This is a book that had all the things I like in life. Family, food, second chances (don't we all deserve them!). Love the setting and the story kept me interested with the so many things than can go wrong on so many levels. But this book although has a sadness to it in parts but it really is an uplifting story with some great characters.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it a good story to tell.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was a DNF for me. I got to 30% and decided it was not for me. Hopefully it will be a good fit for someone else!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

Unfortunately I struggled through this book.. This book was based on the true disaster Deepwater Horizon. I think I just wasn't in the mood to read something like this so for that reason I could not give it a high rating.

The Pelican Tide is a story about the grit and resilience of the people of Grand Isle, LA before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also called the BP oil spill) in April 2010. This historical fiction account tells the story of a family struggling before the oil spill and devastated after the spill.. The economics of this community are based on fishing and tourism, which both stopped after the spill. Grand Isle is a barrier island off the coast of New Orleans. We hear so much about oil spills in the news right when it happens - but what really happens for the days and weeks after.?

This oil spill was an environmental disaster for the gulf coast. It was interesting to hear about this from the perspective of someone that lived there. I can only imagine how sad it would be to see the damage first hand, day after day after day. Not to mention that your ability to make a living was totally shutdown. The characters in this story were well developed and had issues just like the rest of us. Sharon Wishnow did a great job making this story come to life. I loved the character - Gumbo. You will have to read the book to find out about this very special character!

The Pelican Tide is a heartfelt family drama that centers Chef Josie Babineaux as its protagonist. Josie has her family and plenty of friends within the small Gulf island community that relies on oil economically in equal measure to its threat to the community environmentally. Within this context, she's attempting to launch a career, rebuild her family, and care for the restaurant's mascot, a brown pelican.

I enjoyed this tale of a woman, mid-career, making the best of her talent while balancing the demands of the community, teenage children, an elderly father, and a wayward husband. The characters are well-defined and the emotional plot points hit like lightning. Learning about the precariousness of island life, fauna, and habitats in the face of a devastating oil spill felt like an amazing extra.

In addition, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys emotional tales but is weary of the doom-and-gloom realism that seems to have invaded literature and entertainment recently. Put another way: here's a hard-working and relatable main character who gets her just desserts!

This book was a page turner. I loved the setting in New Orleans and all the information shared about the oil spill. The book went into detail about how it affected each and every one in the small town. This is a must read

This book focuses on a fictional family of Grand Isle, Louisiana just before, during and after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. The characters of Josie and Brian are quite nuanced and resonate quickly. The facts of the disaster mixed with the emotional story of the family can be a bit heavy but are very compelling. I could see some readers feeling a bit defensive of the oil industry, but I think Wishnow is fair in her representation of the situation and the impact a disaster like that has not just on the local community but on the rig employees as well.

Overall, this was a beautiful book. Great character development, smooth pacing of the story, factual and narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and hope you will to!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

What a beautiful story about resiliency. The Pelican Tide digs deep into the resilient spirit of a community, a family, a woman and even a pelican! Through a wide array of differing examples Wishnow shows the beauty and complexity of relationships enduring the unknown struggles of tragedy on so many levels. The realities of an oil spill make you angry and demand justice once you understand the implications. This isn’t just a story to entertain but one to move the reader and spur them into action. I thoroughly enjoyed her examination of the human spirit and its inherent connection to nature. A must read for 2024 and beyond!

The Pelican Tide by Sharon J. Wishnow is a fascinating book about A pelican and a restaurant. The Pelican Tide takes place during an oil spill and all the factors that go into an oil rig catching fire. Read it I think you will find the story interesting as there is a love story mixed in.

Pelican Tide is a book that has put me through an emotional wringer with is story and characters. Minnow, Josie's teen daughter, is taking me back to my youth with her idealism, confusion, and love of the natural world. Toby, the young son, is a reminder how I used to look at the world with hearts in my eyes because I knew in the end if we stayed solid as a family we could weather any storm. Brian, the husband, is so real and represents so many people I know whose lives are overtaken by addiction and are fighting to get that life back and prove they can be a success in the face of it. Maisey, Louise and Hollis, the best friends, are so strong in their love of their community and The Deans, Josie's father and brother, speak to the all the feelings and tensions that are the foundation of love. And, even the non human characters like Odeal's Resturant, Grand Island and Gumbo the pelican all are living breathing vital parts of this book of love, family, and community. And finally there is Josie, the central character who is so heartbreakingly strong and yet so open in her love for everyone and her willingness to question and grow dispute her own past. They all come together to tell a powerful story told in a voice that drew me in and had me laughing, smiling, crying and hoping that this small community would not just survive but thrive!

This is a beautifully nuanced story that shows the power of family, blood and found as well as near and displaced, to overcome disaster through grit, determination, love and just plain old stick-to-it-nes. Told in a vivid style Josie's story is one filled with not just heart and dialogue that shows how one woman grabs victory with the help her family and friends from defeat. This is a story of one woman who discovers what matters most to her and who she is as she fights to reclaim herself, her family, and her business, while also serving as a rallying point to draw her community together around her.

This was a story about a Louisiana family and their community coming together after not just an oil spill but also a Hurricane. This book really tugged at the heart strings following Josie who runs the family restaurant and is having to deal with her husbands past gambling debts. He now says he is getting help for his gambling problem and wants the family to get back together, she's torn.. Then there is an explosion on the oil rig he works on and she is devastated thinking he was on it. The water, sea life, fishing business and business on the water are devastated by the massive oil spill and the havoc it's also causing to peoples health. Shortly after there is a hurricane that almost takes a loved ones life and destroys many business in the community while spreading all the oil all over town,. These townsfolk can't be deterred and come together to help put everyone's houses and businesses back together while also traveling far to show support. It's a good book with some cute off shoot stories. It for sure will make you smile, cry and be glad this community has one another while wishing you were part of community like this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

This book was a little difficult to get through. I know the story of Deepwater Horizon, so I’m not sure if my prior knowledge and familiarity with the subject caused this, I like the writing, and the characters are compelling.

The Pelican Tide by Sharon J. Wishnow is the perfect summer read.
The charachters are richly drawn and each unique.
The story is endearing and draws the reader in.

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Good, enjoyable book, with lots of heart! I enjoyed learning about the restaurant and the consequences of the disaster spill. It felt like the characters were very complex, and it was a pleasure to follow them. Well crafted.

With crisp dialogue, a fast-moving plot, and engaging characters, it’s a reader’s delight

Thank you to Sharon J. Wishnow, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc of this book

Faced with a situation that unfortunately has occurred on more than one occasion and that affects the marine fauna and all those who depend on it, in The Pelican Tide we find a story that revolves around an oil spill near a port town where our protagonist lives.

From what I understood, this spill was specifically inspired by one that happened, although as I mentioned this incident is not isolated and has happened on many occasions, affecting all the marine wildlife in the area.

This book wants to be a summer read, but it is much more than that, we find a fast prose that makes you devour the book at once, but here there is more than just having an entertaining moment, we see how a woman tries to get out of financial and family problems in the tourist season, but because of this incident she sees all her plans even more truncated.

With such diverse characters that allow you to form a connection with their emotions and feelings as they go through this crisis.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this different story for the summer.

#ThePelicanTide #NetGalley

Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion is fictionalized in this heartwarming drama of a family trying to survive this disaster off the shore of Louisiana. Josie is just hanging on by the thread, keeping her restaurant going, parenting children and dealing with a husband addicted to gambling when the oil rig exploded. The characters are realistic, the struggle real and the heartbreak is devastating. Loved Gumbo the pelican! Lots of environmental issues are highlighted. Marital issues, teenage angst and a rocky childhood makes for an interesting read. Recommended.

An emotional and atmospheric tale of resiliency and family. Based on the real life Deepwater Horizon disaster, this tells Josie's story- and Gumbo the pelican's story as well. I liked this for the characters and the unflinching look at the challenges this family, this island faced. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

**Book Review: [Title] by [Author]**

Set against the evocative backdrop of Louisiana, The Pelican Tide by Sharon J. Wishnow captures the heart and spirit of a tight-knit community facing the upheaval of a natural disaster. As a devastating oil spill strikes, the island's dependence on summer tourism is threatened, effectively shutting down their most vital season. This calamity, however, sets the stage for a beautifully woven narrative that delves deep into the themes of resilience, love, and the true meaning of family and friendship.

The strength of The Pelican Tide lies in its richly developed characters. Each individual in the small town is lovingly crafted, making it easy for readers to form deep connections with them. As the story unfolds, you can’t help but grow fond of these characters, experiencing their joys and struggles as if they were your own. Sharon J. Wishnow skillfully portrays the nuances of marriage, exploring its highs and lows, and what it means to stand by your loved ones through thick and thin.

Moreover, the novel highlights the bonds that extend beyond blood relations, showcasing friendships that transform into familial ties in times of crisis. It's a heartwarming reminder of the community's power and the support system that can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

The Pelican Tide is a perfect summer read, combining an engaging storyline with heartfelt moments that leave you feeling uplifted. Its easy prose and compelling narrative make it a book you’ll want to devour in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advanced reader copy of this wonderful novel.