Erika Waller writes unusual and interesting books, taking on subjects that are both sensitive and emotional. The reader discovers early on what Birdie is facing, which in itself is a challenge.

I thought I would struggle to get to grips with all the many characters as they appeared, but they soon showed their personality traits and became embedded in my understanding, each with their own ‘demons’ to face.

The characters who I felt would hold me most, did, although I was surprised by the strength of feelings provoked by both Min, Jane’s mum and Connie, from the coffee shop.

This story made me laugh, it made me stop and reflect and it brought tears to my eyes. It celebrates friendships in all their unpredictable forms and it celebrates finding strength to be uniquely yourself, and proud of who you are. Loved it!

I loved Erika Waller’s previous novel Dog Days and had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed. Following Ada, Jane & Birdie (and others) negotiating love, loneliness, illness and how to move on from these things, Waller brings together gorgeous characters. The story is uplifting and hopeful. Big shout out to the epic writing of Frankie and Min!
Highly recommend

Goodbye Birdie Greenwig is a beautifully written novel about friendships and connections. It is told from the perspective of Ada, Birdie, and Jane who start off as strangers living on the same street. All three are lonely and the novel explores how they form friendships, important to them all. It is full of fantastic characters and comedy but I can’t promise there won’t be tears.

📖 NetGalley Review

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Walker
Doubleday, 18th April 2024

Centred around three women, each with their own troubled history but who share the feeling of loneliness, this gorgeous Brighton based novel can not help but entice the reader. Although the three are neighbours, initially they do not know each other, but as the story continues, relationships are forged.

Birdie has felt lost since the death of her husband and sister in a car accident, and now she has received devastating news from Ada, a medical specialist from Poland. In turn, As missed both her mother and her homeland. Making up the trio is Jane, a nurse who has a child named Frankie.

This is a lovely book which I enjoyed immensely. The writing flowed effortlessly, and the characters are so well written that I was drawn in to share the lives of these women. I was fascinated by the way they each interacted with each other, to become not only friends but a real support system. As the ladies experienced a whole gamut of emotions from sadness to hilarity, I did so alongside them. This was a wonderful read, and the ending was perfection.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Huge thanks to Doubleday and Ericka Walker for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

You might think you are ready for this after the emotional rollercoaster that was Dog Days. You’re not ready, but you will never be ready, so you should read it anyway.
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing lets us into the lives of the various residents of a Brighton street: elderly Birdie, a widow living a shadow of her former life since the loss of her beloved husband and twin sister.
Ada, the oncologist far from her Polish roots, who’s made leaps and bounds in her professional life but has no one to share it with.
Jane, a nurse and mother who with forthright daughter Frankie has recently escaped the clutches of her well-meaning but overbearing mother Min in Bristol and moved to Brighton.

We follow the women in the hospital and at home, in their struggles to reach and ask for help, to find connections in a modern world, to realise that they all have more in common than they’d first thought.

This was a really emotional read with beautifully flawed characters and intertwined stories exploring womanhood, relationships and the nuances of aging.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this amazing book.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is set in a close-knit neighborhood on Shrublands Road in Brighton. The story centers on Birdie Greenwing, who lives alone with her dog, Audrey, at number 6. Recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, Birdie is both shocked and resigned to her fate, choosing to return home to await her end.

Ada, the oncology doctor who delivers Birdie’s diagnosis, is isolated in Brighton, away from her family in Poland. Her only interactions are with her colleagues, patients, and Lech and Aleksey from the local Polish shop. As the novel begins, Ada’s secretary has arranged for a charming intern, Wilbur, to join her.

At number 8, Jane and her daughter Frankie have recently moved from Bristol to escape Jane’s overbearing mother, Min. Jane, a nurse and single mother to autistic Frankie, struggles with guilt over leaving Min and resentment toward her sister, Suki, who leads a carefree life.

When Birdie suffers a fall in her garden, her neighbors come to her aid, setting off a series of events that gradually unravel their lives and reveal deep connections between them.

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 to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Birdie lives a lonely existence since the deaths of her beloved husband and twin sister.
Jane has recently moved to Brighton for a fresh start with her forthright daughter Frankie.
Ada is a doctor who has lost her place in the world, feeling she doesn’t belong either here or in her hometown in Poland.

They all live in the same street but up until now their paths haven’t crossed

This book was such a lovely read, I’m a sucker for the found family troupe and this was a such a wonderfully heartwarming and uplifting example.

I liked the format of the story following the three different narrators in turn; Birdie, Jane, and Ada. I thought the past was interspersed well with the present. The final three chapters of each of the narrators concluded their journeys well. It's a nice story of life not turning out as hoped, friendship, and learning to live again.

I've just finished reading Birdie Greenwing and my heart is very full and a little bit sad!
This is a beautifully written book that pulls at your heartstrings and takes you through a range of emotions.
One thing that stands out for me is the quirkiness of the characters, they all add so much to the story and I fell in love with all of them. Birdie herself is just fabulous and I adore the relationship she builds with Frankie.
Once I started reading I couldn't stop and by the last chapter the waterworks had appeared but I was smiling through the tears.
Erica is a fantastic writer who really draws the reader in and helps them to create a connection with her characters.
This will definitely be in my books of the year selection.

Oh how I loved this beautifully life-affirming book. It left me with a smile and a warm heart.

Birdie is our star, but the other female characters who surround her are just as important. In fact, the male characters are the supporting cast, whilst the women take centre stage.

Each woman has a history and a sadness or regret that we come to learn about. As events bring these women together we feel like we're part of their circle. Each character develops and finds a new lease for life that is just gorgeous to read. I particularly loved the interplay between Birdie and Min, two 'difficult' women who are just what the other needs.

Then we have Ada, the Polish doctor who has left her beloved family and home behind because she feels too deeply and it hurts. Her cold facade is just that though.

Jane, Frankie, Suki, Min complete the cast and they are all wonderfully written.

This book is about the messiness of life. The sadness we experience and the grief. It's about loss, love and second chances. But mostly it's about the power of friendship and connection.

I loved Ericka’s first book ‘Dog Days’ so was delighted to get access to this title from Netgalley.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing tells the story of a few people living in the same street in Brighton (my home town so always a winner). Birdie misses her husband and sister since they died, Jane and Frankie are having a fresh start away from a domineering mother (and grandmother) and Ada is furthering her medical career and desperately trying to assert her independence. Despite such differences in ages and experience their lives intertwine and the novel shows us what family really means and how it can be very different to the typical nuclear family.

On the face of it, Goodbye Birdie Greenwing looks like a light read but there is so much more to it than that. It is hugely readable but brings with it a deeper side. It cover so many issues - neurodiversity, family dynamics, cancer, unwanted pregnancy bereavement and loneliness. But it is also here warming, joyful and life affirming.

Another heartbreaking, heartwarming read by Waller - no other authors straddles those lines so brilliantly!

A lovely book showing that’s it’s never too late to connect with people. Birdie Greenwing is ready to give up on life until her young neighbour and her mum have other ideas. Cancer doctor Ada has a very small life outside of her work and doesn’t feel like she fits in anywhere. Both of them find there is fun to be had in life. A lovely, moving read about long held secrets and finding love

Telling the story of Jane, Ada and Bridie, this book left me in tears would also with a heart full of laughter and joy. A book about life and death, family and friends, and how to continue after you lose those you love. The characters just leap off the page and their relationships were just wonderful. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last. If you want a warm hug of a book just run and pick this one up I would highly recommend. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Set around three women, neighbours, in the seaside town of Brighton. All share a troubled history and current loneliness. When their worlds collide what follows is a heartwarming, beautiful tale of compassion and sisterhood. A must read, one you will need your hankies for.

Synopsis—Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. Too proud and stubborn to admit she is lonely, Birdie’s world has shrunk. But then some new neighbours move in to the house next door.

Jane has come to Brighton for a fresh start, away from her ferociously protective mother Min. While Jane finds it hard to stand up for herself, her daughter Frankie has no problem telling people what she does and doesn’t want. Ada Kowalski has come to England to follow her dreams, but her new life is harder than she expected.

When a series of incidents brings their lives crashing together, the three find that there is always more to a person than meets the eye …


My thoughts —-
These characters jumped from the page with joy . The occupants of Shrubland road in Brighton began to capture your hearts from the beginning. Although the story is about Birdie who is fabulous Min had my heart she was an amazing character so funny and honest ! From Connie the volunteer at the hospital cafe with her incredible mugs pizza slut and many more to the polish shop and the men who adore Ada so many believable characters. I also loved reading about Brighton it’s a place I know so well so for me this gave such credence to the story. I have not read dog days yet but i definitely will it is on my shelf. It’s safe to say this was a fabulous read. Go read it!!!

Such a delightful book despite some sad issues raised.
The differing relationships between mothers and daughters are shared, the lives of strong independent women are revealed and the book covers loneliness and love.
The characters are engaging and the book flows. You just want to keep reading to find out what happens next to the various women.

What a fabulous book 🩷

“Grief is love with nowhere to go after all”

All the feels, heartwarming, with incredible characters, strong, sensitive, caring,
You get so invested in them, just delightful.

You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll be left wondering why you’re not part of their community, and how to go about getting there!

A powerful story, thought provoking and compelling, a beauty on grief, love, family, friendship, human connections, but more importantly about life.

Just wonderful - make sure to pick up your copy and recommend it to everyone !

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

This book unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with all the POVs and was just a bit too slow paced

What a beautiful book. Women and misfits everywhere should read this.
A round up of people living their own lives in one community, until a series of events brings them together.
I laughed and cried and probably identified with parts of all of them. I moved near to Brighton two years ago, and knew the landmarks in the book too, which just made it slightly more special.
A fantastic follow-up to Dog days