What a wonderful story of love, loss, betrayal and self-discovery Where the Birds Call Her Name is. This was my first Claire van Ryn book and it certainly wont be my last. van Ryn has a beautifully descriptive writing style that draws you in as it gently weaves its way along.

Set in the stunning Tasmanian landscape, the alternating timelines provided a deep connection to both Kiki/Greta and Saskia joining both the past and present back together in such a wonderful way. And for Saskia it was a brave journey of self-discovery to undertake.

I really enjoyed the referencing to the native birds, which appear to serve as a metaphor through both timelines and the conservation undercurrent to this story.

Kiki/Greta was so passionate and loyal that you couldn't help but love her right from the start.

This is a powerful story that will have you wanting to book a trip to Tasmania immediately.

Broome 2023: Saskia Honeyman is a schoolteacher, married to Dane a busy real-estate agent and they have a daughter. When her mother leaves her a caravan in her will she’s confused and of course wise Kiki noticed what Saskia didn’t, she's burnt out, juggling too many things and has lost her way. Saskia doesn’t know a lot about her mother’s past, she finds some clues in the van, and decides to travel to Tasmania with her daughter Anouk and she's delighted to go on an adventure and explore Australia.

In 1968: Greta De Winter is a teenager and she seeks solace in the Stanley wetlands and swamp that attracts all manner of wildlife and she’s fascinated by birds. Her father is the charming two faced local councillor and her mother a talented taxidermist, working to create bird dioramas for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. While the De Winter household looks normal from the outside, it’s not and Dirk is controlling and Fay tries to hide this from Greta and fails.

Saskia and Anouk arrive in Stanley, they are here to find out why did Kiki leave and change her first name and she never mentioned where she was from and will anyone remember her?

I received a copy of Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia in exchange for an honest review. Parts of the dual timeline narrative is set in the real town of Stanley on the north-west of the stunning island, and mentions The Nut and The Green Hills, old Convict Barracks and Greta’s refuge the swamp and wetlands.

As with her previous novel The Secrets of the Huon Wren, the author weaves a tale rich with deceptions of nature and wildlife, and each chapter of her book starts with information about Tasmanian birds, which are a symbol of power, strength and freedom and the connection they have to Fay, Greta and Anouk.

A story about family, bonds, secrets, self-discovery, being one with the dirt beneath your feet and the joy it brings and the lessons we learn from this, and enjoying and finding peace and closure and written in an imaginative, lyrical and melodic way, you will be engrossed from the first page, poetic and beautiful and five stars from me.

“A mother’s love is in your veins” and this is my favourite quote from the book and it’s so true and a must read.

📕 Broome 2023: When Saskia’s free-spirited mother, Kiki, passed away leaving Saskia a caravan in her will, it doesn’t seem to make sense. With no clues as to the mystery gift, Saskia begins looking through the caravan finding clues about her mother’s past setting her on a journey to the shores of Tasmania with her daughter Anouk.

1968: Teenage Greta De Winter seeks solace in the Stanley wetlands, a swamp brimming with all manner of wildlife. Her father is the charismatic local councilman and her mother, a taxidermist, building a diorama for the Tasmania Museum. But while the De Winter household seems perfect from the outside, a dark secret hides within.

I absolutely loved this book! Claire’s writing is beautiful and the descriptions of the nature just make me want to travel around Australia.

The little snippets into the local birds were interesting and provided a great insight into what was occurring around the main story.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House Australia and the author for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5★

Saskia is puzzled by the inheritance left by her mother Kiki - a caravan. Kiki had loved the caravan for sure, but Saskia was a very different person to her bohemian, bird-loving mother. Poor Saskia didn't even have anywhere to park the thing! But as she continued to tidy up her mother's affairs, she made two key discoveries; a journal and a ticket booked on the ferry to Tasmania in a few months time. Surprising herself as much as anyone else, Saskia found herself arranging to take long service leave from her teaching position in Broome and heading off in the caravan with her 9yo daughter Anouk. Destination: Stanley, north western Tasmania.

At face value, this book ticked all of my favourite boxes. I loved the setting and the family secrets. But somehow, despite being a little longer than average, I just couldn't find the connection that I wanted with the main characters. I also wasn't keen on the animal cruelty and gaslighting aspects of the plot. However, I absolutely loved the way it ended, which is why I'm giving it an extra half star.

Well worth a read, especially for bird-lovers.

I loved Claire's first book, The Secrets of the Huon Wren, so was excited to see she had a new book coming out, and thrilled to get my hands on an advance copy.

This was an absolutely wonderful book, taking readers on a voyage of discovery as we learn about Kiki's childhood through the eyes of her daughter Saskia, who in turn discovers truths about herself and her relationship with her husband and daughter Anouk.

No spoilers here but this made me laugh and cry at times, making me remember the wonderful times I had with my mother, and remind me of how much I miss her now she's gone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

When Saskia's mother Greta dies, she leaves her an old caravan in her will. Saskia takes this as a sign that she should have a break from her current life (and husband) and goes off on a roadtrip with her daughter, from Broome WA to Stanley TAS. This is interspersed with stories from Greta's teenage years.
This book should have been a huge hit for me. I love historical fiction, complex family drama, and nature writing. It certainly wasn't bad, but it just didn't live up to what I wanted from it. The roadtrip should have been an epic and challenging adventure, but it was glossed over. The family drama was a bit too shallow and I didn't really relate to or feel for the characters. I didn't get a strong enough vibe for the landscapes. I'm not sure what was missing. Overall, I enjoyed it, but wanted more substance.

Where the Birds Call Her Name was a beautiful story focussing on love, loss, family, secrets and birds!

I found it a little slow to get into, but really appreciated how it all came together and thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I loved the dual timelines, focussing on Saskia in 2023 after the recent death of her mother, and her mother, Greta as a 16 year old in 1968.

After inheriting her mother’s caravan, Saskia discovers a boat ticket to Tasmania hidden inside. In an uncharacteristic move, she takes leave from work, pulls her daughter out of school, and embarks on a journey from Broome to Tasmania. As the story unfolds, we learn more about both Saskia and Greta—some moments are joyful, while others are deeply heartbreaking. The novel’s strong emphasis on family is especially heartwarming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the eARC copy.

I read Claire van Ryn’s first book last year and really enjoyed it, so when I got the opportunity to read her latest release “Where the Birds Call her Name” I jumped at the chance. And I was not disappointed.

Alternating between Saskia in 2023, and Greta in 1968, it is an amazing journey of discovery. Starting in Broome, Western Australia, Saskia’s mother, Kiki, passes away on the first page. When the will is read Saskia has been left Kiki’s old caravan. When cleaning the van for sale an old journal of Kiki’s is discovered along with a ferry ticket for Tasmania dated for a few months time. Stressed out, Saskia decides to take time off from her work as a teacher, leave her workaholic husband to fend for himself for a few months and drive with her daughter Anouka to Stanley in Tasmania to find out about her mother’s family; and why her mother changed her name and never mentioned her childhood.

The story switches between sixteen-year-old Greta in this tiny little town in the north west of Tasmania and Saskia and Anouka driving from Broome to Stanley. Excerpts from the diary link the two time periods until eventually the past leads to the present, secrets are revealed and life changing decisions are made.

The two timelines are connected by more than Kiki/Greta and Saskia. There are the birds. Oh the birds, be still my beating heart. As a bird lover and watcher the birds really made the book for me. Kiki learned her love of birds and their environment from her mother and, in turn, passed this love onto Saskia and Anouka. Scattered between the chapters are descriptions of Australian birds, specifically Tasmanian birds. In fact birds appear all through the book as the characters take joy at their appearance. And birds are the link between the past and the present.

If you love birds, and love family relationships then “Where the Birds Call her Name” is for you.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Australia for providing an advanced copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Sumptuous, hopeful, heartbreaking yet joyous.

A gorgeous story blending fact and fiction, split in time and narrator between 1968 and 2023. Saskia’s mum - Kiki/Greta - dies and leaves her, her caravan in her will, which on the surface makes little sense. And then Saskia discovers a journal more about her mum’s teen years in Tasmania, a past never spoken of.

Greta’s sixteenth year in Stanley, Tasmania is on the surface typical, albeit filled with taxidermy. But inside her home, her household is full of secrets.

The narratives draw together and unfold as Saskia and her daughter travel in the caravan from their home in Broome, to Stanley Tasmania.

A wonderful, slow starting novel that mid way through I couldn’t put down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.