The Summer of Songbirds
Narrators: Jennifer Jill Araya, Reena Dutt, Jackie Sanders
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 978-1668010822
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 07/11/2023
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this heartwarming new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil.
Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for—and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.
June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier Bradley and Mary Stuart Harris, during a fateful summer at camp, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne discovers that Lanier’s fiancé—who just so happens to be her client—has done something highly illegal, she must choose between her job and her friendship.
Meanwhile, Lanier is hiding secrets both new and old that might make Daphne see the situation in an entirely different light. When one of those secrets unexpectedly rises to the surface, it threatens to change the very fabric of their friendship.
But when the women learn that their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they put aside their own problems and band together with June to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.
From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.
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My Review
Master Southern storyteller Kristy Woodson Harvey (a favorite) returns following The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series with her latest summer sizzler, THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS —a perfect beach read! Four women come together to save a much-loved and memorable summer camp.
June Moore has some difficult decisions to make. She is about to lose Camp Holly Springs. The camp has been her life for over thirty years. She sacrificed for the camp—her business, and her home.
Her niece Daphne loved the camp where she met her best friends Lanier and Mary Stuart. She spent every summer here with her aunt. The girls (The Songbirds) are now women in their thirties. She must tell them the news and knows they will be devastated.
Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart met on the first day of Camp Holly Springs when they were six. Their friendship continued over the years, and later worked as counselors.
Daphne is a single mom of four-year-old Henry. Steven is a large part of their lives, a great dad, friends, but never married. Huff is the love of her life, but they are keeping it a secret for now.
When Daphne learns of her aunt June's financial situation and possibly the loss of the much-loved camp, she is ready to help. Her aunt June was there for her when he mom was not. The camp meant so much that she rallied her friends for assistance.
Lanier is to be married, but her fiancé is not the man she thought, and then an old flame surfaces, her first love, and she is torn. Then a secret comes out, which causes problems with her best friend.
Mary Stuart is getting married, and they plan a bachelorette party at the camp. This brings back a lot of memories and first loves.
The three women decide they will use their skills to raise money to help save the camp for Aunt June and hold a special camp weekend for all the families and friends of those who attended camp over the years.
Daphne is reconnecting with Huff, the love of her life. Huff is Lanier's brother, and the two friends are upset that Lanier is about to marry the wrong man. Hopefully, at the bachelorette camp, they will convince her otherwise.
No matter their problems, nothing is more critical to the songbirds than Camp Holly Springs!
Kristy Woodson Harvey dazzled us with her debut and every single book since. A huge fan, she again pens a beautiful, compelling, nostalgic, charming summer read of friendship, love, loss, romance, sisterhood, family, self-discovery, healing, and second chances.
THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS is essential for your summer reading. Rich in setting, place, and character with loads of charm, heart, and important takeaways. If you ever attended summer camp (or your kids), you will adore revisiting those memorable lazy summer days when things were simpler —nature, first loves, friendships, and good times.
A summer delight and an ideal book club pick!
For fans of Jennifer Weiner's Golden Hills.
As I mentioned years ago, the author is a mix of Emily Giffin and Dorothea Benton Frank and is well-deserving of the title with her signature voice as the top Southern author of today. Every book is 5 STARS! Do not miss this one.
Special thanks to the author and Gallery books for the beautiful print copy, and truly honored to be included with her long list of supporters and the beautiful swag - I love the KWH fanny pack put to good use. Also, thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Praise
“The Summer of Songbirds is a warm, hopeful story of friendship, love, and second chances. Reading this book genuinely feels like sipping iced tea with your best friends on a hot summer day. Put this in your beach bag immediately.”
—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers
“Harvey reminds us that sisterhood can take many forms…With a strong dose of nostalgia and multiple narrations from Daphne, Lanier, and June, the book will appeal to Mary Kay Andrews and Katherine Center fans, who will revel in the support the women demonstrate for one another.”
—Booklist
"Equal parts moving and nostalgic, Kristy Woodson Harvey's latest novel is a story of four friends who unite to save a summer camp and find out much more about friendship, love, and their own lives in the process."
—Southern Living
"For anyone who ever went to and loved a sleepaway camp, Southern bestselling sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey's latest novel is the one for you."
—Katie Couric Media
“An emotional and engaging story of friendships that last a lifetime, with all the drama, love, and painful truths that entails. Truly wonderful. Brace yourself—you’re going to want to be a Songbird, too!”
—Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sister Effect
“Your big summer read has arrived! Kristy Woodson Harvey serves up a beautiful, bubbly celebration of everything we love about summer—nostalgia for the sweet days of childhood, the indelible bonds of lifelong friendships, secrets and sorrows, and a shared commitment to rescue a beloved summer icon. A story to savor…and share with a friend.”
—Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sugar and Salt
“The Summer of Songbirds is a champagne toast to friendship, love, and the joys of summer. Read the brilliant first sentence and you’ll be right there at Camp Holly Springs and you’ll never want to leave. This is a wonderful summer read!”
—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of All the Days of Summer
"A bright and sweet story that captures the beauty and complexity of female friendship as it grows from childhood connection to a bond stronger than family. Filled with strong women with real struggles, a community that supports one another, and love stories that will warm your heart, this is a tight healing hug of a novel."
— Sonali Dev, bestselling author of The Vibrant Years
About the Author
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.
Her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com.
She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
Check out my fun #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A Interviews with Kristy where we go behind the scenes of the book and this fabulous author!
