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Mamabird
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jul 27A bighearted Southern debut set in 1969, when four sisters from Savannah are sent off to a boarding school in the Berkshires after a tragedy, and must navigate a new world of love and loss—and the secret from their mother’s campus days that holds the key to an enduring family mystery
“A gorgeous novel about sisterhood, family secrets, and the mysterious ways we learn to love the life that is ours. These sisters will steal your heart—and you won’t want it back. Truly unforgettable.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Heart of the Wild
“A bighearted, supremely tender story of family and longing. Mamabird is the kind of novel you want to hold close to your chest.”
—John Green, New York Times bestselling author of Hollywood, Ending
Savannah, Georgia, in 1969 is a city as beautiful as it is broken. Just outside of town, the four Caldwell sisters live on Isle of Hope in a home that aches and echoes with their mother’s absence. Until their father suddenly sends them north to her alma mater, an all-girls boarding school in the Berkshires.
On campus, the Caldwells learn to navigate a new world, one where their accents sound funny and the social order feels opaque. But as they forge their own paths in the place where their mother once thrived, through love and friendship and loss, each sister is also carrying a secret that threatens to upend all their lives.
When a revelation from their mother’s student days unravels a hidden family story during alumni weekend, the sisters’ private dramas reach a breaking point. With the truth now told, the Caldwells will have to lean on each other like never before to reclaim their future—and embrace who their mother always knew they could be.
Told with wisdom and wit and so much heart, Mamabird is a timeless celebration of the biggest, most enduring kind of love.
“A gorgeous novel about sisterhood, family secrets, and the mysterious ways we learn to love the life that is ours. These sisters will steal your heart—and you won’t want it back. Truly unforgettable.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Heart of the Wild
“A bighearted, supremely tender story of family and longing. Mamabird is the kind of novel you want to hold close to your chest.”
—John Green, New York Times bestselling author of Hollywood, Ending
Savannah, Georgia, in 1969 is a city as beautiful as it is broken. Just outside of town, the four Caldwell sisters live on Isle of Hope in a home that aches and echoes with their mother’s absence. Until their father suddenly sends them north to her alma mater, an all-girls boarding school in the Berkshires.
On campus, the Caldwells learn to navigate a new world, one where their accents sound funny and the social order feels opaque. But as they forge their own paths in the place where their mother once thrived, through love and friendship and loss, each sister is also carrying a secret that threatens to upend all their lives.
When a revelation from their mother’s student days unravels a hidden family story during alumni weekend, the sisters’ private dramas reach a breaking point. With the truth now told, the Caldwells will have to lean on each other like never before to reclaim their future—and embrace who their mother always knew they could be.
Told with wisdom and wit and so much heart, Mamabird is a timeless celebration of the biggest, most enduring kind of love.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 27, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of MamaBird 🤍
MamaBird is a beautifully written coming-of-age story following four sisters who, after losing their mother, are sent away to Barnett, the very boarding school their mother once attended.
At its heart, this is a story about sisterhood, grief, growing up, and discovering who you are while trying to make sense of where you came from.
Each of the four sisters is navigating her own struggles, carrying secrets of varying degrees, and trying to find her place in the world. But woven throughout their individual journeys is a shared desire to uncover the truth about their mother’s past.
I thought the story was well written, and I especially enjoyed how everything came together in the end. There are so many layers to these sisters, their relationships, and the secrets surrounding Barnett, and I felt the conclusion brought those threads together beautifully.
Overall, Mama Bird was a thoughtful coming-of-age story about the complicated bonds of sisterhood, the weight of family secrets, and the search for identity.
MamaBird is a beautifully written coming-of-age story following four sisters who, after losing their mother, are sent away to Barnett, the very boarding school their mother once attended.
At its heart, this is a story about sisterhood, grief, growing up, and discovering who you are while trying to make sense of where you came from.
Each of the four sisters is navigating her own struggles, carrying secrets of varying degrees, and trying to find her place in the world. But woven throughout their individual journeys is a shared desire to uncover the truth about their mother’s past.
I thought the story was well written, and I especially enjoyed how everything came together in the end. There are so many layers to these sisters, their relationships, and the secrets surrounding Barnett, and I felt the conclusion brought those threads together beautifully.
Overall, Mama Bird was a thoughtful coming-of-age story about the complicated bonds of sisterhood, the weight of family secrets, and the search for identity.
November 4, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy. l enjoyed the time period and the-glimpse into both the south and north during the 1960s. There was a lot of potential with this story. However, I struggled stylistically with the inclusion of the use of some parts being told by/through play writing style. This was not consistently used which felt odd and a little confusing. The characters were interesting but in some ways it felt like too much was happening at the same time that not much was happening. I enjoyed it but it felt like it could have been fantastic with some revisions.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
a unique story about female relationships of all types — sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends — and the varying degrees of intuition each woman in this book relies on to make even the most microscopic of decisions, some of which had highly satisfying payoffs (looking at you, James and Tommy!) thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book!
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the character development; all the characters had distinct personalities. I found myself slowing down as I neared the end of the book because I wanted to sit with the characters a little longer. Loved the title and how it wove into the book.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the character development; all the characters had distinct personalities. I found myself slowing down as I neared the end of the book because I wanted to sit with the characters a little longer. Loved the title and how it wove into the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews