The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox: Book Review

 **ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A forbidden romance, a fractured family, and one woman's journey to piece it all together

Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt prepare for retirement. A town called Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she's desperate for respite from the attention and unwarranted admiration of her community. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird-watchers takes her under their wing--a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.

But when Ana's adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree--one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner's daughter and a preacher's son--what began as a getaway to help her great-aunt becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.

An immersive faith-based novel of finding belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings for fans of southern fiction. This narrative of friendship and community makes for a perfect book club selection.

The Author 

Amanda Cox is the Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, He Should Have Told the Bees, and Between the Sound and Sea. She holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com. 

Book Review

One thing that I have discovered about Amanda Cox is that she has a true talent for creating complex characters who will draw you into their lives and stories that will make you think and stay with you for a long time after reading. This one was no exception. This dual timeline novel takes us into the lives of each of these characters--- lives that certainly have their fair share of struggles and heartbreaks. I couldn't help but find myself intrigued be each of them. Despite the harder moments though, this is also a story that has a beautiful message of healing from past hurts and family trauma and strong messages of faith as well. It's definitely a bit of a slower read than I typically tend to prefer, and yet, it works perfectly for this story. If you enjoy women's fiction with faith themes, this is certainly one you'll want to check out for yourself.  


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4l9KQFf