paper and Ink, Flesh and Blood" to enjoy it, but it does help. It was a special treat when books I did know well started speaking up at parts, albeit very unnerving in some cases. (Hint: think Gothic)
I struggled to come up with any real negative feelings I have toward the book. I only really tried because I thought this review would seem incomplete otherwise. I'll say that the two halves can feel a bit disjointed, more separate acts of someone's life than parts of a single story. But I didn't really care while reading, because it is such a rich life, peopled wall to wall with dynamic and deeply human characters, and the pacing of events moves quite swiftly. The resolution may be a bit too swift, but then again I read it all in one sitting, so perhaps that's my fault.
TL;DR: I read this very quickly, and am sure to read it again some day. This is the purest recommendation.
*note. I did receive an advance reader copy from a friend at SFK. I don't particularly think that influenced my opinion. I certainly wasn't thinking about where the book came from or much of anything else while I was engrossed in the story, but those who prefer full disclosure may now have it.
July 10, 2020
I was hooked in the first chapter. And it just gets better. It starts in the present day, then takes us back to 1984, when August falls off his horse in the Owner’s race. Margaux says of her husband August’s death, “I’d just felt August’s soul leave. He’d taken a piece of my own with it.” Walston (this is her first novel, by the way) describes the setting in such detail that you feel are standing next to Margaux as she grabs the handrail in shock. The story takes us back to Margaux’s childhood where we find out that books talk to her. Not all the time, mostly when others are present. It’s fascinating to hear lines from classic books describing the people Margaux encounters. The characters in the novel are well defined and easy to relate to, especially when the books give us some insight. It has a few twists and turns, enough to keep you turning the page.
I suggested Pen & Ink, Flesh & Blood for one of my Book Groups. It would make a good book discussion.
I suggested Pen & Ink, Flesh & Blood for one of my Book Groups. It would make a good book discussion.
July 1, 2020
"It was a magic book, I decided. And if I could just learn to read, I could figure out how to unlock its magic. [...] I could tell Skin Horse that I believed he was Real, too."
This is one of the most touching books I've read in a long time. We open with Margaux telling her story years after it happened, and then we move back in time to follow her from her childhood, when she realized she possessed the ability to hear books speak about the people around her, onward through her adolescence and adulthood. This ability serves as both a blessing (when the books can warn Margaux about dangerous people and situations) and a curse (when she misunderstands what they tell her, especially when it comes to her best friend's brother), and it becomes the basis of the deep and tender connection between Margaux and her charming and vivacious Aunt Vieve. The love between these two characters is one of the most well-crafted aspects of the novel, and their relationship made me laugh and cry in equal measure over the course of the story.
PAPER & INK, FLESH & BLOOD explores the magic that books bring into our lives and how they help shape society as a whole. My favorite passage from the book is this one:
"These books were thoughts, emotions, and ideas born in someone’s imagination, translated into ink on paper. Read, again and again, by one, by many, over years, perhaps decades, until the characters had become real in the collective consciousness, achieved life, as much flesh and blood as those who had once walked the earth but were now dust beneath it."
I don't think I've ever read anything that captures what books do for us more eloquently.
This is one of the most touching books I've read in a long time. We open with Margaux telling her story years after it happened, and then we move back in time to follow her from her childhood, when she realized she possessed the ability to hear books speak about the people around her, onward through her adolescence and adulthood. This ability serves as both a blessing (when the books can warn Margaux about dangerous people and situations) and a curse (when she misunderstands what they tell her, especially when it comes to her best friend's brother), and it becomes the basis of the deep and tender connection between Margaux and her charming and vivacious Aunt Vieve. The love between these two characters is one of the most well-crafted aspects of the novel, and their relationship made me laugh and cry in equal measure over the course of the story.
PAPER & INK, FLESH & BLOOD explores the magic that books bring into our lives and how they help shape society as a whole. My favorite passage from the book is this one:
"These books were thoughts, emotions, and ideas born in someone’s imagination, translated into ink on paper. Read, again and again, by one, by many, over years, perhaps decades, until the characters had become real in the collective consciousness, achieved life, as much flesh and blood as those who had once walked the earth but were now dust beneath it."
I don't think I've ever read anything that captures what books do for us more eloquently.
July 14, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this novel. The writing is good and the characters feel real. I especially like the narrator, Margaux, and her Aunt Genvieve. Both of these characters are avid readers (which plays into the plot in a big way) and gives me satisfaction when they make a literary reference that I understand. This feels like a novel written for people like me who love to read.
July 7, 2020
Paper and Ink, Flesh and Blood captures the special feeling that books bring into the lives of their readers. I loved how the magic of books is characterized through the "family trait" that Margaux possesses, which lets her hear books speak and give insight into the world. I thought it was a beautiful analogy for the way that books can speak to our hearts and inform our world-views.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I loved the relationship between Margaux and her Aunt Vieve; it is one of the most touching relationships I have read between characters recently. The passion that the characters share for reading and the bond that is further strengthened as a consequence has made me want to be a more deliberate reader. I loved this book and I encourage others to read it, as well.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I loved the relationship between Margaux and her Aunt Vieve; it is one of the most touching relationships I have read between characters recently. The passion that the characters share for reading and the bond that is further strengthened as a consequence has made me want to be a more deliberate reader. I loved this book and I encourage others to read it, as well.
September 16, 2020
I loved this book! The characters were real and authentic - I missed them during the day and couldn't wait to read in the evening. Very rarely do I read a book and I'm sad when I'm done. I didn't want the book to end. This book also inspired me to read many of the classics and treasured books quoted throughout this novel. Please, please, please give us more Rita. Either these characters or new one book. But, please continue to share your gift.
September 13, 2020
The story pulled me in immediatly. With a mix of magic, personal history and relationships, you find yourself emersed in the world of the main character, Margaux as a child and as an adult. It is written elequently with detail and feeling, and a splash of humor. It's a realization of the power of storytelling and the timelessness of a good book.
August 6, 2020
A Beautiful Story!
Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood by Rita Mace Walston is an amazing story, a story that will capture you, remind you of childhood memories, make you laugh, and smile with tears. I especially love the relationship and letters between Margaux and her dear Aunt Vieve; how books speak to both of them, guiding them especially when danger lurks. Aunt Vieve insisted that Margaux reread The Secret Garden immediately, considering it a prescription for good health. “It’s your touchstone book, dearest, just as mine is Sense and Sensibility”
I enjoyed this amazing book, I do believe that reading this book is a prescription for good health.
Thank you Rita for writing this story.
Paper & Ink, Flesh & Blood by Rita Mace Walston is an amazing story, a story that will capture you, remind you of childhood memories, make you laugh, and smile with tears. I especially love the relationship and letters between Margaux and her dear Aunt Vieve; how books speak to both of them, guiding them especially when danger lurks. Aunt Vieve insisted that Margaux reread The Secret Garden immediately, considering it a prescription for good health. “It’s your touchstone book, dearest, just as mine is Sense and Sensibility”
I enjoyed this amazing book, I do believe that reading this book is a prescription for good health.
Thank you Rita for writing this story.
August 29, 2020
Great story. I recommend it for anyone who likes a story that makes them think, a story that feeds their love of books. What I found particularly enjoyable was the way the author embedded the perfect quote from some of the best-loved books in modern times. We understand Margaux as an insecure girl. We've all been there at some point in our life, thus we can admire the way she grew into a confident self, able to stand on her own. Paper and Ink, Flesh and Blood illustrates how books become a part of our psyche, how we carry the lessons they offer with us as part of our intuition throughout life.
August 4, 2020
From the first line, Walston grips you and never lets go. This magical story of a unique inheritance where books can speak to two generations of women and how the advice they receive from the spoken pages changes their destinies. With rich and gorgeous writing as well as a real gift for place, you’ll remember this wise and heartbreaking tale, long after you’ve finished it!
October 19, 2022
Enjoyable but not as good as the first. There was a lot of heavy philosophy included! The iron Druid himself made a pretty substantial appearance and we got to meet some of the other sigil agents. Buck Foi was in fare form and added a ton of comedy to lighten all the heavy musings by all participants.
July 29, 2020
Beautifully unique
An entertaining read for classic book fans. Perfect for your next book club. For those who wish they heard books speak.
An entertaining read for classic book fans. Perfect for your next book club. For those who wish they heard books speak.
July 31, 2020
Margaux, and her Aunt Genvieve. Both of these characters are avid readers and the books talk to them. Great book.
February 25, 2026
I loved this book. It was a little unexpected how much I loved and enjoyed it. The writing is phenomenal and really kept me engaged. I really wish that I had Margaux’s talents.
September 26, 2020
Kept my interest. A unique story of talking books that doesn’t seem weird, supernatural, or paranormal. Well developed characters. Could have stood alone without the marriage/business debacle/mother-in-law scenario. Kept waiting for something more significant to come from all that.
June 18, 2021
How could I not love a book that begins (in Chapter 3) with a reference to a conversation between the skin horse and the rabbit in The Velveteen Rabbit. A friend who is a book lover and a friend of the author gave me this book for my birthday. Once I began reading, I savored it. It is a wonderful novel that is the story of a woman whose husband is killed in a riding accident. The author takes the reader into the woman's past and back to the present. It is a love story to books and the strength of women. The women characters - Margaux, the main character; her own mother, a lover of gardening; Gloria, her mother-in-law; Jacqui, the wife of her husband's partner; and her Aunt Genevieve, with whom she shares a passion for books and a secret - all linger in one's memory long after one is finished reading the novel. They are the power and the depth behind this book. It is a luscious rich read.
December 27, 2024
Wickedly good
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews