Josie Babineaux, rather Chef Josie, has brought her culinary skills and training back to her hometown, married Brian and raised two children - and adopted Gumbo, an injured pelican. The story revolves around Josie and her marital problems. But when Brian narrowly escaped being on the oil rig where he worked by just a few hours before it exploded, things take a new turn. As they try to salvage their relationship, her restaurant and even Gumbo, we get a glimpse into her struggles - both financial and childhood.

I loved this book - it was multi-dimensional and kept me engaged. I wanted to keep reading because I felt tied to the characters in the story - even Gumbo (maybe especially Gumbo). I recommend that everyone read this for a feel good story that also deals with life's challenges.

I was given this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

From the very beginning, I had this pegged as a five-star read. I wasn't wrong. Based on the real-life explosion of Deepwater Horizon in 2010 and its effects on the Gulf. Not only was this about disaster and loss, but it was also about family, love, and second chances. It's such a beautiful story, and I am certainly looking forward to more from this author. Thank you, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

Set on a barrier island off the coast of Louisiana, The Pelican Tide tells the story of a female chef trying to put her life back and family together at the start of the island's tourist season. When an unthinkable disaster happens, her life, her family, and the entire island community must find a way to survive. The family includes a brown pelican named Gumbo who steals car keys, does tricks for fish, but also binds the family and community together in the most unforgettable way. As the family faces their secrets and hurts they learn that the way through isn't always a straight line.

Events like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill stay in the news for a couple weeks and then the public moves on but, for the people directly affected, the disaster has lingering, often heartbreaking, consequences. The Pelican Tide is about some of those people, specifically a family that already had their share of problems BEFORE the oil spill; after the spill, all those problems become magnified.

I learned a lot from this story about oil spills, which was incredibly interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the family the story focused on find their way back to one another. There are no bad guys or good guys here; just flawed people trying their best. The star of the book was certainly Gumbo the pelican, who will forever have a special place in my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake. Union for the ARC.

Thank you to Lake Union and author Sharon Wishnow for making this ARC available to me.
Chef Josie Babineau’s world has fallen apart in The Pelican Tide. A broken marriage, a troubled daughter, and a soon-to-be ex-husband who narrowly misses being killed in the Deep Water Horizon oil rig explosion and ensuing oil spill in Louisiana. Josie suffers financial heartbreak due to her husband's poor judgment and the loss of her beloved restaurant . She circles her troops as a last attempt at saving everything. The presence of Gumbo, a pelican, who watches over the family is a barometer of the wildlife in this deep South fishing village. Wishnow brings the reader into the arms of a family in various stages of disarray and uses the background of the tragic explosion to set them on a journey to healing while enlightening readers about the damage big oil spills do to the environment. She builds to the climax slowly and carefully and you can trust she will get you there with her bright prose. Using complex characters and their intersections, she deftly depicts a family and extended family struggling in different ways and it was lovely to follow each character's thoughtful path to healing through love.

The Pelican Tide is a fictionalized account of the aftermath of the real-life Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and it's clear that author Sharon Wishnow did a tremendous amount of research before writing this novel. But the book is much more than an environmental disaster story; it's also the tale of a restaurant struggling to survive, a family trying to piece itself back together again, and an island community determined to support each other through the best and worst of times. From the start, I was rooting for Josie and Brian and their second-chance romance, but perhaps my favorite character was Gumbo the pelican, whose spunky personality encapsulates this story of grit and resilience.

This is a great story about rebuilding a family and a life after disaster strikes. I loved the characters and Wishnow's description of life on a barrier island. I really felt like I was there.

Check out what’s coming from my fellow @thedebball author @sjwishnow — The Pelican Tide, a deeply-researched and moving story about the unraveling and coming together of a New Orleans family and a community, set against the Deepwater oil rig explosion.

Coming June 11 from @amazonpublishing’s Lake Union
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#debutnovel

Pretty good but it was a slow burn. Felt like if lagged.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The beautiful book cover caught my eye. The story is set in 2010 and involves the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on a family owned restaurant. It’s a slow moving drama that was hard to finish. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A family drama with Chef Josie Babineaux at the center. She is dealing with the breakdown of her marriage due to gambling, keeping her restaurant running, and parenting teen children. The tourist season in beginning and a travel magazine is doing an article about the restaurant at the same time as an oil rig disaster. I had a hard time connecting with the characters for some reason but was interested in the Louisiana setting.

I enjoyed this story about Chef Josie and her family, and I was invested in whether they would be able to save the family restaurant. The author does a good job of showing what the restaurant means to the family and the community. The drama of an oil rig explosion and a hurricane combine to add plenty of suspense and tension.

My only criticism is that the pacing lags in places, and at times I felt like the author was leaning too heavily on exposition versus letting the story tell itself and trusting the reader.

However, all in all, this is a great story about family dynamics in the face of great challenges. I highly recommend it for fans of heartwarming women's fiction and small town southern stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy; all opinions in this review are completely my own.

Sharon J. Wishnow's debut novel is a powerful testament to the resilience of family bonds in the face of adversity. What I liked most about this book is its authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by the Babineaux family as they navigate personal and communal challenges. From Josie's determination to save her family's restaurant to the complex dynamics between mother and daughter, the characters feel incredibly real and relatable. The backdrop of the Gulf oil spill adds a sense of urgency and depth to the story, highlighting the interconnectedness of human lives and the environment. As the Babineauxs confront their past and present traumas, they emerge stronger and more united, offering a message of hope and renewal that resonates long after the final page.

I liked. The premise of the book and environmental back story and family dynamics but felt at times the characters like depth and we’re somewhat robotic

Was the Babineaux family's story worth telling?
Although it may sound cold hearted, I didn't feel invested at all in the storyline.
It was basically an informative book, focusing on the oil platform explosion, told by Josie and Brian. The amount of article excerpts and constant information gave the feel of a textbook rather than a novel.
It may have been if the storyline and characters were more rich and complex.
The characters were robotic, they were written so one dimensional and lacked any originality.
Sadly, this one was a miss for me.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

A wonderful and rich story of Chef Josie and her family. Going through family issues, then the explosion of the oil rig and then a hurricane all combine to cause havoc in the Louisiana island home. Good story-line of incorporating the disasters piled on top of each other and the interest of the family dynamics shown. Good story and one that was hard to put down. Highly recommend.