This book is about a mother who tries to find her son. He went missing in India seven years ago. It is a very strong, gripping story and a journey of discovery with some wonderful characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for an advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book for a fair and honest review.

This was an ok book for me. I enjoyed the descriptions of Scotland and some were very accurate too. I didn’t feel invested though in the outcome and I didn’t have the interest in finishing this book. I just feel this story fell flat. I so wanted to read it and feel the way many reviewers did but I did not.

Sunbirds is ostensibly about a mother (Anne) searching for her missing son Torran who disappeared in India 7 years ago whilst on a gap year. She is accompanied by her niece Esther, a journalist, with whom she has a strange love/hate relationship. However on a deeper level it is about Ann's search for herself. Her understanding of why she rejects everyone in her search for herself. I really didn't enjoy the book as much as other reviewers seem to have done. The fault may be mine I don't know. I suggest you try it and see.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be an immersive and absorbing read. Most of the books I have read which are set in India are based in the cities with all their colour, vibrancy, huge populations, obvious poverty and inequality but this one takes the readers to the mountain areas which seem to be awe inspiring, beautiful and full of mystery and even danger. The book showed me a different, quieter, mistier India.

The book deals with love, friendships, family ties and complications, searches of various kinds, isolation in both a physical and psychological sense, desire for solitude, self realisation, selfishness, choices and their consequences - often things which are two sides of the same coin. Everything that happens is completely believable.

There is something so engaging about the writing and we get a real sense of each and every character in the book from major to minor. Everything is so well described that you can see it and almost feel that you are there. i was invested in the characters and desperate to know what was going to happen. I was particularly struck by the Last Chance Saloon and there is a real sense of danger in, for example, the journey back to it.

I suppose none of the characters are particularly likeable as such although I dont think that matters, we can understand their motives and possibly identify with them in their feelings and frailties.. Everyone in the book goes on some sort of journey which both confirms them and changes them.

The ending is not perhaps quite as we might have expected but it is not hopeless or sad.

If you like thought provoking, psychologically realistic books with no ridiculous, farfetched events or solutions, you will enjoy this great read.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting, flawed and well drawn out. Sometimes I felt like I was inhaling it rather than reading it as it was so rich. Well worth a read.

This book is truly beautiful. I’m astounded that this is a debut novel. Penelope Slocombe transports the reader to northern India and the Himalayas then back again to Scotland, then back again, all the time ensuring the reader is invested in her characters, whether wholly likeable or not. Her writing is clever, wise, poetic, and thoughtful .
The main theme of self discovery is potent yet handled delicately. I was left wanting more, even though the book concludes well. Will definitely look out for this author’s next work. Cannot recommend this highly enough.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers, John Murray Press for this ARC. Excellent editing.

Torran (18) disappears on a trip to India. Seven years later, his mother, Anne, has moved to India and continues to search for him. Her estranged niece, Esther, gets a tip off that Torran might be in a particular commune and goes to India to tell Anne. Despite their frosty relationship, the two women search.
But this is less of a mystery story and more of a journey through grief, self-discovery, forgiveness and reconciliation in a sumptuously described setting. Ideal for readers of slow-burning literary fiction.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

4,5 stars. Anne searches for his son Torren, and her niece Esther accompanies her, and soon the search becomes a search for meaning.
It is hard to believe this is a debut. It is well-written and edited, telling layers of stories and human condition within only 300 pages.
The author is a master at her craft, and I enjoyed exploring life with Anne.
If you have been to India, you will find yourself revisiting it,
If you’re new to India, you will love it.
This book is bold and honest, and does not shy away from delving into deep topics.

Anne’s teenage son disappeared in the Himalayas seven years ago.
She has never given up looking for him.
Now her niece has news of a sighting and the hunt is on to find him before he disappears again.
A slow moving story about loss and relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

India is the star of this excellent novel - with all of the mystery and warmth and enigma of the land and people. Anne has been searching in India for her adult son who walked out of his hotel seven years ago and has disappeared into thin air. Nobody knows if he is alive or dead until a tantalising clue brings Anne back to the start of her search. There is so much to this novel - the trials and expectations of motherhood, self worth and self belief, the mysticism of India and the hippie trail and so much more. Penelope Slocombe handles all of this with a deft and light touch and you find yourself drawn into the lives of the people this disappearance has touched. A remarkable debut novel.

The foothills of the Himalayas are the setting for this story of a missing son. Scenic descriptions of trekking into the wilderness are outstanding taking you with them step by step. The joys and sorrow of the search are told with penetrating realism. This is a truly emotionally descriptive journey of a narrative.

Well I requested this book on a whim to broaden my reading, it wouldn't have been my normal choice in a book shop. However, this book is incredible. I was gradually drawn in to the lives of the characters. Although I'm not a mother I did empathise with Anne. She wasn't overly mawkish , oh woe is me, more a trapped spirit aching for freedom and some answers along the way which I can relate to. The writing is very descriptive and evocative of India, you really get a sense of the place. It reminded me in some ways of Waiting for Godot where Anne was perhaps the only one truly waiting. I liked the imagery of the birds and their symbolism. The ending , at first I thought was rather weak but then as I thought about it , probably better than a nicely packaged all well type. I think this would make a great film and i've already cast it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the writing is beautiful. I felt like I had traveled to India with Anne. I would love to actually visit this country because Penelope Slocombe’s book describes it so well.
Anne has traveled to India to search for her missing son who she hasn’t heard from for seven years. Being the mother of two sons myself, one of whom I don’t see, my heart ached for her. Sunbirds is a beautiful book that I would highly recommend. I’m looking forward to Penelope Slocombes next novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

The premise of this book really appealed to me, set in the Himalayas, and refreshing to read despite its dark nature. A mother endeavours to discover the whereabouts of her missing son and when a sighting is confirmed, she embarks on an emotional journey of discovery. Anne is joined by her niece Esther who she seems irritated by initially and as the story develops more is revealed about their relationship. Anne’s character seems to mature and she starts to make sense of her life.

A great debut from this author. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for allowing me to read an ARC of Sunbirds by Penelope Slocombe.

This novel set between India and Scotland follows Anne and Esther as they search for Anne's son, who went missing in India seven years before.

Throughout the story, readers become fully immersed into the surroundings and sublime scenery of the mountains of India, the towns, the cities, the roads, the animals. Slocombe's writing is truly remarkable.

Slocombe deftly empathises with the parents of missing children, and the feeling of never knowing what happened to them. I can barely put into words how emotional and extraordinary this book was.

There is so much discussion of ethics, spirituality, selfishness, the need for self discovery. People are complex, and so is the world we live in. Are we parts of a puzzle, or is it more important for us to find our own way? And what happens to the people who get left behind?

This is not a book about birds, but about people. People who long for freedom that seems to be possessed only by birds. People who, just like birds, fly high, leaving the present place to another, whenever it likes to, without responsibility, without reserve. The question is, is it possible for human being to take the same way of life as of birds?

On the whole, It's quite a poignant story of helplessness, of coping with daily struggles. Anne, the mother, felt that she's not a good mom no matter how hard she tries. And through the story we meet others who feel trapped in the world he or she is at present, and the long to break free, which in my opinion, is simply irresponsibility. I loved the Himalayan, back-to-the-nature themes; loved the birds appearances - a purple sunbird, a blue-throated barber, and a whistling thrush - but found the ending is rather inconclusive (it is just me I guess, I just dislike stories that aren't rounded up nicely at the end).

This was a beautiful novel full of sorrow , but also containing small bits of joy. As a mother, I could resonate with the main character as she searches for her son who had been missing from Nepal for 7 years. The story wove the narrative in and out of the past and the present to build the story. A different story, very original and with wonderful descriptions of the scenery.

This is a gripping debut novel about a mother's determination to find her missing son. It’s really well written and you feel as if you are in the Himalaya with Anne, Esther and their guide Dawa.
An excellent read!

"'𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮' 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨; 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠"

Anne's son Torren went missing when travelling in India seven years ago. For the last seven years her life has been filled with trying to find him. Her niece, has some news which could lead them to Torren. This book follows the journey of trying to find hkm using the new information gained.

I cannot wait for this book to be released as I will be going and purchasing two copies immediately, one for me and one for my mum who will love this as much as I have.
Although it covers some sad, hard hitting subjects it is still a brilliant read. I was hooked and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next and to see if they find him. The three day trek Anne, her niece Esther and their guide Dawa took was brilliant, I felt I was there with them.
I only have two slight criticisms with it, I feel like Liam had no story ending as such and the ending left me wanting more! Although, these two factors didn't effect the story enough for me to mark it down in any way.

Absolutely brilliant, I will definitely be recommending it.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the opportunity to read the ARC copy of this book.

Anne is on a quest to find her son, missing from a town in India near the foothills of the Himalayas since he was eighteen, seven years ago. This is an area where many young people also disappeared in the late 1990s.

Anne is estranged from her husband who believes their son died a long time ago. She begins yet another journey to seek her son after a tip-off given to her niece Esther, with whom she has always had a fractured relationship. Anne and Esther’s story was genuinely touching. I grew to understand both of their characters and thought them well drawn.

Despite the dark nature of the story, this is really a love story and love song to India, its people, to the Himalayas and surrounding region, although the author certainly acknowledges its darker side, poverty and exploitation.

I really enjoyed Sunbirds and found the author’s style of writing thoughtful and measured. Although I felt everybody spoke the same way; even the Tibetan Guide sounded exactly the same as Anne, Esther and Robert who are Scottish. Some differing speech patterns or attempt at replicating dialects would have made the characters distinct and more authentic. This did not take away from my enjoyment of the book and resulting fascination about ‘India syndrome’, the Hippie Trail, ashrams and cults. I need to read more about all!

I think the ending may frustrate some readers, however I was satisfied and thought it fitted well with the arc of the story which is about acceptance, forgiveness and resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.