The Bitter End Birding Society

Title: The Bitter End Birding Society

Author: Amanda Cox

Source: own

My Review:

Okay, this one is one hundred percent for those who love birds and bird-watching. But it's also for those of us who crave a good story.

Nature had a way of breaking down walls built by human hands. Gently, gradually. Now with wrecking balls but by infusing life.

This one had a slow start as the author set the foundation for the story. It is intergenerational, and I kept wanting to jump back to Viola's story to see what happened with her. I am thankful for the way the story progresses, as it didn't make it a heavy read, as it seemed to be going at the beginning.

"Birding isn't about rare birds. It's about rediscovering wonder and meaning and purpose in the little things of the world."

Secrets are slowly revealed as the story progresses. We learn why Ana is a hero and why she deems herself unworthy of the title. We learn about her heritage, and as she discovers family she didn't know she had. We learn so much about birding and how nature can heal.

This story has broken characters in need of forgiveness and healing. There are strong themes of reconciliation and learning to live again after tragedy. This story is deep and heartfelt, but it will also make you want to become a bird-watcher, LOL.

★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):  

Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt get her house ready to sell. Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she's desperate for respite from her community's attention and unwarranted admiration. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird watchers take her under their wing--a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.

But when Ana's adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree--one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner's daughter and a preacher's son--what began as a quest to study Appalachian birds becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.

Immerse yourself in the lyrical prose and layered plotting of award-winning novelist Amanda Cox as she offers up an engaging story of finding belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings in the most unexpected places.