I recommended The Music of Bees to so many people, and then I saw that Garvin had written a new novel, Crow Talk. I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't. What a beautiful book, and not one to rush through. I appreciated the detailed information on birds and nature from someone who is obviously passionate about it.

definitely a slow starter, but beautifully written. i'm a birder, so i appreciated the constant bird references. might have been a little too slow for me, though.

This is a really beautifully written book. I liked Frankie and Anne and Aiden. I liked how a bird brings them together. I felt from the writing like I was there with these characters and going through these emotions with them.
It is slow at times, but I think it helps add the back story as we learn about these characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Fiction
Setting: Washington
Format: 📖
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Length: 368 Pages

Ornithologist, Mary France (Frankie) O’Neill recently lost her father. Frankie is struggling, lonely, broke, no job, no place to live other than the family summer cottage and after a tiff with her adviser she is having difficulties completing her dissertation on the spotted owl. Her mother is distant, cold and comes across hardhearted.

Irish born musician and schoolteacher; Anne Ryan like Frankie is having her difficulties. She is far from home and family, still grieving over her lost best friend Kat that died in a horrible accident and trying to raise a five-year-old son Aiden who just stopped talk. Being married into the wealth and powerful Magnusen family is not helping. The Magnusen matriarch is thoughtless as to her family needs as long as they all cater to her needs – this is causing martial problem for Anne

Unexpectedly, an injured baby crow will bring these two women and one little boy together to form an unusual bond and help all three on a journey of healing, leaning to be assertive and finding peace.

In 2022 I read Eileen Garvin’s debut novel The Music of Bees, a book I thoroughly enjoyed and was eager to get my hands on her latest novel Crow Talk. However, I have such conflicting feeling about Crow Talk. While I thought the writing was beautiful with true-to-life characters with real life problems there was something I was having a hard time connecting with. I enjoyed learning about crows, their family dynamics and communication skills. At times I found storyline jump times and left me confused, I found parts dragged and were a little tad repetitive. A great read for someone that does not mind a slow read dealing with loss, grief, friendship and lots of great bird information

Thank you, Eileen Garvin, Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on April 30, 2024.

This book checked all the boxes for me. I loved the way the crows were woven throughout, and I was completely engaged by both storylines and the way they came together. What a beautifully written, lovely story of people coming into themselves and moving past barriers to connect deeply with one another -- not to mention a reminder of the importance of our relationship to the natural world. I'll be recommending it widely.

Thanks very much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read a digital copy in advance of publication.

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin is a poignant exploration of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. The narrative follows Frankie O'Neill, a struggling ornithologist, and Anne Ryan, an Irish musician navigating life in a remote community. Their lives intersect when Frankie discovers an injured baby crow, setting in motion a journey of love, grief, and rediscovery for all three lost souls—Frankie, Anne, and Aiden, Anne's son. Despite a slow and at times repetitive plot, the novel weaves a tale of resilience, highlighting the transformative power of nature and the interconnectedness of human relationships. While some readers may find the pacing challenging, the book's strengths lie in its exploration of grief, the beauty of avian life, and the enduring importance of communication in overcoming life's challenges. Overall, Crow Talk is a unique and emotionally resonant story, offering both moments of reflection and a celebration of the human spirit.

This one was a little bit more challenging than "The Music of Bees" to gt into. While to info on bees seemed tobe woven into the story, the ornithological info in this book seemed to be more of a lesson. About 1/3 of the way through magic happened and I got sucked into the lives and stories of the character. Fantastic character development and relationship growth were the key messages, presented in a unique and wonderful way. Please, if you find it difficult to begin, persevere. The reward is well worth it.
Thanks to #NetGalley#CrowTalk#DuttonPlumeTinyReparations for the eARC

Crow talk by Eileen Garvin is a well written book about grief ,love and relationships.Mary Frances O’Neill called Frankie is going to June Lake in a remote area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest where her family vacationed for many years.She is planning to finish her masters thesis in ornithology..Ann Ryan is a music teacher at Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts.Her husband Tim Magnussen’s parents own a newspaper business.They have a large lake home on June Lake.Their son Aiden has stoped talking and is showing behavior problems.You will enjoy how their stories are woven together with the other people in their lives and information about birds.

I read Garvin's previous book, "The Music of Bees" and I was excited to read this ARC. I liked this one, but I didn't love it.

Two women, one well-off and one bordering on incredibly poor, come together on the island Frankie grew up on. Frankie has gone back to the summer cottage to try to pull her life back together. Finishing her dissertation and dealing with a less than cooperative advisor, coming to grips with the death of her beloved father. Anne and her son and husband live in the big house up the hill. Anne's career as a musician has stalled, her five-year-old son has stopped speaking, her husband is frustrated by the demands of his controlling parents.

Frankie rescues a baby crow and this rescue leads her in a vastly different direction. She and Aiden meet and something clicks between them. Aiden, although mute, is very interested in the baby crow and Frankie's simple home and life. Frankie and Anne are both true caregivers, although their approach to caregiving is very different.

The story moves slowly and the culmination is dramatic. Through it all, we learn a lot about the effects of grief on people and the lives of crows and their sense of community.

What a phenomenal novel! Crow Talk is a 5 star, heartfelt novel that had me at hello! The storyline was well thought out and was intentionally paced so the reader would slow down and savor the book—love that! The characters are so incredibly endearing and will definitely stay with me. Eileen Garvin is a master at writing character driven novels, and I recommend Crow Talk to absolutely everyone.

This is one of those rare books I totally fall in love with and know I will be buying at least three hardcovers when it’s published. Not to mention all the easy promoting I will be doing. What a beautiful story filled with gorgeous descriptions of the woods, the island, the cottages, the characters and especially the birds. Crows are important to my family. Our mother kept them fed and watered especially in the cold Wisconsin winters. I love the layered story lines of the characters and their strengths and weaknesses. Just a lovely read that I am thankful to have a chance to read and share with others.

This was a marvelous read. The melding of two totally different women, dealing with life issues on their own, into a gratifying friendship is beautifully done. Just like her previous novel, The Music of Bees, I immersed myself into the idiosyncrasies of a a breed of bird that doesn’t get much recognition for their smartness, their family bonding, and their ability to communicate. What amazing creatures they are!

I highly recommend this book. See if you don’t find yourself looking at crows in a different light. I did.

I wanted to love this book, but sadly, it was not for me. The story didn't interest me after a few chapters of birds communicating. I can see how some will love it though. The cover is gorgeous. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

This book is about exactly what the title says: crow communication. If there’s anything you want to know about how crows communicate with each other, this is the book for you!

Having thoroughly enjoyed the story of human characters in The Music of Bees, I was eager to read another book by Eileen Garvin. Yes, there are human characters in Crow Talk, but they’re not the point of the book. The whole point of the book is about how crows (birds) communicate.

The plot (involving people) moved very slowly. It was repetitive and, quite frankly, boring. The reader was told the same thing, multiple times and often using the same words. The book is long. Was there a climax? Not really. It just droned on to the end and suddenly the light shined, leopards changed their spots and everyone lived happily ever after.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did finish it, but only because I had enjoyed The Music of Bees so much.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this book but for me it was a little too slow paced. I love nature but have a hard time reading descriptions of it so I had a hard time engaging.

I absolutely adored this book—from the gorgeous PNW setting to the characters and critters that inhabit it—I wasn’t ready for Crow Talk to come to an end.

Really looking forward to this book being out in the world next spring!

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Content Warnings:
- 1 f word and a handful of Irish curses
- Loss of a parent

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the writing was good, and the emotions of the characters were relatable, which I found refreshing. I also enjoyed the friendship and the many bird facts woven throughout. I did find parts of this book to be dragging, confusing, and hard to stay engaged. This book time jumps a lot, I found Anne's POV to be confusing, and I would catch myself having to back up and reread to get back on track of what was happening in the present time. Frankie also had time jumps, but I found it much harder to keep up with Anne for some reason. I felt some of these jumps could have been omitted as they were not always necessary. The folklore chapters did not interest me at all, and I did not find them relevant to the story. The last 45% of the book is when I really got into it and couldn't put it down. Truly, the best part of the book was the later part. Overall, I found this book to be slow and slightly disappointing. However, I would still recommend Crow Talk to others looking for a heartfelt read of life, loss, and friendship.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin/Dutton, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC copy.

A slow, but engaging read . Unfortunately due to time retstraints I read this book quickly, but it is really a book to take slowly and savour along the way. I suppose this book is about grief , but it is also about relationships with family and friends and communication .Both Anne and Frankie have their own far reaching problems in their work and personal lives when they meet each other iat a remote location inWashington state. This book is written from each of their viewpoints in turn . The writing is believable and thoughtful . Descriptions of the wildlife and countryside interesting and well done.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I hope to reread this book sometime

I was to vacation to the shores of June Lake! I love a good read that makes you feel like you are right there within the setting descriptions. As an animal lover this was such a heartfelt read!

Thank you Netgalley!

CROW TALK is a well-crafted women's fiction story about resilience and healing. As the main character, Frankie immediately engages the reader with her quiet grief. When Anne and Aiden show up, the plot really gets going. This is not a fast-paced or action-filled story, but readers looking for an introspective story about the healing power of nature and human connection will enjoy this one.

I also enjoyed the facts about nature (especially crows) and folklore.

The setting is vividly portrayed.

The ending wraps up things nicely and provides a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary e-galley; all opinions in this review are my own.