CALL THE CANARIES HOME
Laura Barrow
Lake Union Publishing
July 1, 2023
299 pages
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Imagine the setting of rural Louisiana, 3 sisters who are testy with each other, the mystery of a missing twin from 25 years ago, a time capsule, also from 25 years ago and a Meemaw! Oh, I almost forgot the pot-bellied pig who is a house pet. Perfect for a summertime read!
This book is a bit of an enigma. Often, the writing style and the narrative are quite breezy, quirky and a little off the wall – not in a bad way. But the undertone of the story is quite serious. The surviving twin cannot get rid of a feeling that her missing twin is still out there, the sisters are constantly at each other’s throats. Even though they are in their 20s, sibling rivalry is still strong. Meemaw has a terrible hoarding problem, which is commonly recognized as a symptom of a much deeper-seated issue. A lot of family conflict exists.
Having travelled quite extensively through the Deep South I am familiar with the atmosphere of small towns. I love the description of the small town in this book and the characters that we briefly meet. The town is Muscadine, it is fictional.
There are a few surprises that pop up throughout the book. I can’t really call them a twist because it’s not a suspenseful story. But the surprises are interesting and fun to see where they lead.
The main themes of the book are forgiving, acceptance and the ability to move forward. This was all achieved.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy.
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