Quick take
Determined to break a generational curse, June Farrow ventures through a shimmering door into mystery and romance.
Good to know
Romance
Nonlinear timeline
Underdog
Quest
Synopsis
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.
It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.
After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.
Content warning
This book contains scenes that mention domestic abuse.
Free sample
Get an early look from the first pages of The Unmaking of June Farrow.
The Unmaking of June Farrow
ONE
When Margaret Anne Farrow died in her sleep on June 10, 2023, I became the last living Farrow on earth.
The setting sun fell behind the hill that overlooked a wide expanse of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a rolling sea of soft violet peaks. Only a few of those who called the town of Jasper, North Carolina, home had gathered to bid Margaret farewell.
Put me to sleep with the fiddle at sunset, she’d said, because she’d known she was dying. We all did. We hadn’t planned to say any words because she hadn’t wanted that. There weren’t many things that were clear, especially in those final years when Gran’s mind had all but slipped away, but a burial on this hill at sunset with a fiddle playing in the wind was one of them.
The headstone was made of simple, rough-cut white marble to match those of the other Farrow women who were laid to rest only feet away. Mildred, Catharine, Esther, Fay, now Margaret. One day, my own name would stand beside them—June Farrow.
To the town of Jasper, I was first known as the Market Street Baby, words made eternal the day the Chronicle put them on the front page. Just before daybreak on October 2, 1989, Clarence Taylor was on his way to open the cafe when he heard the sound of a baby’s cry coming from the alley. It took only hours for the whole town to hear about the baby girl in the basket with the birthmark beneath one ear and the locket watch tucked into her blanket.
The necklace was an heirloom that had been passed down in the Farrow family for generations. The last woman to wear it around her neck was my mother, Susanna. Susanna—the only name missing from the cemetery because Gran had refused to raise a headstone over an empty grave.
Why I love it
Hilarie Burton Morgan
Actress, producer, podcast host, activist, and author of Grimoire Girl.
Everyone knows that fall is the most magical of the seasons. Each year, we collectively marvel as leaves change from red to orange to yellow, then are commanded to fall entirely off the branch. Birds fly south. Daylight hours shift and night falls like a velvet cloak. Transformation is all around us, and so opening ourselves up to change and new opportunities comes easier when Mother Nature is doing it too. That’s why my favorite fall reads—like The Unmaking of June Farrow—are always a beautiful blend of nostalgia and mystery.
The Farrow women have been plagued by a curse of madness for generations—one well known in their small southern mountain town. But June Farrow is committed to breaking this curse and unraveling the truth behind her mother’s disappearance when she was a child. When one day she is again visited by the shimmering door she once assumed was merely a hallucination of youth, she decides to walk through, setting off on a journey to decode the secrets of her family and town’s past. Along the way, she finds many things—a potential life partner as well as untended familial wounds—and must choose what kind of life she truly desires.
Adrienne Young is quickly establishing herself as queen of the cozy fall novel. In The Unmaking of June Farrow, she beautifully captures small town atmosphere, the mysteries of time, and the astounding magic of true love. So settle in with this enchanting story and let it work its powerful magic on you!
Member ratings (9,594)
Julianne R.
Mc Kee, KY
So many thoughts, mainly just amazed at the genius it took to create such a plot. I will remember the Farrow girls forever. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ Five Big hearts for Adrienne Young and this story of love.
Carson G.
Lakewood, CO
I don’t like time travel stories, and like all of them, I’m not sure this one fully makes sense. But I loved the characters enough not to care. I didn’t need it to make sense because it was enjoyable.
Suzanne C.
Milford, MA
The “red door.” This is about choices for June and her Grandmothers & their daughters…re time travel-youthful/aging lives. She gets her answers, as a loving family awaits her. This is a super read!!
Joanna B.
Huntsville , AL
This book got me out of a reading rut. Truly beautiful storytelling. I loved trying to decipher where the story was going and untangling all of the threads. Vibes were 10/10. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alaina S.
Lexington, KY
Adrienne Young is a masterful story teller and I think this is her best book yet! This story sucked me in right away and I couldn’t put the book down. The mystery is so unique…and a little bit creepy.