A wonderful gothic read set on the Suffolk marshes. I could feel the tension throughout and the slow steady pace was perfect for this story. A woman finds letters that could tell her about her past. In the other time line we are with that past and find out just what the Cathedral of the marshes is and what it means for those letters we are still to read.

Loved it! Ghostly and gothic but also hearbreaking and tender.

Vita and the Birds is historical fiction at its finest. It tells the story of two ladies in a dual timeline: Eve in 1997 is returning to the childhood summer home she has fond memories of until she starts to remember what really happened in the Cathedral of the Marshes eight years ago. She meets a local lady who wishes Eve to paint her portrait and Eve wonders if she knew her grandmother Dodie.
We also return to Vita's life in 1939 on the cusp of war and in a controlling relationship with her brother Aubrey. With a sinister backdrop and a mysterious birdcage engraved with three names, this has atmospheric tension galore ☺️

I loved this! Such a great premise and I always love a mix of generations retelling their story, discovering and learning about those different experiences. Aubrey was such a horrible character and they were all beautifully brought to life on the audiobook too. The Cathedral of the Marshes was such a muddle of beauty, freedom and horror, that it became a character in itself, as Eve remembered some of what happened through dreams and discussions with people who were there.

An easy five star read 😁

1938: As the world holds its breath, with a careful eye on the storm clouds gathering over Europe, Lady Vita Goldsborough has her own battles to fight. Daring to defy her controlling older brother Aubrey, she meets and forms a close bond with local artist Dodie Blakeney - a woman who gives her the courage to think that she might finally escape his clutches.


1997: Eve Blakeney, reeling from the death of her mother, heads to an old cabin on the Suffolk coast. A place which holds warm memories of her artist grandmother Dodie, and of carefree summers with her bohemian mother and brothers, but somewhere she has not dared to think about in the same way since a fateful night in the mysterious, derelict glasshouse called The Cathedral of the Marshes. Eve has not returned here for years, and is plagued by half-remembered images of that haunt her dreams. She is unsure if she should even be here now, but perhaps it is the right time to clear the cabin, and her own head.


When Eve discovers a bundle of letters among the scattered belongings of her grandmother, she learns of the relationship between Vita and Dodie - and she uncovers a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her own family.


Vita and the Birds is the third wonderful novel from Polly Crosby, and in it she once again blurs the lines between reality and the other-worldy, delving into the uneasy relationship between the land and the sea in the brooding salt marshes on the wild Suffolk coast.


Against the backdrop of mist and mystery, in a shifting sea of reeds that hide all manner of secrets amid their sinister suserrations, Crosby imagines a Gothic glass castle looming above the marshes and spins two interconnected timelines about it that hold you spellbound. The first, tells of the history of the heartbreaking story of Vita and Dodie, from vulnerable and damaged Vita's point of view, and is rife with themes of control and forbidden love. The second, follows Eve as she tries to come to terms with her grief and unresolved fears about The Cathedral of the Marshes in the present, while she sifts through the memory laden belongings of her grandmother. And I am not about to tell you too much about either of them, except to say that this story confirms Crosby as one of the finest writers I have had the pleasure to consume in recent years.


Crosby moves deftly between the past and the present, merging seamlessly between the two through the use of letters, personal belongings, and mirrored events, that gradually allow many long held secrets to be revealed in a way that drops the heart-wrenching reveals with perfect timing. She weaves storytelling magic throughout, making the best of setting, weather, and a community with long memories and a propensity for believing rumour to be truth, playing with themes of gilded cages, and yearning for freedom. The scenes where Crosby uses birds are particularly moving, and I could easily wax long, and lyrical, about how she wields light, perception, and half-remembered moments that nag at the sub-conscious. Superb!


For me, this is Crosby's best work yet, and that is saying a lot! While not being devoid of dark themes, stitched into the fabric of the story in the way that she does so darned well, especially when it comes to women, it thrums with emotion and love - and tugs at the senses in a sensuous and seductive way. It is also her most uplifting story to date, and I shed a bucket load of cathartic tears in the glorious final stretches of this novel. 


This is quite simply, beautiful. I adored it from start to finish, and am already craving more. Polly Crosby is one of my favourite writers for a reason, and if you have yet to discover her books then all I can say is that you are in for a treat!

What a beautiful book both inside and out, I loved this read SM! 😍

Atmospheric, Eerie, but brutal in places when we learn of Vita's past at the hands of narcissistic brother Aubrey. All woven together with a gorgeous love story that was totally mesmerising and heart-wrenching at the same time. Really managed to get my cold black heart pumping that's for sure. 🖤

I had a marvellous time with Dodie, Eve, Vita and the birds and would recommend to anyone, whatever genre you're into, It's one to love for sure!

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!

I love it when authors have a way of setting the scene in a way that makes the reader feel that the landscape, and everything in it, is utterly alive.

And this is what Crosby manages to accomplish so well in all of her books that I’ve had the pleasure to read so far. Vita and the Birds is no exception! The tantalising descriptions of the so called “Cathedral of the marshes” immediately conjured up images of a fabulous glass beast, terrifying in its beauty and dangerous in both the metaphorical and physical sense. You could also feel through Crosby’s writing the wild abandon of the Suffolk coastline and the freedom of the sea air.

The tale itself follows two women, Eve and Vita, who are both connected to each other in a way that isn’t made apparent at first. Crosby manages to instill mystery from the very first chapter and keeps this narrative throughout the whole book. Dark secrets are revealed throughout all centrerd around the haunting and atmospheric setting of the glass cathedral, and the connection between the two women reveals a tragic yet powerful love story that survives the test of time.

It is a tale of grief. A tale of love. A tale of acceptance.

I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Thank you so much to Polly Crosby and HQ stories for sending me this ARC copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I became totally immersed in this surreal, sexy and superbly paced novel.
Suffolk and its environs has always attracted writers and artists and the author will now add her name to those evoking a wonderful landscape shaped by tragedy, love and friendship that spans the lives of two women -Vita and Eve.
The plot to enable Eve to spend time after her mother's desk 'discovering' not only herself but her mother's past brings to the fore strange links to the mysterious Cathedral of the Marshes - a Crystal Palace placed on the dunes that evokes lust and love time spanned.
The characters were ethereal - artists including Eve, her grandmother Dodie Blakeney and those living in the Goldsborough Hall - removed and unloved -Vita.
I was glad to read of Eve's wonderful brother's being an integral part of this novel as the male characters (especially Aubrey -Vita's brother) in recent novels of this gothic/lesbian genre are often cruel and push women into this case - lunacy and life time longing for the moments that made them happy. It reflects the era but is well written in this plot. The timing of the build up to WWII evoked the nuances of the treatment of women well and saw how freedom (even still held captive by lunacy) was on its brink.
The Bohemian meets the Bloody often filters through this tale and talk of vampires etc was a little misleading perhaps but overall a great read that provides a super summer read - especially should you find yourself in Suffolk!

Eve spent many happy summers with her mother and brothers at her grandmother’s beach cottage until the summer she turned fifteen. After an eight-year gap, and the sudden, recent death of her mother, she returns there to clear out the cottage while hoping to put her ghosts to rest.
She begins to learn new information about her artist grandmother’s life, and her friendship sixty years previous with the sister of a local landowner. The story centres around an elaborate glass construction dating back to that time, known to the locals as the Cathedral of the Marshes.
In Polly Crosby’s previous magical work, The Unravelling, the real and the unreal merge as Tartelin settles into the island. In this book, it is Grandmother Dodie and her friend Vita whose lines blur and become interchangeable. This writer displays her affinity with aging, fraying and fragile characters. Less so for Eve and her brothers who fail to settle into characters of much consequence.
Although the writing is lovely, I found this slow and not as pleasurable as The Unravelling.

A dual timeline historical fiction novel set across 1930s with Vita and the 1990s with Eve, who learns about her past when they stumble across family secrets. This is a lovely slow burn of a book, it draws you in gently and then uncovers some really dark secrets.

Vita and the Birds is a beautiful, lyrical historical mystery that unfurls slowly across two timelines: repressed aristocrat Vita in the 1930s and lost Eve in the late 1990s. Set in and around the atmospheric Sussex marshes and a beautiful, derelict folly all-glass cathedral, everything about this book is beautifully rendered and magical in its deft touch from author Polly Crosby. Highly recommended.

I loved this haunting, atmospheric dual time frame novel.

This was such an immersive story and once I started I couldn't put it down! I loved the eerie backdrop of the ruined Cathedral of the Marshes and could picture it all so vividly.

I always enjoy dual time frame stories and this one was so beautifully written with some brilliant characters. Vita was fascinating and I loved delving into her past with her abhorrent brother Aubrey. Eve's story particularly her last visit to the beach eight years earlier was also gripping. What happened on the night she went to explore the ruined Cathedral? How did her Grandmother know Lady Vita and why was there a Birdcage with her mother's name on it?

The two stories cleverly come together towards the end of the book to reach a very satisfying conclusion.

Illicit love and its discovery. A dual-timeframe novel featuring Lady Vita Goldsborough in 1938, who feels suffocated by her older brother Aubrey and meets Dodie, who means a lot to her. In 1997, Dodie's granddaughter Eve finds a bundle of letters written to Dodie by Vita. The descriptions of the coastline and the Cathedral on the shore where so much happened are beguiling but the plot is very slow and sad.

This is my first venture into a book by of Polly Crosby and I LOVED IT! A historical story with a timeline from 1938 to 1997. The book is beautifully written with haunting, evocative and breath-taking descriptions that I enjoyed. The chapters alternate between characters, Eve Blakeney in 1989/97 and Lady Vita Goldsborough in 1938. I enjoyed Eve's character development as the story progressed. Following the death of her mother, Eve returns to her coast where she spent childhood summers with her beloved grandmother, Dodie Blakeney.
A surprise awaits her.

Lady Vita Goldsborough is a sad character, with a controlling older brother, Aubrey. Vita meets a local artist, Dodie Blakeney, on the beach and the form a close bond and Vita suddenly sees a chance to escape from the controlling Aubrey. Dodie is a wonderful character. I admired her spirit, independence, feistiness and a determination to help Vita flee from her brother.

The backdrop in the novel is The Cathedral of the Marshes. This is an unusual building, built by Aubrey, is wonderfully described. My head was full of images of plants, water and birds and found it haunting, magical and beautifully described by Crosby. I really love her writing style.

For me, this was an emotional read and it swallowed me whole!
Vita and the Birds is still fluttering around in my head!

I would recommend this novel and give a 4 star rating.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED READING COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONES REVIEW.

(3.5, rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: violence, death, homophobia, misogyny, institutionalization.

In 1938, Vita Goldsborough seems to have it all. She's wealthy, a lady of leisure, but in their big house on the East Anglian coast, Vita's brother, Aubrey, does his best to keep her completely isolated from the outside world. But during one of her walks on the beach, Vita stumbles across an artist, sketching the seascape -- and not just any artist, but a female one. Fascinated, Vita does her best to befriend the woman -- Dodie Blakeney -- and as they grow closer, she begins to see a future for herself out from under Aubrey's thumb. In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the Suffolk town where she spent her summers growing up, hoping to get some closure after her mother's sudden death. But when Eve stumbles across letters written by Vita to her grandmother, she discovers a family secret that has been festering for decades -- and one that might change the course of Eve's own life.

A historical novel with family secrets and a lesbian romance? As soon as I read the premise for Vita and the Birds, I knew I had to request the ARC. I ended up reading it early, in order to get ahead on my ARCs, and as I've been having quite a stressful time in my life, I'm actually glad it was this one I chose. It's calming, somehow, in spite of the hardships that Vita and Eve are both facing, and it was easy for me to understand the ways that their calming seaside town brought peace to them in the midst of their problems. Crosby does a fantastic job of making small-town English life leap from the page, particularly when it comes to the unique building -- The Cathedral of Marshes -- that acts as the cornerstone of this book.

Now, although it's listed as a mystery, that's not actually how I would classify Vita and the Birds. There are mystery elements, but most of them were easy for me to unravel without much help from the narrative itself, and unfortunately, some of them actually fell quite flat for me -- I'd like to go into more detail about it, but I also don't want to spoil any plot points for those who are wanting to pick this one up themselves. As a whole, the novel is more introspective, more literary and character-driven than it is a mystery. For me, that's actually not a negative, as I prefer books who focus more on characters than they do on a fast-moving plot, but some people might find it a bit disappointing. I enjoyed Crosby's simplistic, pretty writing; it fit the novel perfectly.

The characters are relatable on the surface, but I actually struggled to connect with them. I liked Vita best of them all, but Eve, Dodie, and many of the other characters remained mystifying to me, sometimes doing things that seemed out of character or somehow just not quite right. Again, I'd like to extrapolate on this more, but I don't want to spoil anything, especially as one of the problems I had with Dodie's character comes towards the end and acts as a major turning point in the plot. Now, I'm afraid I have to go on a little rant.

There's a big problem I've found continuously in lesbian romances in media. Why is there never any buildup in these romances? For straight couples, you get pages and pages and chapter and chapters of barely touching, of hesitant conversations, of unspoken feelings. You would think that in a historical novel, you would get a lot of that in a lesbian couple, but with Vita and Dodie (and many others I've read), it seems as if one moment they're meeting and talking, and the next they've suddenly fallen in love. Is it so much to ask for a slowburn? This isn't a problem unique to Crosby, but it's one that plagues fiction focusing on lesbian/wlw relationships and for me, it's a huge pet peeve.

With all of that being said, I do want to commend Crosby on the beautiful way she paints this story, and I do think I would pick up another book by her. Overall, although I didn't love it quite as much as I wanted to, I definitely would recommend this to people wanting to read a bit of a slow-burn family mystery set in a small English town!

Vita and the Bird is lyrical and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the English countryside and the natural world. The book explores complex themes such as family, identity, and mental health. it is beautifully written and emotionally resonant.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The Unravelling was one of my four favourite books of 2022 (and probably all time). Therefore I had great hopes and expectations for Vita And The Birds. I was not disappointed. I love the cover to start with.

In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the place where she spent her summers with her four brothers and her Bohemian mother Angela. During these holidays they hung out with the local teenagers and her brothers’ friends who came to stay, having picnics on the beach and drinking. Angela was not exactly a traditional mum. On one of these nights, Eve and Henry’s friend Elliott, both intoxicated, accept a dare and go off to explore the disused Cathedral of the Marshes. It’s dangerous and scary and lots of myths surround it. Then an accident and the discovery of a painting change Eve’s life forever.

In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough meets Dodie Blakeney, Eve’s grandmother, on the beach. Dodie is an artist and lives in a tiny studio where she paints. Vita, constantly under the control of her bullying brother Aubrey, is entranced by Dodie, her passion and her freedom. She is free like the birds that Vita adores. But can Vita ever be free to pursue her own life?

This is a story full of sadness, secrets, beauty, love and hope. There is something about the author’s writing that is like no other and I can’t really describe what it is that stands out for me, but it’s magical and breath-taking and I adore her books.

Eve and her family spent their summer's at their Grandma's studio in Suffolk, making friends with the local children and telling stories of the mysterious Cathedral of the Marshes, the eerie run down glass building in the middle of the Marshes. After a misguided decision to go into the cathedral Eve stops returning with her family each summer, becoming withdrawn and quiet, half memories of the night coming back to her in her nightmares.
After the death of her mother and an unsuccessful attempt to become and artist, Eve returns to the studio in Suffolk to begin clearing out her Grandmother's things, ready for the studio to be sold. While there, a mysterious gold bird cage is placed on her doorstep, thee names carved into it. Her mother's name, her grandmother's name and Vita. During her time there Eve begins to piece together her family's past, making sense of the conflicting pieces of information she finds.
This is beautifully written, a powerful reminder that love works in mysterious ways. The characters are complex and really well written and the imagery throughout is stunning.

The cover is beautiful and pulled me in, as did the comparison to Kate Morton. I enjoyed the first half of the book better than the second but overall found it hard to put down. I was intrigued by the setting and the mystery. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Eve and her brothers spent many happy summers on the Suffolk coast, crammed into their mother's art studio but those summers came to an end for Eve when she sneaks into the Cathedral of the Marshes one night. Back in the studio after the death of her mother, Eve is trying to sort out her own life when she stumbles upon a family connection to the Cathedral.

This was a beautiful book. I loved the exploration of Vita and Dodie's relationship and their life formed within the Cathedral; and Eve's self realisation as she peels away the layers of the mystery surrounding the two of them. The stripping of mystery that leads to a greater understanding is a key theme of the book that is also reflected in the Cathedral itself: it starts as this gothic monster and as the story unfolds it becomes a beautiful haven.

A gorgeous story of love and loss.

I received this novel from Netgalley and the views in this review are entirely my own.

A good premise but it was so slow. It did pick up but for me it did not deliver what was promised. All in all a good read but nothing special.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.