The Summer of Songbirds

📖 Book Review 📖 Title: The Summer of Songbirds Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey Publisher: Gallery Books @gallerybooks Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction Pub Day: 7/11/23 Happy Pub Day! “THE FIRST DAY OF CAMP HOLLY SPRINGS IS LIKE SHAKING A BOTTLE of soda and taking off the cap: an overflowing, effervescent explosion of sweet, delicious chaos.” What a first line in a book!! Thank you to Simon & Schuster Book Club Favorites @bookclubfavorites #bookclubfavoritesinsiders for the #gifted copy to read and review. This was a high anticipated summer read; one that belongs in your summer beach bag!

I grew up on the East Coast where as a kid in the summertime we collected lighting bugs (fireflies) in glass jars. This books feels reminiscent of those memories; collecting all things summer in a jar. It invokes such strong feelings of nostalgia and I dare you to not feel like a kid again. But, it’s not all summer feelings and youth, there are strong themes in this book including family tragedies, addiction, loss of a parent to addiction, and second chance romances because of secrets.

Told in a multi POV in the present, plus snippets of the past, we first meet Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart as six year olds at Daphne’s Aunt June’s camp immediately thick as thieves. Then, we later meet them in their thirties with Mary Stuart getting married, Daphne a single mom and Lanier engaged.

But, that’s not all . . . their beloved summer camp is in financial trouble, so they spring into action to help Aunt June. They’ve always dreamed of their little girls going to this camp too!

I absolutely adored this trios friendship and the way they would send each other emails and their “hard things lists” for each others help to tackle.

“Together there is no hard things we can’t do.”

(Pictured aboved all 7/11 Pub Day Books!)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Solid four stars. One of the characters made choices that I didn’t love, but this was book felt like real life. Life is messy. It’s not perfect. We all deserve forgiveness. You’re going to hear a lot about this book this summer! Don’t miss out!

Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my site!