Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. However, being too proud and stubborn to admit she is lonely, means her world has shrunk. All this could be about to change though when she gets new neighbours in the form of nurse Jane and her daughter Frankie. Also living close by is Doctor Ada Kowalski who has just had to deliver some awful news to Birdie. When a series of incidents brings their lives crashing together, the three find that there is always more to a person than meets the eyes and remember that great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget ...

Firstly, read this book, don’t hesitate, just go out and get this as soon as you can! Yes there’s hype around it but it’s ALL deserved. I honestly can’t fault this beautiful story in any way, this is a story that will make you laugh, make you cry and be grateful for all the relationships in your life. Told in Ericka’s beautiful writing style, I feel like a long lost friend is telling me the story, this is the unique skill she has to involve you fully in the story as you turn the pages.

You can’t help but think about this book, long after reading the final word and I know it is one that will stay with me for a very long time. I don’t have the words to justify just how special this story is, it is one that needs to be shared with everyone. I’m so grateful for the time I spent with Birdie, thank you Ericka❤️

“We honour the dead by living. We grieve by getting up, carrying on, walking wounded as we may be. We love by letting go”

"Outside, the moon is on the move, the stars are all aligned. A breeze whisper through the leaves on the trees. Under their feet the earth is turning. Sands are shifting in the deepest abyss beneath the sea. A change is coming. None of the people on Shrublands Road have any idea that tomorrow is hurtling towards them like a comet. Best let them get some rest while they can.

Set in present day Brighton, we meet neighbours elderly and lonely widow Birdie, mother and daughter nurse Jane and autistic Frankie and Polish doctor Ada and discover that life's challanges are better faced together.

Having loved the author's debut novel, Dog Days, I was pleased to be given access to an advanced copy of her second. Resoundingly focused on strong women, some of whom go on a journey to unearth their strength, themes of grief, sisterhood and sociotropy resonated with me. I willed grieving Birdie, people-pleaser Jane and shy Ada to admit what they wanted from life, to be inspired by determined Min and authentic Frankie. Beautifully written and with a plot and characters that carries readers along for the ride, I was keen to know how their lives connect and what is in-store for them. This is an emotional and poignant read full of hope and joy.

⭐️ 5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

It's been a few weeks since I finished Goodbye Birdie Greenwing. I’ve been putting off writing this review because I know that my words just won’t do it the justice it deserves. But here goes…
 
I discovered the lovely Ericka Waller a couple of years ago after reading her debut novel, Dog Days. A firm favourite and such a wonderful read, I still think about it even now (if you haven't read it yet, put it on your list; you can thank me later!). 
 
Ericka has such a magical way with words. Her beautiful, lyrical prose and perfectly painted metaphors make you think, hit a nerve or two, warm your heart, and touch your soul.
 
The characters are all so well drawn and fully fleshed out that they almost jump from the page. The story features a whole bunch of strong, independent women with huge personalities. It was a joy getting to know each and every one of them and the relationships they shared with each other. 
 
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is a bittersweet story of love, family, and friendship. It's uplifting and hilariously funny in parts, but it also made me cry buckets — I had to reread pages of it because the words went for a swirly swim in my tears.
 
I'm afraid I still haven’t done this book or Ericka the justice they deserve. Why are reviews for books you love so much harder to write?
 
Anyway, all I can say is: Read it. You won’t be disappointed!

I loved it. I’d seen so much about this book that I was worried it wasn’t going to live up to the hype, but it did, in spades! It’s a very emotional book about the wonderful Birdie Greenwing who has just been told she has terminal cancer. Birdie is a lonely woman who has been living alone and grieving since the death of her husband and her twin sister. But things are about to change… This is so well written that what should have been a very sad book really isn’t.

Briefly, Birdie is given her diagnosis by Dr. Ada Kowalski with neither of them knowing they live near each other. Jane and her daughter Frankie move in next door to Birdie, single mother Jane had to get away from her controlling mother Min. Within a short time their paths cross and soon their lives become wonderfully intertwined. So much more I could say and so many more amazing characters I haven’t mentioned but I want you to discover them yourself.

A very character driven novel and what a fabulous bunch of characters they are. I loved them all for different reasons. My favourite is Frankie, a beautiful person, neurodivergent she says what she thinks and has some strange interests but she is the first one that really breaks through Birdie’s reserve. When she said “no she’s my friend” I almost bawled! A wonderful emotional read about people coming together and supporting each other when most needed, it was just a fabulous read and deserves all of the stars.

This is a wonderful book, telling the stories of three women and their journey through loneliness and self-doubt.
Ada, Jane and Birdie are neighbours, although none of them know each other at the start of the book.
Birdie is diagnosed with terminal cancer and from that point the three women and their families lives get woven together.
Smart, funny and clever. A must-read.
Thank you to the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I’ve read a few books with a similar storyline recently. Lonely person, finds new friend who helps them out of a solitary hole. Each one has been slightly different, and all just as enjoyable. I love to read a success story and I hate to think of old people being in their own. Lovely book - will definitely recommend it to people who like this genre.

What a fantastic book. I became totally invested in all the characters. Single mum nurse who has moved away from her home town and feels guilty that she left her mum behind.
Oncologist who feels as if she only gives out bad news.
Birdie who received bad news at the start of the book. Neighbours who haven't really met but circumstances bring them together and they enrich each others lives in unexpected ways.
Inspiring right to the end.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller
I give this book 4.5 stars.

Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. Jane has come to Brighton with her daughter Frankie to get away from her mother Min. And Ada Kowalski has come to England to follow her dreams.
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 …

A beautifully told story of loss and loneliness,small acts of kindness ,a touch of humour and hope where there’s healing. We follow Birdie,Jane and Ada’s difficult but captivating journeys individually and then jointly once their lives connect.I love this authors descriptive style of writing and the depth she brings to her credible storytelling,there is great characterisation and I really felt like I knew them and was included into their lives.This book is all about encountering friendships and is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures. I can highly recommend it and Dog Days if you haven’t already read it.
With thanks to Netgalley,Ericka Waller and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday for my chance to read and review this book.

I was fortunate enough to read Ericka Waller’s debut novel Dog Days and was delighted to be offered the opportunity to read her second - Goodbye Birdie Greenwing. I can honestly say that this is even better than her first, which definitely takes some doing, and I was utterly entranced with Birdie, Frankie, Jane, Ada and Min’s stories from start to end.

Set in Brighton, Walker introduces a cast of seemingly disparate, unrelated characters, all of whom are struggling with their own problems and troubles, weighing down on them so heavily that they can’t see past their own lives. However, through a series of events they come together as a family and the results are beautiful, funny, sad and joyous.

Once again Waller’s insight into humanity, behaviours, characteristics are utilised to craft a multi faceted tapestry of a story, bringing these very distinct characters to life in such a believable and empathetic manner. Birdie Greenwing isn’t just a lonely old lady, Ada isn’t a stuck up Doctor, Frankie is neurodiverse, and so much more! Waller doesn’t try to put her characters in boxes, she gives them the freedom to be who they are, the good bits and the not so great, and in doing so she sets them free to bring their stories to life.

Once again, Waller takes what could be a truly depressing and devastating topic and crafts it into an optimistic, hopeful and joyous read. If you’re looking for your next read and want to explore human nature, family and emotional relationships, or just want to feel uplifted and have your faith restored in humanity, or just want a great read pick this one up!

There has been a lot of hype about this book on social media channels from fellow bloggers, so I was really pleased to get an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was so keen to read a story that everyone had been raving about. Thank you Doubleday.

Is it worth the hype? Yes, without a doubt!

A plethora of well rounded, likeable characters all finding their way in life. The story, as the title might suggest, centres round Birdie Greenwing, a lady who let grief consume her in the years following the death of her husband and sister. As the book progresses, Birdie get to know all her neighbours and starts to love her life again. All the central characters are female, which I always enjoy. The story focuses on these fantastic women as they navigate through life and there are some moments of real sadness but a lot of laughs too.

I especially like the fact that the women feel so real, like you could bump into any one of them in the street, they become much more than props to push a story along, you feel like you know them. I was so invested in their lives and what was happening to them. I think my favourite of them all was Ada, but I liked them all, even Min, who is a bit of a battle axe

This is my first read of Ericka's work, but it won't be the last! A thoroughly captivating read.

Every so often you find a novel with the most wonderful characters who leave you feeling a good bit better about the world. This is one of them. It's sad in parts and certainly promises tears but it's also full of kindness, human connection and joy.

Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget - never has a soundbite better described a book or reflected my own feelings about it so accurately.

Five big fat stars.

People living on the same street who haven’t met.
Ada, a seemingly formidable Polish doctor.
Birdie, a lonely widow, diagnosed with cancer.
And Jane, a nurse, and her outspoken, neurodivergent daughter Frankie.
So much they all have in common: loss, secrets and loneliness.
A lovely and heartwarming story of how their worlds collide and what happens next.
Waller writes with warmth and humour and the novel is sweet without being saccharine or mawkish.
Recommended: heartwarming and funny.,

Thanks for Netgalley for the early copy of this book.

A brilliant read, absolutely stole my heart. I loved all the characters, there was laughter and there were tears. Will definitely be recommending this one.

Thank you to the author, publishers DoubleDay and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.

Jane, Ada and Birdie all have loneliness in common. But, a series of incidents after Birdie is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer helps bring these neighbours out from behind their doors and find hope in the face of death.

Too many tissues.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, life-affirming. Another excellent novel from Ericka Waller.

Each of the women featured feel so real it is impossible not to get caught up in their inner lives. To hope that they see all they have to offer. To shed a tear for their successes and losses.

99.9% of books I enjoy are about the plotting. Great characters yes, but in scary, tense or magical situations. Ericka Waller is one of the handful of writers who can make stories about people just living their lives feel just as gripping to me. Brilliant stuff.

This is the first novel I’ve read by the author and I adored it.
It focuses on 4 characters on a Brighton street; Birdie who is lonely and grieving for her husband and sister, Jane and her daughter Frankie, recently arrived from Bristol and Ada a doctor from Poland. I loved all of the characters and the author portrays them with such insight, depth and compassion that I felt I knew them. This is such a beautifully written book, it made me laugh and cry and I felt bereft when I’d finished it.
Recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
4.5 stars

Initially there were a lot of characters to wrap my head around and recall between each point of view chapter, but I soon adjusted and found them just so well developed and interesting to get to know. As a parent of a neurodivergent child I felt especially connected to Jane and Frankie, their relationship was beautiful to read. The trappings of loneliness that the characters all shared in many variations is a theme often explored recently in fiction, and I think because it's so indicative of how our society has evolved it's important to see this covered well. I felt uplifted and hopeful reading this book and then sad that it was over.

This is everything and more in a book, it was funny and dark and heartwarming and gritty and emotional in parts. I absolutely loved it, I couldn’t put it down and raced through it wanting to know how it needed! I wasn’t do so though I wish I’d not read it so fast and savoured it more! A must read 5 stars!!

"Goodbye Birdie Greenwing" is a touching tale of love and loss, The story revolves around the lives of three women who find their paths intertwined. Birdie, who has been struggling with loneliness after the loss of her twin sister and husband, her new neighbours Jane and her daughter Frankie, as well as oncologist, Ada. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster of a read that has moments of joy, sorrow, and hope. A read that will stay with you long after you finished it.

Lovely, feel good story of finding love in unexpected places, following your heart and accepting people for who they are. Ada, Jane, Frankie , Birdie and Min will stay in my heart for a long time.

I loved the author's debut so couldn't wait to get my hands on her much waited 2nd book. It did not disappoint. Packed with emotion and some strong female yet complicated characters, it was an interesting journey. This has some difficult subject matters but still feels like a book about hope and community rather than death, grief and loss highlighting the power of the collective,

This author is fantastic at the little details and creates vivid yet powerful images and descriptions. Its a real world.

I cant not comment on how much I adored the first and last chapter which frame this novel so perfectly. The advent calendar windows felt very Under Milk Wood like to me, and I liked the sleeping street before meeting the characters first hand at the beginning.

Adorable.