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HQ Vita and the Birds.
A haunting mystery for fans of Eve Chase, Kate Morton and Kate Mosse.
1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. Trapped and isolated on the East Anglian coast, Vita takes solace in watching the birds that fly over the marshes. But then she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney. The two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to escape Aubrey’s grasp and be as free as the birds she loves.
1997: Decades later and in the wake of her mother’s death, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes the visit will help make sense of her grief. The last thing she expects to find is a bundle of letters that hint at the heart-breaking story of Dodie’s relationship with a woman named Vita.
Eve and Vita’s stories are linked by a shattering secret that echoes through the decades, and when Eve discovers the truth, it will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family – and change her life forever.
1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives in the shadow of her controlling older brother, Aubrey. Trapped and isolated on the East Anglian coast, Vita takes solace in watching the birds that fly over the marshes. But then she meets local artist Dodie Blakeney. The two women form a close bond, and Vita finally glimpses a chance to escape Aubrey’s grasp and be as free as the birds she loves.
1997: Decades later and in the wake of her mother’s death, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes the visit will help make sense of her grief. The last thing she expects to find is a bundle of letters that hint at the heart-breaking story of Dodie’s relationship with a woman named Vita.
Eve and Vita’s stories are linked by a shattering secret that echoes through the decades, and when Eve discovers the truth, it will overturn everything she thought she knew about her family – and change her life forever.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2023
26 people are currently reading
701 people want to read
About the author
Polly Crosby
7 books168 followersPolly Crosby grew up on the Suffolk coast, and now lives with her husband and son in the heart of Norfolk.
In 2018, Polly won Curtis Brown Creative’s Yesterday Scholarship, enabling her to write her debut novel, The Illustrated Child. Later the same year, she was awarded runner-up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel, and she received the Annabel Abbs Creative Writing Scholarship for the prestigious MA at the University of East Anglia.
Polly's first book for Young Adults, This Tale is Forbidden, came out in January. Her next historical mystery, The House of Fever, is out in August.
In 2018, Polly won Curtis Brown Creative’s Yesterday Scholarship, enabling her to write her debut novel, The Illustrated Child. Later the same year, she was awarded runner-up in the Bridport Prize’s Peggy Chapman Andrews Award for a First Novel, and she received the Annabel Abbs Creative Writing Scholarship for the prestigious MA at the University of East Anglia.
Polly's first book for Young Adults, This Tale is Forbidden, came out in January. Her next historical mystery, The House of Fever, is out in August.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 20, 2023
Eve Blakeney and her four brothers spend every summer staying at their grandmother’s old fisherman’s hut in Suffolk and with their mother Angela. They love visiting their granny Dodie, and they swim, hold bonfires on the beach and tell spooky stories. The old derelict cathedral of the Marshes can be seen in the distance and it’s made from sheets of glass and once belonged to Goldsborough family. The kids are told to stay away from it due to it being dangerous, run down and there have been rumours about a girl disappearing in the area years ago?
Years later, Eve's mother has passed away, Eve returns to the cottage, to try to come to terms with losing her mum and sort through the piles of sand covered belongings dating back to her granny's time. Dodie was a painter, as Eve goes through the boxes of clutter, she finds old paint, brushes, an old dress, birdcage and some letters.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the three main characters points of view, Eve, her grandmother Dodie and a lady called Vita. It alternates between 1997 and goes back to 1938 and it's extremely easy to follow.
Lady Vita Goldsborough lives under the thumb of her controlling older brother Aubrey, she spends most of her time at their Suffolk estate and he works in London. Vita loves birds, she watches them fly over and at times she wishes she was one. A lonely Vita meets local surrealism artist Dodie Blakeney, the women become good friends, and they spend time in the Cathedral of the Marshes. A big hot house, full of plants, exotic fruit trees, and a pond. Aubrey does nothing but drink, criticize Vita when he's home, the family fortune is dwindling and Vita doesn’t trust him.
As Eve sorts through years of possessions and happy memories, she works out her grandmother and Vita knew each other. Eve thought Dodie held a grudge against them, she didn't want to speak about the Goldsborough family and it's all rather odd. Eve uncovers a decade old secret and she wonders if her mother Angela knew the truth and how she would have felt about it?
I received a copy of Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. If you like well written and composed stories full of hidden secrets, mystery, and intrigue, dangerous and strange circumstances and set in an old creepy rundown building this novel would be the perfect for you. Ms. Crosby covers topics such as a mothers love from her children, how there are many kinds of love and most of all you should love yourself. Five stars from me, a perfectly balanced dual timeline historical mystery, I didn't guess the big secret and the book wasn't at all predictable.
Years later, Eve's mother has passed away, Eve returns to the cottage, to try to come to terms with losing her mum and sort through the piles of sand covered belongings dating back to her granny's time. Dodie was a painter, as Eve goes through the boxes of clutter, she finds old paint, brushes, an old dress, birdcage and some letters.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the three main characters points of view, Eve, her grandmother Dodie and a lady called Vita. It alternates between 1997 and goes back to 1938 and it's extremely easy to follow.
Lady Vita Goldsborough lives under the thumb of her controlling older brother Aubrey, she spends most of her time at their Suffolk estate and he works in London. Vita loves birds, she watches them fly over and at times she wishes she was one. A lonely Vita meets local surrealism artist Dodie Blakeney, the women become good friends, and they spend time in the Cathedral of the Marshes. A big hot house, full of plants, exotic fruit trees, and a pond. Aubrey does nothing but drink, criticize Vita when he's home, the family fortune is dwindling and Vita doesn’t trust him.
As Eve sorts through years of possessions and happy memories, she works out her grandmother and Vita knew each other. Eve thought Dodie held a grudge against them, she didn't want to speak about the Goldsborough family and it's all rather odd. Eve uncovers a decade old secret and she wonders if her mother Angela knew the truth and how she would have felt about it?
I received a copy of Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. If you like well written and composed stories full of hidden secrets, mystery, and intrigue, dangerous and strange circumstances and set in an old creepy rundown building this novel would be the perfect for you. Ms. Crosby covers topics such as a mothers love from her children, how there are many kinds of love and most of all you should love yourself. Five stars from me, a perfectly balanced dual timeline historical mystery, I didn't guess the big secret and the book wasn't at all predictable.
October 20, 2023
Gently paced novel based around different forms of love. The author paints a pretty picture with her words, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the story. Beautiful cover.
July 1, 2023
An excellent dual timeline family mystery novel that was well written and quite lovely to read. The vivid descriptions of ‘The cathedral of the marshes’, a glass building owned by the mysterious Goldsboroughs, Aubrey and his sister Vita, rumours of incest and possibly murder of missing children known as the vanishings. It’s slow paced but this worked well for me as the characters are allowed to be developed; Eve in the modern timeline, a young woman staying in her late grandmothers small studio cabin across from the cathedral, and Vita in the pre Second World War timeline, and her struggles against her controlling brother. And what a beautiful cover!
May 17, 2023
A good premise but it was so slow ,okay I understand that the reader has to get to know all the characters but not every little nuance. It did get better but what I promised just did not materialise. I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me it did not deliver what I thought was going to be an exciting read. All in all a good read but nothing special.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 3, 2023
Here follows a rant, which, if I don't get it out of me, might actually make me cry with anger.
STRAIGHT AUTHORS! Stop writing lesbian characters who only 'turn' lesbian after they've been physically or emotionally abused by a man! Stop writing lesbian characters who are denied the right to be mothers! Stop writing lesbian characters who are the only ones in the novel suspected of murder (or whatever crime's at the centre of the plot)! Stop writing just two lesbian characters, only so that they can be prevented from being together in the end (there tends to be more than just two LGBTQ women in the world)! And pleeease, pleeease, stop killing your lesbian characters.
Has the industry really no idea of how damaging the perpetuation of these tropes is? I'd rather read no LGBTQ characters at all rather than LGBTQ women who all succumb to Dead Lesbian Syndrome. I can't believe, in 2023, that I have to write that.
STRAIGHT AUTHORS! Stop writing lesbian characters who only 'turn' lesbian after they've been physically or emotionally abused by a man! Stop writing lesbian characters who are denied the right to be mothers! Stop writing lesbian characters who are the only ones in the novel suspected of murder (or whatever crime's at the centre of the plot)! Stop writing just two lesbian characters, only so that they can be prevented from being together in the end (there tends to be more than just two LGBTQ women in the world)! And pleeease, pleeease, stop killing your lesbian characters.
Has the industry really no idea of how damaging the perpetuation of these tropes is? I'd rather read no LGBTQ characters at all rather than LGBTQ women who all succumb to Dead Lesbian Syndrome. I can't believe, in 2023, that I have to write that.
May 30, 2023
Vita and the Birds is a vivid, mysterious and compelling read filled with intrigue.
I was engrossed in Polly Crosby’s third novel from the first sentence. Her way with words is incredibly evocative. There’s so much detail and there’s a completely engaging feel as she brings the story to life.
The novel begins with Eve in 1989 and shifts to Vita 1938. The dual narrative continues across the decades, skipping to 1997. This continuous weave back and forth was really compelling. I loved getting to know each character and the timelines of past and present.
Eve and Vita are both incredible characters and I was drawn to them both. Their personalities, their history, their accounts and their situations are both intriguing and filled with mystery. I loved that the more the novel progressed, the more snippets about each of them were revealed. So many questions that you slowly gain answers to and they gripped me to the page as I flew through the book.
The flip of a coin quirk that Eve is so fond of was a real asset to the story and I found myself anxiously hoping she got the right flip in order to achieve whatever it was she wanted an answer to. I felt like this gave an insight into her and how she dealt with things through the novel and I enjoyed watching her character change.
I found it truly fascinating to follow the area and it’s changes across the decades. Comparisons and alterations are a plenty and the focal point of this was the incredible Cathedral of the Marshes. Such a wonderfully described building in all it’s states and such a focal point to the novel. The sea and water are also beautifully poignant and I enjoyed the vivid imagery of these places and scenes in all their glory.
The storyline itself was fascinating and I was really invested in the happenings and the mystery, there is so much going on. I felt apart of their world and thoroughly captivated, especially by the birds, their significance and presence.
Tragic yet uplifting, infuriating yet alluring… This book was full of emotions and I enjoyed every bit!
I was engrossed in Polly Crosby’s third novel from the first sentence. Her way with words is incredibly evocative. There’s so much detail and there’s a completely engaging feel as she brings the story to life.
The novel begins with Eve in 1989 and shifts to Vita 1938. The dual narrative continues across the decades, skipping to 1997. This continuous weave back and forth was really compelling. I loved getting to know each character and the timelines of past and present.
Eve and Vita are both incredible characters and I was drawn to them both. Their personalities, their history, their accounts and their situations are both intriguing and filled with mystery. I loved that the more the novel progressed, the more snippets about each of them were revealed. So many questions that you slowly gain answers to and they gripped me to the page as I flew through the book.
The flip of a coin quirk that Eve is so fond of was a real asset to the story and I found myself anxiously hoping she got the right flip in order to achieve whatever it was she wanted an answer to. I felt like this gave an insight into her and how she dealt with things through the novel and I enjoyed watching her character change.
I found it truly fascinating to follow the area and it’s changes across the decades. Comparisons and alterations are a plenty and the focal point of this was the incredible Cathedral of the Marshes. Such a wonderfully described building in all it’s states and such a focal point to the novel. The sea and water are also beautifully poignant and I enjoyed the vivid imagery of these places and scenes in all their glory.
The storyline itself was fascinating and I was really invested in the happenings and the mystery, there is so much going on. I felt apart of their world and thoroughly captivated, especially by the birds, their significance and presence.
Tragic yet uplifting, infuriating yet alluring… This book was full of emotions and I enjoyed every bit!
May 12, 2023
1938: Lady Vita Goldsborough lives a rather muted and stoic life in the permanent shadow of her overbearing, petty, vindictive, and controlling brother, Aubrey. Vita is trapped and isolated on the East Anglian coast, taking solace in what she can as she watches the birds that fly free over the marshes, which is home to a grand glass cathedral that is nothing more than a worthless symbol of power and wealth for her brother to flaunt his apparent status. One day Vita meets artist Dodie Blakeney and the two quickly form a close bond, confiding in each other, and Vita thinks after a lifetime of hardship maybe she has a chance to be as free as the birds she watches but she must tread with caution as Aubrey is far from empathetic when it comes to anyone’s needs other than his own.
1997: Many decades later, in the wake of her mother’s death, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where every summer was spent with her family, and most importantly with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes to make sense of her grief by sorting through her grandmother’s old painting shack, and when she stumbles upon a bundle of letters, the past is laid before her to uncover should she choose to.
But perhaps some things are never meant to see the light of day. Some truths are too tough to accept, especially when Eve may know more than she remembers about a famous incident which took place within the now cracked and broken glass cathedral…
Eve and Vita are linked by a secret so shocking it echoes through the decades between them and when Eve does finally put all of the pieces together, she may wish to have never stepped foot into a time long forgotten.
Heartbreaking, haunting, gothic, and mysterious, this is the best yet from an author at the height of her talents. A must-read!
1997: Many decades later, in the wake of her mother’s death, Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where every summer was spent with her family, and most importantly with her beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes to make sense of her grief by sorting through her grandmother’s old painting shack, and when she stumbles upon a bundle of letters, the past is laid before her to uncover should she choose to.
But perhaps some things are never meant to see the light of day. Some truths are too tough to accept, especially when Eve may know more than she remembers about a famous incident which took place within the now cracked and broken glass cathedral…
Eve and Vita are linked by a secret so shocking it echoes through the decades between them and when Eve does finally put all of the pieces together, she may wish to have never stepped foot into a time long forgotten.
Heartbreaking, haunting, gothic, and mysterious, this is the best yet from an author at the height of her talents. A must-read!
May 29, 2023
Thank you to HQ Stories for sending me a proof copy of 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 by Polly Crosby 🖤💫
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𝐀 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐩. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐠𝐨? 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲?
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Vita and the Birds follows two main perspectives. In the late 1930s Lady Vita Goldsborough is living a privileged life on the East Anglian coast, surrounded by wealth, but she is also trapped by that privilege. Her older brother Aubrey is her only living family member, and he clearly views Vita as something else that he owns. But when do familial ties become too close for comfort, and how far is Aubrey willing to go to control Vita?
In the late 1990s Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers, and where her grandmother (Dodie) owned a small beach hut. She plans to clear out the hut with the thought of perhaps selling it, but she finds some items hidden away, including a stack of letters. How much did Eve really know about her grandmother, and will seeking the truth help assuage her grief, and answer some questions she has from her own childhood memories?
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'𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐄𝐯𝐞.'
'𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭.'
'𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐝, 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥'𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬. '𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.'
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There is an atmosphere to Polly Crosby's books that I always love. She absolutely transports me to the time and place on the page, which makes her books so immersive.
The opening of Vita and the Birds hooked me right away, and I loved the ethereal, spooky and gripping ambience Crosby created. I think we all remember the thrill of being young, telling ghost stories to one another (light as a feather, stiff as a board anyone?) and creeping each other out with tales of the paranormal, just as Eve, her brothers, and her friends do.
But the looming presence of the great glass building that is the Cathedral is ominous, oppressive, and invades the minds of all those who spot it lurking in the marshes.
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'𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭?' 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐀 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞.
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I LOVED that the Cathedral of the Marshes was a character all it's own.
This huge glass building seemed to radiate an animalistic personality that was mired in nature, and although the building and design itself was modern, it felt as though there was an old presence attached to it.
Something folklorish, and primal, and something that has always been in the marshes long before we were here, and that will persevere long after we are gone.
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𝐑𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐎𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝. 𝐎𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭.
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With the building being glass, it presents a very real and present danger physically as well as psychologically, but it also exhibits a great deal of beauty.
Crosby utilised descriptions of light in so many stunning ways throughout the book - whether it was light reflecting off the glass, light beaming through the windows and illuminating things both literally and metaphorically, or the refraction of light creating shadows and obscuring things.
I know Crosby is an artist and she has painted many beautiful things, and her artistic eye really shone through with the light as a key theme in the book.
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𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝.
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There were so many fantastic female characters throughout the book, and I especially liked Vita.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so am going to be careful what I say, but the relationship between the women throughout the book, whether familiar or romantic, were well depicted.
In regard to the romantic aspects I loved that there was a tentative build up towards the relationship, and especially the fact that although the relationship had to be kept secret because of the time in which it occurred, that the two people involved were so boldly open with one another.
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'𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞,' 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.
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Eve was an interesting character, and I loved her artistic flair, especially in sharp contrast to her brothers who all had more corporate jobs and expected her to eventually give up her art for a 'real' job. And in direct comparison with Vita and her lived experience where she was so trapped by patriarchal norms, societal expectations, and her brother's desires over her own.
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𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬. 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈?
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(Continued in comments)
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𝐀 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐩. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐠𝐨? 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲?
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Vita and the Birds follows two main perspectives. In the late 1930s Lady Vita Goldsborough is living a privileged life on the East Anglian coast, surrounded by wealth, but she is also trapped by that privilege. Her older brother Aubrey is her only living family member, and he clearly views Vita as something else that he owns. But when do familial ties become too close for comfort, and how far is Aubrey willing to go to control Vita?
In the late 1990s Eve Blakeney returns to the coast where she spent childhood summers, and where her grandmother (Dodie) owned a small beach hut. She plans to clear out the hut with the thought of perhaps selling it, but she finds some items hidden away, including a stack of letters. How much did Eve really know about her grandmother, and will seeking the truth help assuage her grief, and answer some questions she has from her own childhood memories?
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'𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐄𝐯𝐞.'
'𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭.'
'𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐝, 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥'𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬. '𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.'
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There is an atmosphere to Polly Crosby's books that I always love. She absolutely transports me to the time and place on the page, which makes her books so immersive.
The opening of Vita and the Birds hooked me right away, and I loved the ethereal, spooky and gripping ambience Crosby created. I think we all remember the thrill of being young, telling ghost stories to one another (light as a feather, stiff as a board anyone?) and creeping each other out with tales of the paranormal, just as Eve, her brothers, and her friends do.
But the looming presence of the great glass building that is the Cathedral is ominous, oppressive, and invades the minds of all those who spot it lurking in the marshes.
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'𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭?' 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐀 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞.
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I LOVED that the Cathedral of the Marshes was a character all it's own.
This huge glass building seemed to radiate an animalistic personality that was mired in nature, and although the building and design itself was modern, it felt as though there was an old presence attached to it.
Something folklorish, and primal, and something that has always been in the marshes long before we were here, and that will persevere long after we are gone.
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𝐑𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐎𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝. 𝐎𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭.
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With the building being glass, it presents a very real and present danger physically as well as psychologically, but it also exhibits a great deal of beauty.
Crosby utilised descriptions of light in so many stunning ways throughout the book - whether it was light reflecting off the glass, light beaming through the windows and illuminating things both literally and metaphorically, or the refraction of light creating shadows and obscuring things.
I know Crosby is an artist and she has painted many beautiful things, and her artistic eye really shone through with the light as a key theme in the book.
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𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝.
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There were so many fantastic female characters throughout the book, and I especially liked Vita.
I don't want to give any spoilers, so am going to be careful what I say, but the relationship between the women throughout the book, whether familiar or romantic, were well depicted.
In regard to the romantic aspects I loved that there was a tentative build up towards the relationship, and especially the fact that although the relationship had to be kept secret because of the time in which it occurred, that the two people involved were so boldly open with one another.
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'𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞,' 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.
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Eve was an interesting character, and I loved her artistic flair, especially in sharp contrast to her brothers who all had more corporate jobs and expected her to eventually give up her art for a 'real' job. And in direct comparison with Vita and her lived experience where she was so trapped by patriarchal norms, societal expectations, and her brother's desires over her own.
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𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬. 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈?
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(Continued in comments)
May 24, 2023
What a story this was! It was such a beautifully written piece of historical fiction.
It is set in dual timelines where you follow in the 30’s Vita’s story and the 90’s Eve’s story. Crosby’s lyrical writing is immersive and evocative. I felt myself being sucked into the pages with no idea what was going on around me outside of the story. I was completely and utterly swept away into the lives of Eve and Vita. I felt like I knew these two women inside out. I felt every emotion they went through and by the end of the story I was moved beyond words. The writing is THAT powerful. I adored Vita particularly, she is one of those characters that you cannot help but love.
The mystery that’s weaves throughout the book will keep you guessing and desperate to know what happened. The foreboding Cathedral of the Marshes is constant throughout the story and a character of it’s own. You know that it hides many secrets with it’s grand eerie presence feeling almost claustrophobic.
Vita and the Birds is a compelling tale of forbidden love, loss, family secrets and friendship. When I finished I had tears in my eyes. A haunting, dark story with gothic tones that I know I will want to revisit again and now one my contenders for book of the year.
It is set in dual timelines where you follow in the 30’s Vita’s story and the 90’s Eve’s story. Crosby’s lyrical writing is immersive and evocative. I felt myself being sucked into the pages with no idea what was going on around me outside of the story. I was completely and utterly swept away into the lives of Eve and Vita. I felt like I knew these two women inside out. I felt every emotion they went through and by the end of the story I was moved beyond words. The writing is THAT powerful. I adored Vita particularly, she is one of those characters that you cannot help but love.
The mystery that’s weaves throughout the book will keep you guessing and desperate to know what happened. The foreboding Cathedral of the Marshes is constant throughout the story and a character of it’s own. You know that it hides many secrets with it’s grand eerie presence feeling almost claustrophobic.
Vita and the Birds is a compelling tale of forbidden love, loss, family secrets and friendship. When I finished I had tears in my eyes. A haunting, dark story with gothic tones that I know I will want to revisit again and now one my contenders for book of the year.
June 28, 2023
5⭐️
Immersive, sympathetic characters, sublime writing. I loved it!
Immersive, sympathetic characters, sublime writing. I loved it!
June 12, 2023
thank you netgalley for the arc!!
the beauty of vita and the birds is like to that of a big jungle cat; there is something of a wildness in the Suffolk backdrop, a fecund jungle within the dialogue where what characters expressly pronounce blooms into deeper more sinister flowers of subtext. The storyline pacing brings to mind a puma slinking back and forth within a cage - waiting to break free upon the climax and devour us with if not shocking revelations (as the emphasis here is not so much on the plot twists but rather on the emotions we are wrung through to get there) then our reflexive urge to both look away and ram our faces against the page to watch this tragic train crash in real time. We are deeply conscious of this essentially preordained tragedy as we travel between past and present. There is no avoiding the final hour of the tragedy of Vita Goldsborough, it has already happened and as we delve into the chronicle of her life, the inexorability of her story is almost claustrophobic. Crosby's writing outstrips so many contemporary writers today, it is a work of visual art whose proverbial brushstrokes paint a world so intimately intertwined with art and artists.
grief and the feminine expression of it drapes an in turns mournful and ironically optimistic pall over the events of the novel. Through this historical fiction genre, we witness how women's grief is too often taken and mutated by men in authority into ammunition of control and accusations of a distempered/hysterical mind. A woman is allowed no weakness and yet must always be weak. In the present day of Eve's storyline, we have a woman who has only recently lost her mother and stumbles through her reconciliation with this profound loss. Her brothers, whilst loving and in no ways comparable to the brutish Aubrey, Vita's older brother - do not quite understand Eve and her grief and their attempts, though well-intentioned, at times stifle her. Nevertheless, the thematic treatment of grief holds onto the promise of eventual allayment with teeth and claw, despite the all too often overwhelming tragic motion of the narrative. Here, suffering is the beaten path, travelled first by Vita and then Eve.
the reasons behind my conferring this a 3 star rating as opposed to say a 4 or 5 star are in some ways difficult to elucidate but i will make a feeble attempt. The apotheosis, that is the dénouement or climatic moment, is in some senses underwhelming when placed abreast of the rest of the story. It feels almost as if we are violently lurched to a stop and left more than a little bereft. Characters become either caricatures of themselves or act out in manners which are diametrically opposed to everything we've learned about them until that moment. The explanations we're proffered for character motive above all, are unsatisfactory and lack veracity. Aubrey in particular was this leering figure who cast his shadow over everything and yet we feel we never really know the corporeal character at all. There is something almost surrealist and phantasmagorical in the effect; he is the monster under the bed but this is not meant to be a children's story. For myself, these deficiencies in character integrity are manifest enough to lower what could have easily been a 5 star read.
the beauty of vita and the birds is like to that of a big jungle cat; there is something of a wildness in the Suffolk backdrop, a fecund jungle within the dialogue where what characters expressly pronounce blooms into deeper more sinister flowers of subtext. The storyline pacing brings to mind a puma slinking back and forth within a cage - waiting to break free upon the climax and devour us with if not shocking revelations (as the emphasis here is not so much on the plot twists but rather on the emotions we are wrung through to get there) then our reflexive urge to both look away and ram our faces against the page to watch this tragic train crash in real time. We are deeply conscious of this essentially preordained tragedy as we travel between past and present. There is no avoiding the final hour of the tragedy of Vita Goldsborough, it has already happened and as we delve into the chronicle of her life, the inexorability of her story is almost claustrophobic. Crosby's writing outstrips so many contemporary writers today, it is a work of visual art whose proverbial brushstrokes paint a world so intimately intertwined with art and artists.
grief and the feminine expression of it drapes an in turns mournful and ironically optimistic pall over the events of the novel. Through this historical fiction genre, we witness how women's grief is too often taken and mutated by men in authority into ammunition of control and accusations of a distempered/hysterical mind. A woman is allowed no weakness and yet must always be weak. In the present day of Eve's storyline, we have a woman who has only recently lost her mother and stumbles through her reconciliation with this profound loss. Her brothers, whilst loving and in no ways comparable to the brutish Aubrey, Vita's older brother - do not quite understand Eve and her grief and their attempts, though well-intentioned, at times stifle her. Nevertheless, the thematic treatment of grief holds onto the promise of eventual allayment with teeth and claw, despite the all too often overwhelming tragic motion of the narrative. Here, suffering is the beaten path, travelled first by Vita and then Eve.
the reasons behind my conferring this a 3 star rating as opposed to say a 4 or 5 star are in some ways difficult to elucidate but i will make a feeble attempt. The apotheosis, that is the dénouement or climatic moment, is in some senses underwhelming when placed abreast of the rest of the story. It feels almost as if we are violently lurched to a stop and left more than a little bereft. Characters become either caricatures of themselves or act out in manners which are diametrically opposed to everything we've learned about them until that moment. The explanations we're proffered for character motive above all, are unsatisfactory and lack veracity. Aubrey in particular was this leering figure who cast his shadow over everything and yet we feel we never really know the corporeal character at all. There is something almost surrealist and phantasmagorical in the effect; he is the monster under the bed but this is not meant to be a children's story. For myself, these deficiencies in character integrity are manifest enough to lower what could have easily been a 5 star read.
June 7, 2025
Dual timeline story. Slow paced but right for this slow unravelling. Very atmospheric writing, with an underlying sense of tenderness. A great listen which was excellently narrated. Highly recommended if you enjoy dual timelines.
March 19, 2023
Crosby’s writing is so whimsical and light—within the first chapter I felt as if I were immersed into the middle of summer, too. There is a gothic aspect that kicked in very quickly, and to be honest I wasn’t completely expecting it!
The paralleled relationships that you were presented between timeliness and those that interconnected them were so clever and really added to the world building. Not to mention the parallels between the cathedral and the well !!!! The murder mystery, the sapphic beauty, the LGBTQ+ themes, the familial love…it’s got it all.
Overall, between the powerful female characters, the haunted vibes, and the beautiful writing, I’d give it a 5/5, must read. So lucky to have gotten an ARC!!!
The paralleled relationships that you were presented between timeliness and those that interconnected them were so clever and really added to the world building. Not to mention the parallels between the cathedral and the well !!!! The murder mystery, the sapphic beauty, the LGBTQ+ themes, the familial love…it’s got it all.
Overall, between the powerful female characters, the haunted vibes, and the beautiful writing, I’d give it a 5/5, must read. So lucky to have gotten an ARC!!!
May 11, 2023
(3.5, rounded up)
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: violence, death, homophobia, misogyny, institutionalization.
In 1938, Vita Goldsborough seems to have it all. She's wealthy, a lady of leisure, but in their big house on the East Anglian coast, Vita's brother, Aubrey, does his best to keep her completely isolated from the outside world. But during one of her walks on the beach, Vita stumbles across an artist, sketching the seascape -- and not just any artist, but a female one. Fascinated, Vita does her best to befriend the woman -- Dodie Blakeney -- and as they grow closer, she begins to see a future for herself out from under Aubrey's thumb. In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the Suffolk town where she spent her summers growing up, hoping to get some closure after her mother's sudden death. But when Eve stumbles across letters written by Vita to her grandmother, she discovers a family secret that has been festering for decades -- and one that might change the course of Eve's own life.
A historical novel with family secrets and a lesbian romance? As soon as I read the premise for Vita and the Birds, I knew I had to request the ARC. I ended up reading it early, in order to get ahead on my ARCs, and as I've been having quite a stressful time in my life, I'm actually glad it was this one I chose. It's calming, somehow, in spite of the hardships that Vita and Eve are both facing, and it was easy for me to understand the ways that their calming seaside town brought peace to them in the midst of their problems. Crosby does a fantastic job of making small-town English life leap from the page, particularly when it comes to the unique building -- The Cathedral of Marshes -- that acts as the cornerstone of this book.
Now, although it's listed as a mystery, that's not actually how I would classify Vita and the Birds. There are mystery elements, but most of them were easy for me to unravel without much help from the narrative itself, and unfortunately, some of them actually fell quite flat for me -- I'd like to go into more detail about it, but I also don't want to spoil any plot points for those who are wanting to pick this one up themselves. As a whole, the novel is more introspective, more literary and character-driven than it is a mystery. For me, that's actually not a negative, as I prefer books who focus more on characters than they do on a fast-moving plot, but some people might find it a bit disappointing. I enjoyed Crosby's simplistic, pretty writing; it fit the novel perfectly.
The characters are relatable on the surface, but I actually struggled to connect with them. I liked Vita best of them all, but Eve, Dodie, and many of the other characters remained mystifying to me, sometimes doing things that seemed out of character or somehow just not quite right. Again, I'd like to extrapolate on this more, but I don't want to spoil anything, especially as one of the problems I had with Dodie's character comes towards the end and acts as a major turning point in the plot. Now, I'm afraid I have to go on a little rant.
There's a big problem I've found continuously in lesbian romances in media. Why is there never any buildup in these romances? For straight couples, you get pages and pages and chapter and chapters of barely touching, of hesitant conversations, of unspoken feelings. You would think that in a historical novel, you would get a lot of that in a lesbian couple, but with Vita and Dodie (and many others I've read), it seems as if one moment they're meeting and talking, and the next they've suddenly fallen in love. Is it so much to ask for a slowburn? This isn't a problem unique to Crosby, but it's one that plagues fiction focusing on lesbian/wlw relationships and for me, it's a huge pet peeve.
With all of that being said, I do want to commend Crosby on the beautiful way she paints this story, and I do think I would pick up another book by her. Overall, although I didn't love it quite as much as I wanted to, I definitely would recommend this to people wanting to read a bit of a slow-burn family mystery set in a small English town!
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: violence, death, homophobia, misogyny, institutionalization.
In 1938, Vita Goldsborough seems to have it all. She's wealthy, a lady of leisure, but in their big house on the East Anglian coast, Vita's brother, Aubrey, does his best to keep her completely isolated from the outside world. But during one of her walks on the beach, Vita stumbles across an artist, sketching the seascape -- and not just any artist, but a female one. Fascinated, Vita does her best to befriend the woman -- Dodie Blakeney -- and as they grow closer, she begins to see a future for herself out from under Aubrey's thumb. In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the Suffolk town where she spent her summers growing up, hoping to get some closure after her mother's sudden death. But when Eve stumbles across letters written by Vita to her grandmother, she discovers a family secret that has been festering for decades -- and one that might change the course of Eve's own life.
A historical novel with family secrets and a lesbian romance? As soon as I read the premise for Vita and the Birds, I knew I had to request the ARC. I ended up reading it early, in order to get ahead on my ARCs, and as I've been having quite a stressful time in my life, I'm actually glad it was this one I chose. It's calming, somehow, in spite of the hardships that Vita and Eve are both facing, and it was easy for me to understand the ways that their calming seaside town brought peace to them in the midst of their problems. Crosby does a fantastic job of making small-town English life leap from the page, particularly when it comes to the unique building -- The Cathedral of Marshes -- that acts as the cornerstone of this book.
Now, although it's listed as a mystery, that's not actually how I would classify Vita and the Birds. There are mystery elements, but most of them were easy for me to unravel without much help from the narrative itself, and unfortunately, some of them actually fell quite flat for me -- I'd like to go into more detail about it, but I also don't want to spoil any plot points for those who are wanting to pick this one up themselves. As a whole, the novel is more introspective, more literary and character-driven than it is a mystery. For me, that's actually not a negative, as I prefer books who focus more on characters than they do on a fast-moving plot, but some people might find it a bit disappointing. I enjoyed Crosby's simplistic, pretty writing; it fit the novel perfectly.
The characters are relatable on the surface, but I actually struggled to connect with them. I liked Vita best of them all, but Eve, Dodie, and many of the other characters remained mystifying to me, sometimes doing things that seemed out of character or somehow just not quite right. Again, I'd like to extrapolate on this more, but I don't want to spoil anything, especially as one of the problems I had with Dodie's character comes towards the end and acts as a major turning point in the plot. Now, I'm afraid I have to go on a little rant.
There's a big problem I've found continuously in lesbian romances in media. Why is there never any buildup in these romances? For straight couples, you get pages and pages and chapter and chapters of barely touching, of hesitant conversations, of unspoken feelings. You would think that in a historical novel, you would get a lot of that in a lesbian couple, but with Vita and Dodie (and many others I've read), it seems as if one moment they're meeting and talking, and the next they've suddenly fallen in love. Is it so much to ask for a slowburn? This isn't a problem unique to Crosby, but it's one that plagues fiction focusing on lesbian/wlw relationships and for me, it's a huge pet peeve.
With all of that being said, I do want to commend Crosby on the beautiful way she paints this story, and I do think I would pick up another book by her. Overall, although I didn't love it quite as much as I wanted to, I definitely would recommend this to people wanting to read a bit of a slow-burn family mystery set in a small English town!
May 23, 2023
Eve spent many happy summers with her mother and brothers at her grandmother’s beach cottage until the summer she turned fifteen. After an eight-year gap, and the sudden, recent death of her mother, she returns there to clear out the cottage while hoping to put her ghosts to rest.
She begins to learn new information about her artist grandmother’s life, and her friendship sixty years previous with the sister of a local landowner. The story centres around an elaborate glass construction dating back to that time, known to the locals as the Cathedral of the Marshes.
In Polly Crosby’s previous magical work, The Unravelling, the real and the unreal merge as Tartelin settles into the island. In this book, it is Grandmother Dodie and her friend Vita whose lines blur and become interchangeable. This writer displays her affinity with aging, fraying and fragile characters. Less so for Eve and her brothers who fail to settle into characters of much consequence.
Although the writing is lovely, I found this slow and not as pleasurable as The Unravelling.
With thanks to HQ and Netgalley UK
She begins to learn new information about her artist grandmother’s life, and her friendship sixty years previous with the sister of a local landowner. The story centres around an elaborate glass construction dating back to that time, known to the locals as the Cathedral of the Marshes.
In Polly Crosby’s previous magical work, The Unravelling, the real and the unreal merge as Tartelin settles into the island. In this book, it is Grandmother Dodie and her friend Vita whose lines blur and become interchangeable. This writer displays her affinity with aging, fraying and fragile characters. Less so for Eve and her brothers who fail to settle into characters of much consequence.
Although the writing is lovely, I found this slow and not as pleasurable as The Unravelling.
With thanks to HQ and Netgalley UK
May 19, 2023
This was such an immersive story and once I started I couldn't put it down! I loved the eerie backdrop of the ruined Cathedral of the Marshes and could picture it all so vividly.
I always enjoy dual time frame stories and this one was so beautifully written with some brilliant characters. Vita was fascinating and I loved delving into her past with her abhorrent brother Aubrey. Eve's story particularly her last visit to the beach eight years earlier was also gripping. What happened on the night she went to explore the ruined Cathedral? How did her Grandmother know Lady Vita and why was there a Birdcage with her mother's name on it?
The two stories cleverly come together towards the end of the book to reach a very satisfying conclusion.
I always enjoy dual time frame stories and this one was so beautifully written with some brilliant characters. Vita was fascinating and I loved delving into her past with her abhorrent brother Aubrey. Eve's story particularly her last visit to the beach eight years earlier was also gripping. What happened on the night she went to explore the ruined Cathedral? How did her Grandmother know Lady Vita and why was there a Birdcage with her mother's name on it?
The two stories cleverly come together towards the end of the book to reach a very satisfying conclusion.
February 20, 2025
Have you ever read one of the most soul crushing gut wrenchingly beautiful gorgeous display of grief and love ever written? That’s this book.
A reread. It’s just as beautiful as the first time. Genuinely one of my favourite books. This is a book that I NEED turned into a movie but also desperately can’t let anything be done wrong so if it is I need it to be done by ME, Greta Gerwig and Polly Crosby, and with a budget that could fund the US Military for a decade.
Because this book is so stunningly descriptive. And it’s such an incredible plot, with a beautiful mix of dark academia and gothic settings, and the characters and the SUPER WELL DONE foreshadowing- this is beautiful in every way shape and form.
A reread. It’s just as beautiful as the first time. Genuinely one of my favourite books. This is a book that I NEED turned into a movie but also desperately can’t let anything be done wrong so if it is I need it to be done by ME, Greta Gerwig and Polly Crosby, and with a budget that could fund the US Military for a decade.
Because this book is so stunningly descriptive. And it’s such an incredible plot, with a beautiful mix of dark academia and gothic settings, and the characters and the SUPER WELL DONE foreshadowing- this is beautiful in every way shape and form.
September 6, 2025
”Perhaps this was her beginning, right here, in this moment.”
This was such a beautiful, poignant love story that at its centre was about family, and I really enjoyed my time reading it. While I did get frustrated at Eve for being sort of stupid, she did have her moments, and I fell head over heels in love with Vita. Vita and Dodie’s relationship was so tender it made my heart ache. But while heartbreaking, I really appreciate the hope and the bittersweet feeling you’re left with at the end.
Also, there was a slight gothic undertone which I wasn’t expecting but absolutely loved, and most of all I found the story to be incredibly unique. I did find the “twists” somewhat predictable, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
This was such a beautiful, poignant love story that at its centre was about family, and I really enjoyed my time reading it. While I did get frustrated at Eve for being sort of stupid, she did have her moments, and I fell head over heels in love with Vita. Vita and Dodie’s relationship was so tender it made my heart ache. But while heartbreaking, I really appreciate the hope and the bittersweet feeling you’re left with at the end.
Also, there was a slight gothic undertone which I wasn’t expecting but absolutely loved, and most of all I found the story to be incredibly unique. I did find the “twists” somewhat predictable, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.
June 8, 2023
I was drawn to this book because it's set in Suffolk, has a dual timeline and a beautiful cover! I started it straight away and looked forward to my evening readings, it was so immersive and I got caught up in Vita's story.
I loved Polly Crosby's writing, the shifts between the two timelines were perfect and kept the story flowing. The descriptions of The Cathedral on the Marshes were beautiful and also there was a slightly uneasy gothic element too.
A good story and one I will reread.
I also want to read Carmilla, a book that was mentioned.
I loved Polly Crosby's writing, the shifts between the two timelines were perfect and kept the story flowing. The descriptions of The Cathedral on the Marshes were beautiful and also there was a slightly uneasy gothic element too.
A good story and one I will reread.
I also want to read Carmilla, a book that was mentioned.
March 19, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book. Vita's story is heart breaking and knowing what her brother did to her, I'm glad she got out from his control eventually. Vita and Dodie's relationship was one of the sweetest parts of this book even with it being filled with tragedy.
Following their granddaughter Eve's story, and watching her find out the truth about her family and herself was gripping. She's a young woman trying to deal with the grief of losing her mother and coming to terms with her past.
This book would have been a five star read if it didn't have the epilogue. I feel the last chapter was a sweet and hopeful ending to the story.
Following their granddaughter Eve's story, and watching her find out the truth about her family and herself was gripping. She's a young woman trying to deal with the grief of losing her mother and coming to terms with her past.
This book would have been a five star read if it didn't have the epilogue. I feel the last chapter was a sweet and hopeful ending to the story.
September 1, 2024
I could not tell you how delightfully unexpected, heartbreaking and emotional this book is to finish
August 21, 2025
Being an East Coast-er, I loved the descriptive writing about Walberswick and surrounds .. and surely, surely the Cathedral of the Marshes is the GY Winter Gardens but posher :)
May 17, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed the story, I wanted to know what happened even though it wasn't complex. Eve was incredibly annoying at the start though.
Idk if this is a spoiler? so don't read just in case I guess.
When you receive a mysterious bird cage at your front door and it's signed by a "mysterious" V, then see that there is a literal engraving with the name Vita on it, you'd probably think that V is Vita, but not Eve. It took, in my opinion, far too long to figure that one out for her.
Idk if this is a spoiler? so don't read just in case I guess.
When you receive a mysterious bird cage at your front door and it's signed by a "mysterious" V, then see that there is a literal engraving with the name Vita on it, you'd probably think that V is Vita, but not Eve. It took, in my opinion, far too long to figure that one out for her.
May 28, 2023
Oh I adored this! I was absolutely gripped and just couldn’t stand to be removed from the story. Split between two timelines the 1930”s and the 1990”s. It’s a stunning whimsical historical fiction. I fell entirely in love with Eve, and with Vita and Dodi. I even (shock element) fell in love with the little birds. I could envisage the art I could feel the texture of the paints. I was absolutely captivated by the uncovering of the past. All the stars ⭐️ excellently written, beautifully narrated. Just released on May 25th. Stunning!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins audio U.K. for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins audio U.K. for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.
July 2, 2023
Vita and the Birds is a beautifully delivered story with exquisite lyrical language and dream-inspired images. It breathes sadness as effortlessly as drawing salt air into your lungs. Entering this narrative portal is like opening the doors of an old building that has been closed up for years and forgotten. Now fresh winds, warming sunlight and liquid moonlight flow through each room and seep into the pages drawing out haunting secrets from the darkness into the light. To dispel sinister things lurking in the shadows so that tortured souls can be freed from cruel bondage. This is a riveting tale with more twists and turns that you can imagine for it takes you on a journey that demands your constant attention. It offers many clues you must gather to solve the complex puzzle. It is a novel about identity, mystery, love and sacrifice. Topics of abuse, forbidden relationships and lost children are present in the plot and fiercely pull on your tender heartstrings.
I was mesmerised by the Cathedral of Marshes descriptions. What a fascinating place! The comparisons, too, to vision and artwork. 'The fragmented sections in the painting reminded her of the way that everything was bent and warped when you look into a pool of deep water…it was that same sense of distortion as looking through the cathedral’s glass walls, the landscape a dreamworld beyond.’ When Vita looked at the artist’s painting, she saw that ‘It had been severed and sliced into geometric pieces. The sand, sea and sky a mosaic of fragments, a mathematical illusion.’ This reflects much of the story and its many parts of buried truth. Also what is real and what appears to be.
But I also was saddened by the events that happened within those unusual cathedral walls. Of there were some happy moments there but the difficult circumstances that surrounded Vita, Dodie and Angela kept me tense but hoping for a positive outcome. The mystery artwork, the creative personalities, the lifelong bonds of two different families kept the plot rolling and the interest sky high.
This haunting mystery set in two timelines of 1938 and 1997 was very easy to follow. The flow between the two eras was done with precision and no repetition. In the older timeline of 1938, we learn that Lady Vita Goldsborough has had a horrible existence living with her controlling older brother, Aubrey. There are whisperings of his inappropriate behaviour. Vita has been conditioned to obey him. But in her heart there is secret rebellion. Her love of birds sustains her through some very dark passages in her life. When she meets Dodie, an artist, who comes to the Cathedral of the Marshes to paint her, her loneliness diminishes. This woman artist shows her kindness, exposes her to new cultural ideas and boosts her courage. But this boldness and new thinking will be challenged by Vita's fearsome brother. He is determined to put her away in a psychiatric facility.
Fifty-nine years later, Eve loses her mother in a tragedy. Filled with grief, she heads to the coast where she spent her childhood summers with her grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes to sort out her emotions and find comfort in familiar past surroundings. She finds a stack of letters sent to her grandmother and also a bird cage is left on her steps. What does all this mean? She meets an elderly woman who offers a substantial amount of money to paint her (Eve is an artist like his grandmother). Through accepting this commission, it takes her on a journey to the past, where she learns of secrets that will shake and alter her future. It will also release a long suppressed memory that her mind has tried to forget: an occurrence that happened in the Cathedral of the Marshes.
This novel swept me away to a stunning location with words that were often poetic and powerful. I enjoyed solving the puzzle (and it is definitely a mystery with lots of unexpected turns) and even though my writer brain worked out the answers ahead of their revelations from the clues, it was not an easy maze! I was moved, shaken, inspired and glad I read this amazing story. I highly recommend Vita and the Birds. And yes, there are some enchanting and wonderful passages about birds. As Vita says, ‘Birds are warm and alive, like us. And they answer back if you talk to them.’ 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Harlequin Australia - HarperCollins and Netgalley for my review copy.
I was mesmerised by the Cathedral of Marshes descriptions. What a fascinating place! The comparisons, too, to vision and artwork. 'The fragmented sections in the painting reminded her of the way that everything was bent and warped when you look into a pool of deep water…it was that same sense of distortion as looking through the cathedral’s glass walls, the landscape a dreamworld beyond.’ When Vita looked at the artist’s painting, she saw that ‘It had been severed and sliced into geometric pieces. The sand, sea and sky a mosaic of fragments, a mathematical illusion.’ This reflects much of the story and its many parts of buried truth. Also what is real and what appears to be.
But I also was saddened by the events that happened within those unusual cathedral walls. Of there were some happy moments there but the difficult circumstances that surrounded Vita, Dodie and Angela kept me tense but hoping for a positive outcome. The mystery artwork, the creative personalities, the lifelong bonds of two different families kept the plot rolling and the interest sky high.
This haunting mystery set in two timelines of 1938 and 1997 was very easy to follow. The flow between the two eras was done with precision and no repetition. In the older timeline of 1938, we learn that Lady Vita Goldsborough has had a horrible existence living with her controlling older brother, Aubrey. There are whisperings of his inappropriate behaviour. Vita has been conditioned to obey him. But in her heart there is secret rebellion. Her love of birds sustains her through some very dark passages in her life. When she meets Dodie, an artist, who comes to the Cathedral of the Marshes to paint her, her loneliness diminishes. This woman artist shows her kindness, exposes her to new cultural ideas and boosts her courage. But this boldness and new thinking will be challenged by Vita's fearsome brother. He is determined to put her away in a psychiatric facility.
Fifty-nine years later, Eve loses her mother in a tragedy. Filled with grief, she heads to the coast where she spent her childhood summers with her grandmother, Dodie. Eve hopes to sort out her emotions and find comfort in familiar past surroundings. She finds a stack of letters sent to her grandmother and also a bird cage is left on her steps. What does all this mean? She meets an elderly woman who offers a substantial amount of money to paint her (Eve is an artist like his grandmother). Through accepting this commission, it takes her on a journey to the past, where she learns of secrets that will shake and alter her future. It will also release a long suppressed memory that her mind has tried to forget: an occurrence that happened in the Cathedral of the Marshes.
This novel swept me away to a stunning location with words that were often poetic and powerful. I enjoyed solving the puzzle (and it is definitely a mystery with lots of unexpected turns) and even though my writer brain worked out the answers ahead of their revelations from the clues, it was not an easy maze! I was moved, shaken, inspired and glad I read this amazing story. I highly recommend Vita and the Birds. And yes, there are some enchanting and wonderful passages about birds. As Vita says, ‘Birds are warm and alive, like us. And they answer back if you talk to them.’ 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Harlequin Australia - HarperCollins and Netgalley for my review copy.
May 26, 2023
1938: As the world holds its breath, with a careful eye on the storm clouds gathering over Europe, Lady Vita Goldsborough has her own battles to fight. Daring to defy her controlling older brother Aubrey, she meets and forms a close bond with local artist Dodie Blakeney - a woman who gives her the courage to think that she might finally escape his clutches.
1997: Eve Blakeney, reeling from the death of her mother, heads to an old cabin on the Suffolk coast. A place which holds warm memories of her artist grandmother Dodie, and of carefree summers with her bohemian mother and brothers, but somewhere she has not dared to think about in the same way since a fateful night in the mysterious, derelict glasshouse called The Cathedral of the Marshes. Eve has not returned here for years, and is plagued by half-remembered images of that haunt her dreams. She is unsure if she should even be here now, but perhaps it is the right time to clear the cabin, and her own head.
When Eve discovers a bundle of letters among the scattered belongings of her grandmother, she learns of the relationship between Vita and Dodie - and she uncovers a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her own family.
Vita and the Birds is the third wonderful novel from Polly Crosby, and in it she once again blurs the lines between reality and the other-worldy, delving into the uneasy relationship between the land and the sea in the brooding salt marshes on the wild Suffolk coast.
Against the backdrop of mist and mystery, in a shifting sea of reeds that hide all manner of secrets amid their sinister suserrations, Crosby imagines a Gothic glass castle looming above the marshes and spins two interconnected timelines about it that hold you spellbound. The first, tells of the history of the heartbreaking story of Vita and Dodie, from vulnerable and damaged Vita's point of view, and is rife with themes of control and forbidden love. The second, follows Eve as she tries to come to terms with her grief and unresolved fears about The Cathedral of the Marshes in the present, while she sifts through the memory laden belongings of her grandmother. And I am not about to tell you too much about either of them, except to say that this story confirms Crosby as one of the finest writers I have had the pleasure to consume in recent years.
Crosby moves deftly between the past and the present, merging seamlessly between the two through the use of letters, personal belongings, and mirrored events, that gradually allow many long held secrets to be revealed in a way that drops the heart-wrenching reveals with perfect timing. She weaves storytelling magic throughout, making the best of setting, weather, and a community with long memories and a propensity for believing rumour to be truth, playing with themes of gilded cages, and yearning for freedom. The scenes where Crosby uses birds are particularly moving, and I could easily wax long, and lyrical, about how she wields light, perception, and half-remembered moments that nag at the subconscious. Superb!
For me, this is Crosby's best work yet, and that is saying a lot! While not being devoid of dark themes, stitched into the fabric of the story in the way that she does so darned well, especially when it comes to women, it thrums with emotion and love - and tugs at the senses in a sensuous and seductive way. It is also her most uplifting story to date, and I shed a bucket load of cathartic tears in the glorious final stretches of this novel.
This is quite simply, beautiful. I adored it from start to finish, and am already craving more. Polly Crosby is one of my favourite writers for a reason, and if you have yet to discover her books then all I can say is that you are in for a treat!
1997: Eve Blakeney, reeling from the death of her mother, heads to an old cabin on the Suffolk coast. A place which holds warm memories of her artist grandmother Dodie, and of carefree summers with her bohemian mother and brothers, but somewhere she has not dared to think about in the same way since a fateful night in the mysterious, derelict glasshouse called The Cathedral of the Marshes. Eve has not returned here for years, and is plagued by half-remembered images of that haunt her dreams. She is unsure if she should even be here now, but perhaps it is the right time to clear the cabin, and her own head.
When Eve discovers a bundle of letters among the scattered belongings of her grandmother, she learns of the relationship between Vita and Dodie - and she uncovers a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her own family.
Vita and the Birds is the third wonderful novel from Polly Crosby, and in it she once again blurs the lines between reality and the other-worldy, delving into the uneasy relationship between the land and the sea in the brooding salt marshes on the wild Suffolk coast.
Against the backdrop of mist and mystery, in a shifting sea of reeds that hide all manner of secrets amid their sinister suserrations, Crosby imagines a Gothic glass castle looming above the marshes and spins two interconnected timelines about it that hold you spellbound. The first, tells of the history of the heartbreaking story of Vita and Dodie, from vulnerable and damaged Vita's point of view, and is rife with themes of control and forbidden love. The second, follows Eve as she tries to come to terms with her grief and unresolved fears about The Cathedral of the Marshes in the present, while she sifts through the memory laden belongings of her grandmother. And I am not about to tell you too much about either of them, except to say that this story confirms Crosby as one of the finest writers I have had the pleasure to consume in recent years.
Crosby moves deftly between the past and the present, merging seamlessly between the two through the use of letters, personal belongings, and mirrored events, that gradually allow many long held secrets to be revealed in a way that drops the heart-wrenching reveals with perfect timing. She weaves storytelling magic throughout, making the best of setting, weather, and a community with long memories and a propensity for believing rumour to be truth, playing with themes of gilded cages, and yearning for freedom. The scenes where Crosby uses birds are particularly moving, and I could easily wax long, and lyrical, about how she wields light, perception, and half-remembered moments that nag at the subconscious. Superb!
For me, this is Crosby's best work yet, and that is saying a lot! While not being devoid of dark themes, stitched into the fabric of the story in the way that she does so darned well, especially when it comes to women, it thrums with emotion and love - and tugs at the senses in a sensuous and seductive way. It is also her most uplifting story to date, and I shed a bucket load of cathartic tears in the glorious final stretches of this novel.
This is quite simply, beautiful. I adored it from start to finish, and am already craving more. Polly Crosby is one of my favourite writers for a reason, and if you have yet to discover her books then all I can say is that you are in for a treat!
September 1, 2023
“Vita and the Birds” is a dreamy mystery, a story told across two time periods, and deeply concerned with family. It would be hard to peg it into any particular genre, but it’s a strong novel that many will enjoy.
In 1938 Lady Vita Goldsborough is struggling to live with her older brother Aubrey. Aubrey is controlling to the point of being abusive, and Vita’s rebellions have largely been ineffective and brought her still further under his control.
One small rebellion that she seems to be getting away with is her long walks. On one of these she meets a female artist, Dodie Blakeney. Despite knowing Aubrey would bitterly disapprove, Vita forms a close relationship with Dodie. For the first time, she considers the possibility that she could be free of Aubrey.
In 1997 Eve Blakeney is returning to the Suffolk coast where she spent many happy summers with her mother, brothers, and beloved grandmother. Now both her mother and grandmother are dead, and Eve is awash with grief. She hopes to find some peace by sorting through their belongings, but instead she finds a mystery.
An old bundle of letters hints at a relationship between her grandmother and a woman named Vita who Eve has never heard of before. This first secret hints at more, and Eve is drawn to trying to decipher them.
The prose is dreamy and atmospheric, and will be enough to draw many readers in. Although the sense of place is strong, the sense of time is less so – deliberately, I think. Dodie and Vita’s relationship is something a little aside from everyday life, and the evocative prose supports that.
The mystery, too, is unclear. The fact that it’s a relationship between two women makes the immediate, obvious, conclusion unlikely. I was genuinely curious about the links between the two time periods and the various characters. They didn’t become clear for some time, and that kept me interested. When the links do become clear, it seems remarkably obvious and natural.
Characterisation is strong. It’s necessary for the reader to empathise with Vita, and Crosby draws her with enough vividness that most readers will feel her every emotion. Vita dominated for me, but other characters such as Eve and Dodie are also understandable and real.
I was a little surprised by this novel, as I tend to be with anything that doesn’t fit neatly into a particular genre. I found it enjoyable to read, and memorable, and unusually atmospheric. I recommend it to anyone looking for something that’s easy to follow but which feels a little unusual.
You may also be interested in my review of “The Women of Pearl Island” by Polly Crosby:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
In 1938 Lady Vita Goldsborough is struggling to live with her older brother Aubrey. Aubrey is controlling to the point of being abusive, and Vita’s rebellions have largely been ineffective and brought her still further under his control.
One small rebellion that she seems to be getting away with is her long walks. On one of these she meets a female artist, Dodie Blakeney. Despite knowing Aubrey would bitterly disapprove, Vita forms a close relationship with Dodie. For the first time, she considers the possibility that she could be free of Aubrey.
In 1997 Eve Blakeney is returning to the Suffolk coast where she spent many happy summers with her mother, brothers, and beloved grandmother. Now both her mother and grandmother are dead, and Eve is awash with grief. She hopes to find some peace by sorting through their belongings, but instead she finds a mystery.
An old bundle of letters hints at a relationship between her grandmother and a woman named Vita who Eve has never heard of before. This first secret hints at more, and Eve is drawn to trying to decipher them.
The prose is dreamy and atmospheric, and will be enough to draw many readers in. Although the sense of place is strong, the sense of time is less so – deliberately, I think. Dodie and Vita’s relationship is something a little aside from everyday life, and the evocative prose supports that.
The mystery, too, is unclear. The fact that it’s a relationship between two women makes the immediate, obvious, conclusion unlikely. I was genuinely curious about the links between the two time periods and the various characters. They didn’t become clear for some time, and that kept me interested. When the links do become clear, it seems remarkably obvious and natural.
Characterisation is strong. It’s necessary for the reader to empathise with Vita, and Crosby draws her with enough vividness that most readers will feel her every emotion. Vita dominated for me, but other characters such as Eve and Dodie are also understandable and real.
I was a little surprised by this novel, as I tend to be with anything that doesn’t fit neatly into a particular genre. I found it enjoyable to read, and memorable, and unusually atmospheric. I recommend it to anyone looking for something that’s easy to follow but which feels a little unusual.
You may also be interested in my review of “The Women of Pearl Island” by Polly Crosby:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
July 14, 2023
Dual timeline novel set in SUFFOLK
YOU TUBE REVIEW: https://youtu.be/Yf3eQTv021E
4.5*
I listened to this as an audiobook and very much enjoyed the narration by Kristin Atherton, who could convincingly modulate her voice according to character.
At the heart of the novel is a glass edifice – the Cathedral of the Marshes – fancifully containing furniture of faded opulence and exotic plants and birds. It was built in the late 1920s by aristocrat Aubrey Goldsborough, who created it for his intended wife, but who abandoned him – and the building – for another man. Bitterness became a byword for his behaviour, which became increasingly controlling towards his sister, Vita, who lived with him at Goldsborough Hall.
Back in early 20th Century, Vita happened upon local artist, Dodie Blakeney, and the two formed a very firm friendship. In the late 1990s Eve Blakeney, Dodie’s granddaughter, chooses to spend some time at the fisherman’s cottage that served as her grandmother’s home and studio. Within the family it is mooted that the property should be sold but she is loathe to go down that road, severing further attachments to her childhood, and memories of time spent with their mother Angela. It is where the family spent their Summers but an event several years ago left a traumatic mark on Eve, and, now, she is back for the first since that event – with a myriad of mixed feelings.
Eve, herself an artist, is asked to step out of her comfort zone and paint the portrait of an older woman, and during their sessions many unanswered questions evolve about her own family. Can she retrospectively build up a picture of her family over the decades?
This is a novel with a beautiful ethereal quality, that moves comfortably between the two timelines. The varying stories are fleshed out and colourfully told, as birds flutter about within the confines of the finely detailed glass building – which I imagine to be like the tip of The Shard in London. Antique, faded furnishings from around the world add to the dessicated and stagnant feel of the interior, as events unfold against this carefully crafted backdrop.
YOU TUBE REVIEW: https://youtu.be/Yf3eQTv021E
4.5*
I listened to this as an audiobook and very much enjoyed the narration by Kristin Atherton, who could convincingly modulate her voice according to character.
At the heart of the novel is a glass edifice – the Cathedral of the Marshes – fancifully containing furniture of faded opulence and exotic plants and birds. It was built in the late 1920s by aristocrat Aubrey Goldsborough, who created it for his intended wife, but who abandoned him – and the building – for another man. Bitterness became a byword for his behaviour, which became increasingly controlling towards his sister, Vita, who lived with him at Goldsborough Hall.
Back in early 20th Century, Vita happened upon local artist, Dodie Blakeney, and the two formed a very firm friendship. In the late 1990s Eve Blakeney, Dodie’s granddaughter, chooses to spend some time at the fisherman’s cottage that served as her grandmother’s home and studio. Within the family it is mooted that the property should be sold but she is loathe to go down that road, severing further attachments to her childhood, and memories of time spent with their mother Angela. It is where the family spent their Summers but an event several years ago left a traumatic mark on Eve, and, now, she is back for the first since that event – with a myriad of mixed feelings.
Eve, herself an artist, is asked to step out of her comfort zone and paint the portrait of an older woman, and during their sessions many unanswered questions evolve about her own family. Can she retrospectively build up a picture of her family over the decades?
This is a novel with a beautiful ethereal quality, that moves comfortably between the two timelines. The varying stories are fleshed out and colourfully told, as birds flutter about within the confines of the finely detailed glass building – which I imagine to be like the tip of The Shard in London. Antique, faded furnishings from around the world add to the dessicated and stagnant feel of the interior, as events unfold against this carefully crafted backdrop.
April 24, 2024
Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby audiobook narrated by Kristin Atherton. Published by HarperCollins Publishers listened to using Libby via Norfolk County Library. I am going to give this 5 stars.
I don’t think I have listened/read a book with a character in it that I thought was so horrible or despicable as Vita’s brother Aubrey in a very long time. He made my skin crawl and if I could have stepped though the pages I could have bashed him on the nose, anything to given him a taste of his own medicine.
This story centres on Eve Blakeney in the late 1990’s she is at a bit of a loss in her life, she lost her mum in a car accident, her solo exhibition went badly. Her brothers suggest she goes to the Suffolk coast to their grandmother’s studio where they all spent every summer. She could start to pack it up ready to sell as nobody went there anymore. It is while she is there that she discovers letters between her Dodie, her grandmother and Vita, Lady Goldsborough and the mysterious cathedral in the reeds. While Eve is sorting out things at the studio, she hears news that young child has gone missing, this triggers memories of stories from her youth of other children going missing. People being injured or killed exploring the fenced off cathedral of the reeds, including her own adventure into the building and never quite being able to remember what happened.
It is while reading the letters and finding more notes and letters that she really starts to learn about her beloved Dodie and learning about Vita and all that happened to her.
A great read set-in two-time period 1990’s and pre-WW2 featuring love and everything you do to protect the ones you love most.
I don’t think I have listened/read a book with a character in it that I thought was so horrible or despicable as Vita’s brother Aubrey in a very long time. He made my skin crawl and if I could have stepped though the pages I could have bashed him on the nose, anything to given him a taste of his own medicine.
This story centres on Eve Blakeney in the late 1990’s she is at a bit of a loss in her life, she lost her mum in a car accident, her solo exhibition went badly. Her brothers suggest she goes to the Suffolk coast to their grandmother’s studio where they all spent every summer. She could start to pack it up ready to sell as nobody went there anymore. It is while she is there that she discovers letters between her Dodie, her grandmother and Vita, Lady Goldsborough and the mysterious cathedral in the reeds. While Eve is sorting out things at the studio, she hears news that young child has gone missing, this triggers memories of stories from her youth of other children going missing. People being injured or killed exploring the fenced off cathedral of the reeds, including her own adventure into the building and never quite being able to remember what happened.
It is while reading the letters and finding more notes and letters that she really starts to learn about her beloved Dodie and learning about Vita and all that happened to her.
A great read set-in two-time period 1990’s and pre-WW2 featuring love and everything you do to protect the ones you love most.
May 6, 2023
The Unravelling was one of my four favourite books of 2022 (and probably all time). Therefore I had great hopes and expectations for Vita And The Birds. I was not disappointed. I love the cover to start with.
In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the place where she spent her summers with her four brothers and her Bohemian mother Angela. During these holidays they hung out with the local teenagers and her brothers’ friends who came to stay, having picnics on the beach and drinking. Angela was not exactly a traditional mum. On one of these nights, Eve and Henry’s friend Elliott, both intoxicated, accept a dare and go off to explore the disused Cathedral of the Marshes. It’s dangerous and scary and lots of myths surround it. Then an accident and the discovery of a painting change Eve’s life forever.
In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough meets Dodie Blakeney, Eve’s grandmother, on the beach. Dodie is an artist and lives in a tiny studio where she paints. Vita, constantly under the control of her bullying brother Aubrey, is entranced by Dodie, her passion and her freedom. She is free like the birds that Vita adores. But can Vita ever be free to pursue her own life?
This is a story full of sadness, secrets, beauty, love and hope. There is something about the author’s writing that is like no other and I can’t really describe what it is that stands out for me, but it’s magical and breath-taking and I adore her books.
In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the place where she spent her summers with her four brothers and her Bohemian mother Angela. During these holidays they hung out with the local teenagers and her brothers’ friends who came to stay, having picnics on the beach and drinking. Angela was not exactly a traditional mum. On one of these nights, Eve and Henry’s friend Elliott, both intoxicated, accept a dare and go off to explore the disused Cathedral of the Marshes. It’s dangerous and scary and lots of myths surround it. Then an accident and the discovery of a painting change Eve’s life forever.
In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough meets Dodie Blakeney, Eve’s grandmother, on the beach. Dodie is an artist and lives in a tiny studio where she paints. Vita, constantly under the control of her bullying brother Aubrey, is entranced by Dodie, her passion and her freedom. She is free like the birds that Vita adores. But can Vita ever be free to pursue her own life?
This is a story full of sadness, secrets, beauty, love and hope. There is something about the author’s writing that is like no other and I can’t really describe what it is that stands out for me, but it’s magical and breath-taking and I adore her books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews