The Bitter End Birding Society is exactly what you’d expect from an Amanda Cox novel. This story is packed full on nuance, emotional intelligence and character growth. Throw in a few shocks along the way and you’ve got a real page-turner.

The story features teacher Ana Lee Watkins who has finished the school year after protecting her students from a violent intruder. Physically recovered, Ana is happy to head to the mountains and help her great aunt prepare to sell her house. Instead, she finds herself with a lengthy to do list as her relative heads out on a travel adventure.

Ana begins the work but along the way discovers far more about her family heritage than she could ever dream. Moonshine, murder, and marriage all intertwine with faith and failing health and family devastation. Meanwhile, Ana finds herself coerced into joining the Birding Society and discovers a whole new world while healing from hurts she didn’t fully realize were there.

Brilliantly, there’s a twist for Ana the reader can see coming before it hits her and wow, that made me keep to turn the pages. This is a beautiful, delicate, clever story and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I received a copy of The Bitter End Birding Society from the publisher via NetGalley, the opinions are my own.