Goodbye Birdie Greenwing By Ericka Waller

‘Goodbye Birdie Greenwing’ is the latest book by Ericka Waller.

Birdie Greenwing has been at a loose end ever since her beloved twin sister and husband passed away. Too proud and stubborn to admit she is lonely, Birdie’s world has shrunk. But then some new neighbours move in to the house next door. Jane has come to Brighton for a fresh start, away from her ferociously protective mother Min. While Jane finds it hard to stand up for herself, her daughter Frankie has no problem telling people what she does and doesn’t want. Ada Kowalski has come to England to follow her dreams, but her new life is harder than she expected. 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.

For the second time, I’ve found myself sitting on my stairs sobbing at an Ericka Waller book, it’s a book that’s tenderly and beautifully written about friendship, loss and hope.

The story is seen from the perspective of 3 women who have nothing in common but are drawn together in a sad but heartwarming. Polish born Ada is an oncologist who’s just told Birdie that she has terminal cancer and there’s nothing that she can, whilst Jane is a nurse who along with her daughter Frankie has moved from Bristol to Brighton, she’s also Birdie’s neighbour and helps her one night when Birdie has a fall. The story follows the 3 women through the last days of Birdie’s days and the friendship they’ve made along the way.

I loved the characters in this story, Ada is a lone wolf who after years of being alone find an interest in Wilbur, her intern – a kind man. She left Poland for a life hoping to cure people but instead finds herself delivering terrible news. Jane is at a crossroads, her daughter Frankie is outspoken and likes order like her grandmother Min, who I bleddy loved and Jane misses the close relationship she had with her sister Suki. Finally there’s Birdie a grand soul who lives with her dog called Audrey, who’s longed for death ever since her husband and twin sister died in an accident and now when it’s knocking on her dog she finds a new lust for life.

This story is an exploration of relationships, love, friendship and family and makes for tender reading as people face up to the past and learn to move on. It’s funny with characters that are both relatable and it’s so wonderfully crafted when the characters interact with each other and the reader joins them on this new friendship.

‘Goodbye Birdie Greenwing’ is a poignant story that tugs at the heartstrings but also has you smiling at the unexpected moments of humour, particularly from Frankie and Min. A story about loss, cancer and neurodiversity and even though it left me bawling at the end, this book was a joy to read.

You can buy ‘Goodbye Birdie Greenwing’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.