All the Hungry Pelicans

by Kirkland Vandervoort

Antonio Garza grew up on the Mexican Gulf Coast and was fourteen when tragedy took his fisherman father. Jimmy Pickett was from a small town in East Texas and never knew who his father was because his mother was a prostitute. Arden Taylor came from old-money Houston, and her family was outwardly lovely but badly damaged inside. And Grady Gonzalez grew up in central California with alcoholic, emotionally distant parents, so he spent much of his childhood inside his head. Each sought, in their own way, to find themselves, and all four wound up in the pretty Mexican mountain town of Santa Susana.

But they are only a part of this story. Their parents were once young too, shaped by their own tragedies and issues. So when the children left to find themselves, the parents were left to consider the same questions. But just as a person can be lost wherever they are, they can also be found. And all might find their answers if they are willing to begin looking. But that is both simple and difficult because the only place someone can begin to find themself is the closest but hardest place to go-within.

286 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication December 22, 2026

Reviews

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed All the Hungry Pelicans. One of my favorite aspects of the book was how the story unfolded through different perspectives. Getting to know the children and parents individually, learning their stories, and then seeing how their lives came together made for a captivating read.

The book flowed easily, and I found myself invested in each character's story. What stood out to me most was how relatable and human the characters felt. They reminded me of people you might encounter in everyday life, each carrying their own experiences and struggles that you may know nothing about.

I especially appreciated the perseverance shown by many of the characters. One storyline that stuck with me was that of a mother struggling with drug addiction and prostitution, and how her circumstances shaped not only her own life but also her child's. I appreciated getting to understand who she was before her addiction and the experiences that led her down that path. It's easy to see someone struggling with addiction and focus only on where they are now, without considering who they were before or how they got there.

That was what I enjoyed most about this book. It offered a different perspective on people and their circumstances, reminding me that everyone has a story beyond what we see on the surface.

Overall, this was an engaging, easy-to-follow read with characters and stories that stayed with me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.*