Member Reviews
Savannah’s family was never able to recover after her twin sister disappeared when she was four years old. Savannah, still stuck in her home town of Muscadine, Louisiana convinces her other two sisters, Rayanne and Sue Ellen to come back home to dig up a time capsule they buried 25 years earlier.
The three sisters and their grandmother, Meemaw, learn how to forgive and love themselves and each other again after the tragedies their family has gone through.
“I hadn’t known my heart was strong enough to break twice.” 😭😭
Wow, I really loved this story! I laughed (mostly at Meemaw, she was fantastic) and cried and felt all the emotions in between.
All three sisters were so relatable and so real, there was something in each of them I could identify with. Laura Barrows writing style transported me to this small town of Muscadine, Louisiana, I felt like I was there with them. I already miss these characters!
Thank you NetGalley, Laura Barrow and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this wonderful story.
This one called to me as the mom of four girls myself. A touching story of sisterhood, loss, and forgiveness.
I loved the story and character development of the girls and meemaw. I think she could have had her own book.
The only reason it didn't make a five star was the ending. I just felt like the whole story was leading up to what ended up being a quickly summarized paragraph. Would have loved to see that fleshed out a bit more.
Thinking my mom would love this one as well so hope to see an audiobook.
This book is a beautiful story of a family surviving together. Sometimes the things we do for those we love might be too much even though it comes from the heart. This is a story of a woman who finds herself in motherhood. Then we also get to see her as a grandmother and how drastically life changed for her. I loved this book. It's not a fairy tale, but it's the reality that pulls at the heartstrings. As a woman, this story hit my soul.
5 stars out of 5!
I really enjoyed this book and did not want it to end. Meemaw was my favorite character in the book and she really made the story. I also enjoyed all 3 sisters and thought they were written well. This book switches between past and present, as well as different point of views between the sisters and Meemaw.
Call the Canaries Home takes place in the deep South of Louisiana. Savannah's twin sister went missing when they were just 4 years old. Many years later, Savannah gets her sisters to come back home to dig up a time capsule they had buried 25 years earlier. The book takes us from past to present in search of clues of her sister Georgia's disappearance. We get to know all the sisters and Meemaw along the way and also get a look at how all their lives have changed since that day.
I really enjoyed the life stories of all the characters and how they each managed after such tragedies. Overall, this was such a sweet story and I was sad when the story ended. I'm looking forward to reading more by Laura Barrow in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
Had to suspend belief a bit for this one, but I did enjoy the relationships and the small town drama. The fact that they remembered where they buried the time capsule 25 years ago was hard to wrap my mind around. I can’t remember where my things are within a week. So details like that took away from the story for me but overall an enjoyable reading experience!
The description of this book leaned more into the disappearance of the sister but the book itself is more of the emotional side of the surviving sisters 28 years later. It jumps between each sister in the present, told from their own side, and Meemaw's historical view starting with the birth of their mother. It could get a little confusing remembering which sister was 'talking' despite them being very different.
I guess was looking for a bit more mystery but they never really 'solve' the disappearance that weekend, just find out more about their family and try to fix the deep wounds that have kept them apart for years. I am glad they found some peace at the end though, they reminded me a little of my own sisters with a bit of us in Rayanne, Sue Ellen and Savannah. Definitely time for a catchup with my own Rayanne.
Overall this was a good family drama.. A bit hard to follow in the beginning but overall a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the E-ARC
All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
I loved this book so much and didn’t want it to end. I will miss the wonderfully written characters, especially the formidable Meemaw! This was a special book which will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley, Laura Barrow and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
For some reason when I picked this book up I thought it was going to be a thriller. I thought the main part of the plot was going to be finding out what happened to Georgia. At its core, Call the Canaries Home is about estranged sisters reconnecting.
I loved how feisty Meemaw was in her love for her family. I loved the small town atmosphere (and small town drama!). It was a little hard to keep Sue Ellen, Savannah, and Rayanne’s stories separate at times because their “voices” are so similar.
All in all, a great heartwarming story about family.
Readers who like a slow southern read will love this. Meemaw and three granddaughters tell this multilayered story and the mystery behind the disappearance of the youngest sister. Meemaw, a strong Southern woman showed no fear when protecting her daughter and granddaughters. Her no nonsense manner drove the story with her ways that was truly the 'talk of the town.' Recommended!
Book Review 📚
Call The Canaries Home by Laura Barrow - 4/5 ⭐
Meemaw - there aren't enough words to describe how AMAZING the woman is. I absolutely adore her and she remains my favourite character. Granted, the 3 sisters were also amazing, but Meemaw holds a place in my heart.
The story - I emerged from this book extremely grateful that I gave it a chance. I choose to read the book based solely off the cover (yes, I know, very naughty). But the story was amazing. The writing throughout was so easy and flowed together so even though we had some huge events/moments the writing style made it easy to continue. It's easily a book you could read within a day. The author has a talent.
I can honestly say that there wasn't anything within the story that made it predictable, I quite liked guessing over and over whilst continuing to be wrong. I don't want a book to reveal all at once and this book certainly didn't.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.
"Family is Family." -Meemaw
This was such a tragic yet absolutely heartwarming read, from the moment I picked this book up I was transported to the deep south and when it was finished I wasn't ready to leave.
"Call the Canaries Home" tells the story of a family who has suffered through more tragedies than anyone should have to encounter in one lifetime. Meemaw the matriarch loved so deeply and fought hard to protect her family. I highlighted and pondered the wisdom she shared with her family as if she was my grandmother. There was something so wholesome and pure about her character that will stick with me.
The character growth from Savannah, Sue Ellen and Rayanne was really moving. Each of the sister's handled the trauma and tragedy from their childhood differently putting a strain on their relationship but the family bond bent, stretched and remained intact. Falling apart doesn't mean things can't be mended back together.
This was a special read, it does touch on sensitive topics but the author handled them very respectfully. I hope that you'll give this book a chance, I will absolutely be recommending it!
Thank you Laura Barrow, Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book.
This was a gentle read set in the Midwest of the USA. It reminded me of the book Where the Crawdads Sing but, not as good. I enjoyed this one very much. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
I enjoyed this family drama and the stories of the sisters and the paths their lives took after tragedy. I enjoyed the different perspectives and how the story came together. I did feel there were some key parts to the story that did not get enough attention with the ending feeling a little unsatisfying. I would def suggest this for a summer read, a perfect family story to read this summer. Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.
"Call the Canaries Home" by Laura Barrow is a beautiful story about redemption and loss. Estranged sisters, Savannah, Sue-Ellen and Rayanne return to their small Louisiana town to open a time capsule they placed 25 years previously. They uncover the time capsule to find what they feel might be a clue in the disappearance of their sister, Savannah's twin Georgia many years previously.
This is a a mystery with well written characters and a wonderful backdrop. It is a mystery, but it is also about sister and family bonds and re-connection.
I read this book in one day! It is a lovely read.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.
Call The Canaries Home is richly atmospheric and will transport your right to southern Louisiana. It’s also a really sweet story about the many ways to show love for your family. I really enjoyed reading this book and was intrigued with they mystery of the disappearing twin. I look forward to reading more from this author!
I love Southern Literature and this book did not disappoint. Told by four different characters (Grandmother and her three granddaughters), the story revolves around the disappearance of another grandchild years before. I did not see the ending coming. A wonderful book to read about what family means.
I live in the South and love Southern fiction.This book was so thoroughly Southern you can’t help but love it.Meemaw was a formidable central figure.I loved her role in this book.This was a beautiful story of sisters and the bond that binds them together with the thread of grief from the disappearance of one sister.
Thankyou Netgalley and publishers for this ARC
For some reason I thought this was going to be more of a mystery, where the sisters come together and figure out what happened to Georgia. It was still a solid read about family dynamics and relationships though. Oh and Meemaw was definitely a character and it's worth a read alone for her comments and antics.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Call the Canaries Home is a sweet, uplifting, fulfilling family drama about redemption and love. The book moves along quickly with several love stories including a grandmother’s love of her children and grandchildren. I enjoyed reading this Southern story about how the girls finally find their way home.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.