Book review: Vita and the Birds

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My reading recommendation today is... Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby!

More about the book…

1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the menacing shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. But when she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney, the two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to be free.

1997: Following the death of her mother, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes that the visit will help make sense of her grief. The last thing she expects to find is a bundle of letters that hint at the heart-breaking story of Dodie’s relationship with a woman named Vita, and a shattering secret that echoes through the decades.

What she discovers will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family – and change her life forever.

More about the author…

Polly grew up on the Suffolk coast, and now lives in the heart of Norfolk with her husband and son, and her very loud and much loved rescue Oriental cat, Dali. She is passionate about nature, and her writing is very much inspired by the local landscape.

After a whirlwind of a year which saw Polly receive writing scholarships from both Curtis Brown Creative and The University of East Anglia’s MA in Creative Writing, she went on to be runner up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel.

Polly’s debut novel, The Illustrated Child, was snapped up by HarperCollins HQ in the UK in a 48 hour pre-empt, and a few days later by HarperCollins Park Row Books in North America. Her second novel, The Unravelling, came out the following year.

My impressions…

This is one of those books I wish I could unread so that I could have the joy of savouring it for the first time all over again. From the atmospheric and vividly described setting to the illicit romance and the rich portrayal of the characters… every element of this novel is just perfect. Plus, I love a dual timeline, especially when the past and the present meet so effortlessly. A wonderful book!

Three words to describe it. Captivating. Evocative. Beautiful.

Do I like the cover? It’s stunning!

Have I read any other books by the same author? Not yet but, after reading this, I can’t wait to!

 

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