by Ericka Waller
Cover Design by Irene Martinez Costa
Published by Doubleday
an imprint of Transworld Publishers Penguin Random House group
Whether you've read her first (unrelated) book already or not (you must!), Ericka Waller is becoming one of those names that makes readers just snap up a book immediately!
An instant YES!
Be prepared: you don't just stumble across these characters somewhere in the lines of their own chapters. You MEET these people & they pull you into their pages, lives & minds.
We really care about them - our entire read depends on it.
They'll make you smile & laugh, sometimes. They might also make your heart ache.
*Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. Too proud and stubborn to admit she’s lonely, Birdie’s world view has shrunk. But then some new neighbours move in next door*
Letting others into your world can be difficult for endless & different reasons.
Jane's move to Brighton - with her 12-year-old daughter, Frankie, was meant to be a fresh start. But guilt now lives rent-free with her whilst tour-de-force mum, Min, is back in Bristol.
Ada is a hard worker, ambitious and very smart. She's also homesick for Poland & worries about being the best version of herself for everyone else.
Things aren't easy for Birdie. Sometimes she just wants to be alone with her dog, her memories & the odd gin & tonic.
In emotional & fragile situations for these unexpected friends, the author still manages, with skill, to create unlikely moments to inject humour. There are twists. Emotional & otherwise.
Everyone processes bad news in their own way. Loneliness & fear compete for space when Birdie's world changes.
It's not an easy thing to make multiple points of view work. Ericka Waller wins this challenge. Some books flood us with scenery, descriptions & fluff! This is NOT the case here.
Every word belongs on these pages. Attention to detail helps anchor our connection to everyone as we negotiate very personal strands of their lives, absorbing their emotions along the way.
For three lonely women who don't know how to ask for or find help, finding each other changed everything. Their worlds collided but the universe aligned them.
I might have a favourite character & they might not be named in this review but I hope you'll enjoy meeting them all yourself, soon.
I'd definitely recommend this book.
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is going to fly out there on very strong wings!
Dog Days, also by Ericka Waller is another top recommendation!