The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Book Description

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells “small” fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…

But when a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more, Tao starts down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. As she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past close in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Review

Julie Leong’s The Teller of Small Fortunes offers a heartwarming story filled with comfortingly familiar characters. The novel introduces us to Tao, a fortune teller with a unique talent for predicting small fortunes. Small, because let’s face it, bigger prophecies can get messy.

Tao’s solitary journey takes an unexpected turn when others join her in her travels. Together, they form an unlikely group; Tao plus a reformed thief, an ex-mercenary, a baker, and a slightly magical cat. Despite their differences, they gel, banding together on a quest to find a missing child. The story’s stakes are low and yet we get to revel with new friends as the narrative transports us into another world.

In case you haven’t noticed, The Teller of Small Fortunes is cozy fantasy gold.

It’s the type of narrative that makes you want to curl up with a fuzzy blanket, a hot beverage, and enough undisturbed time to immerse yourself. Featuring themes of found family and identity, the novel even helped pull me out of a reading slump.

But it’s more than a comforting read. It’s necessary. The kind of feel-good story we need to combat the darkness of today’s relentless news.

If you’ve enjoyed spending time in the cozy worlds created by Travis Baldree, Becky Chambers, or TJ Klune, this book will be right up your alley. Like those stories, The Teller of Small Fortunes is a character-driven narrative set in a kindly world.

For anyone needing a dose of warmth, connection, and magic, I heartily recommend The Teller of Small Fortunes.

Content Warning

Abandonment, Assimilation, Classism, Death of a Parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Immigration, Prejudice, Racism, Violence, War, Xenophobia

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Denny Ryanto on Unsplash