The Songbird

by Marcia Willett

When Mattie invites her old friend Tim to stay in one of her family cottages on the edge of Dartmoor, she senses there is something he is not telling her. Having left behind his old life in London in a rush, Tim is unusually quiet, as if he is holding on to a painful secret.

But as he gets to know the rest of the warm jumble of family by the moor, Tim discovers that everyone there has their own secrets. There is Charlotte, a young navy wife struggling to bring up her son while her husband is at sea; William, who guards a dark past he cannot share with the others; and Mattie, who has loved Tim in silence for years.

As Tim begins to open up, Mattie falls deeper in love. And as summer warms the wild Dartmoor landscape, new beginnings take root . . . But can fresh hopes bloom where old secrets are buried?

Genres: Fiction, British Literature, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2016

About the author

Marcia Willett began her career as a novelist when she was fifty years old. Since that first novel Marcia has written twenty more under her own name as well as a number of short stories. She has also written four books under the pseudonym "Willa Marsh", and is published in more than sixteen countries.
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she had never regretted.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"All through the spring, early and late, the thrush sings in the ash tree below the cottage. It's the first thing he hears, when he comes carefully down the narrow precipitous staircase to make coffee, and the last thing, as he leans from the small window into the quiet luminous evening, unable to abandon the unearthly magic and get into bed."

The Songbird by Marcia Willett


I will confess to skimming this book.

It is not at all because it is not good. Not at all. I am someone who likes certain books at certain times and I just was not up for this genre at this time. And it is a shame because it is due back at the library. Sigh..

So this is Women's Fiction for lack of a better term. I would not say this is Chick Lit despite the fact that it seems many people categorized it as such but perhaps I just view that genre differently. This book is really melancholy and sad. To much so to fit easily into the chick lit zone I think.

So I was not going to rate the book since I skimmed but I did not want anyone to think I was giving it a zero. And really the writing is utterly delightful. It is written with descriptive prose which I LOVE. There is absolutely an audience for this book.

And aspects of it are so lovely and radiate sweetness. Tim is a usually upbeat and happy guy who for some reason lately has been melancholy (that word again!) and sad. He has a secret. A friend of his (female) offers the use of a cottage for him to escape to to just..well..do nothing but relax. And ponder.

He is not alone there. There are a series of cottages filled with a delightful group of people who quickly become Tim's friends. But what is the secret he is hiding?

The thing I liked most was the writing which flows beautifully and the imagery of the quaint and breezy Victorian Cottages. I wanted to go visit! I love that type of writing. I really do.

SPOILERS:

There is much going on in Songbird that I have not even touched on. But one of the reasons I decided it was not for me is because we, the reader, learn the secret..or at least some of it..very early on. And it is quite a depressing and sad secret. As a result, it made it hard for me to want to keep reading as we are told about the secret but one knows there will be much to get through before the people in the book learn what it is.


So if you are guessing Tim is ill..you are correct. And I just did not feel like reading those themes right now so I chose to flip to the end. But I did read some.

I think I'd have enjoyed it more had I not known almost immediately what the secret was. And despite the poetic and lovely writing it was just the wrong book at this time for me.

If you like Smart, sweet and sad stories where the writing flows like a warm mist in the air, you will undoubtedly adore this. 3.5 stars even though I did not read the whole thing.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this novel because it was set in Dartmoor and Devon which I love. This is a book about people, emotions, relationships and secrets amidst the strong sense of place that Marcia Willett creates so skilfully. Located in Brockscombe, this is about those who reside there, all of whom are connected with Francis, who lives in the main house.

Mattie and Tim used to work together, and when he needs a place to get way, she suggests that he comes and stay in the family cottage. Tim has sold up, and wants to reflect on his future. Mattie has strong feelings for Tim and senses that there is more going on than Tim is letting on. She is right as we find out through the story. Tim settles in and gets to know the people around him. Charlotte has a young son, Oliver, a husband, Andy, who is away in the Navy and is Mattie's sister. William is Charlotte's father in law and Aunt Kat is an ex ballet dancer, in her sixties. Tim finds himself warmly embraced by this small community. Amidst the songbirds, we come to understand the nature of the secrets within this group of people.

The novel encompasses an intimate look at the characters, love, family and what it is to be friends. Within this, secrets emerge and issues get resolved. A lovely, warm, entertaining and absorbing read. Highly recommended. Thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful family and friends story set in Devon, so beautifully described here. I didn't realize Marcia Willett passed away a year ago, I will miss her writing.

[Chris Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet, charming book. I so enjoyed getting to know all of the folks and their stories. Lovely book.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to LibraryThing for this ARC.

A sweet story set in England with good characters, mostly related somehow. Then along comes Tim, an "outsider" who is friends with Mattie. He quits his job to ponder a life that no one knows he is living.

A lot of the characters I really liked and one that I really despised. I wanted to write her out of the book but she was one of the main characters so it wouldn't have been the same without her there.

The other characters were really good and I enjoyed their camaraderie with each other even though they were living in separate cottages on the premises of the big house where the owner lived.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, touching story of a group of friends and family, all at various crossroads, whose lives intertwine during a few months spent together on an estate in Devon. Marcia Willett's writing style is beautiful and insightful, and she created characters I grew fond of and attached to.

It didn't measure up to Looking Forward, the other of her books that I've read, but Looking Forward is just more my cup of tea with its setting in the 1950s-70s and its longer, more in-depth story of a family over generations. The Songbird has a contemporary setting, with people texting each other and calling on iPhones, and while there's nothing wrong with that I like books set in Olden Times better. And, though I'm sure Willett had her reasons for doing so, I wasn't overjoyed about The Songbird being written in present tense. It's just a pet peeve of mine, but with very few exceptions I don't care for that.

All that is nitpicking though, based on my own idiosyncrasies. Overall I enjoyed this story and found it an emotionally satisfying and comforting read. I'm glad I discovered Willett's books this summer and look forward to reading more of them.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying family drama. Left me feeling happy.

[Jo Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy summer reading

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GNab Marcia Willett brings us an excellent novel of modern families set in South Devon, England, featuring four generations of an extended family with steps and halfs and the odd friend of a friend who somehow fits right into the tight weave of life on the family estate of Brockscombe, as the aging patriarch faces death and the pull of the wide world on the descendents make that insular way of life seem to be untenable. I found all of the protagonists sympathetic with the exception of that One, and the descriptions of the countryside and the small towns verging on the Dartmoor National Park make you want pack up and travel.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Marcia Willett, and Transworld Digital in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

publishing date December 4, 2018
received October 24, 2018
Transworld Digital

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book just isn't for me, I couldn't get a feel for the characters and the story just didn't grab me at all.

[Tracy Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book this morning and I'm bawling like a baby. I loved it. I loved the characters -- particularly Francis, which is why the ending just destroyed me. In a way, it's a "feel good" book, but there's a lot of sadness mixed in with the happy times, too. All in all, it was a lovely story. And it made me want to go to Devon to find a place like Brockscombe!

[Vickie Richens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the author's books, will definitely be reading more of her books

[CindySR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring soap opera. Such a pretty cover, I had hopes!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was only a mention of Theo to connect this book to the Chadwick series, so it was mostly independent of all of her previous books. I enjoyed the friendliness and closeness of the main characters and felt sorry for the two characters who made less than fabulous decisions.

[Carolyn Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good three and a half stars for this easy, enjoyable comfort read. Like Rosamunde Pilcher, Marcia Willett is a go-to for settling down in a comfy, British country setting with a multi-generational cast. Unlike Pilcher who died in 2019, Willett, a generation younger, is still writing, and her books reflect more current situations - a young mother who works from home as a web designer; sex that is more casual than in other eras; living in the city and commuting to weekend homes; texting, etc. Still there is a bit of an old-fashioned feel in Willett's books, and her characters are never edgy - bohemian and artsy, maybe, but not edgy. She is good at characterizing common pettiness and self-centeredness, passive-aggressive behavior, lack of male decisiveness (and therefore easily manipulated), and sibling dynamics. On the other hand, she also draws compassionate and positive and life-affirming characters. She evokes the Devon countryside beautifully as here in the opening of the book:

All through the spring, early and late, the thrush sings in the ash tree below the cottage. It's the first thing he hears, when he comes carefully down the narrow precipitous staircase to make coffee, and the last thing, as he leans from the small window into the quiet luminous evening, unable to abandon the unearthly magic and get into bed.

There are no leaves yet on the trees. They hold up bare, misshapen arms and bony, twiggy fingers against a pale, translucent sky; yet he can never see the thrush hidden within these interlaced, fantastical patterns. He stands watching, seeing how the gardens tip down to the two fields - sown with barley, edged with thorn and ash - and across those fields to the lane beyond, which curls and climbs up to the old farmhouse.

This introduces us to Tim, who is renting one of the cottages converted from a stable block, on sabbatical in the Devon countryside. The other tenants, loosely related to elderly Francis, a retired MP, and owner of the main house and extended property, include William, an accountant separated from his wife Fiona who left him to work in London, his daughter-in-law Charlotte and infant son Oliver, who live there while Andy, Charlotte's husband and William and Fiona's son, is away on duty as a naval officer, and Kat, a retired ballerina and choreographer, who is William's cousin. Their ages range from young thirties to mid-fifties and early sixties to eighties, in Francis' case. It is Charlotte's younger sister Mattie, a former co-worker of Tim's in London, who has suggested the place when he quit his job to take a sabbatical and re-assess his life. Mattie and Tim are friends who are drawn to each other, but Tim is hiding a secret that would spell doom to their budding relationship. Fiona, William's estranged wife, dumped by her lover, wants to move back for weekends, adding a new tension to the group. Meanwhile, Kat, recovering from grief at the death of her lover and collaborator, is emerging back out into the world and takes up with a widowed and retired drama instructor. The elderly Francis, knowing he is near the end of his life, has also kept his secrets well hidden, and feels compassion for the young Tim, who is clearly dealing with a torturous burden. It makes for an interesting character driven story with some poignancy.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Songbird
Marcia Willett

Willett’s latest Brit-Lit is simply divine, a study in human nature, a comedy and a tragedy full of secrets, regrets and new beginnings. The Queen’s English is refreshingly proper and although there will be some googling certain terms have no fear US readers you will enjoy it immensely. The wide-range of personalities are fascinating varying from nurturer to narcissist and everyone is an absolute necessary part of the tale. The author does a bang up job of capturing every emotion while cleverly uncovering all the mysteries bringing to life the bucolic English countryside, the inhabitants and their stories. The pseudo family unit that these very different people become is the real stand out in this story.

SUMMARY:
When Tim is diagnosed with a potentially fatal degenerative disease he quits his London publishing job only telling his workmates that he’s decided to take a sabbatical in the country. When his friend and coworker Mattie hears this she knows exactly where he should go and tells him about her family’s Devon country estate called Brockscombe and the empty cottage on the grounds that would suit him perfectly. Plus it would keep him close so she can learn what’s really going on with him.
Little did Tim know that he’d be moving in to his own little group of soap opera players complete with villains, heroes and a prima donna or two but strangely enough it’s home.

[West Hartford Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect summer reading! A gentle story of family and relationships set in Devon, England. These are people you'll enjoy getting to know - how are they all related to each other and what secrets to each of them hold?

[Enchanted Prose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinder, Gentler Prose (West Country, England; present-day): The Better Angels of our Nature is a phrase first heard in 1861 from our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, at his inaugural address. The soulful message rang out again on December 5th, 2018, a day after The Songbird was released, when historian Jon Meacham eulogized our 41 st President, George H. W. Bush, at the Washington National Cathedral. It seems a particularly appropriate phrase to use – as well as Bush 41’s aim of a “kinder, gentler nation” – when thinking about The Songbird, British bestselling author Marcia Willett’s eighteenth novel.

Willett’s trademark is kind, gentle prose set in the peaceful English countryside.

Before you even open the author’s newest book, the cover (like many of her more recent novels) paints a watercolor image that feels good already. During the 2018 holiday season, we’re yearning for kinder, gentler. Though it’s been years since I read A Week in Winter, published in 2003, Willett’s lovely prose left an impression. If this is your first introduction to the warmth of Marcia Willett’s novels, you may want to return to her earlier ones, like I now want to do. Kinder, gentler is a gift.

The Songbird characters are good people (except for a mean-spirited outlier). That doesn’t mean this character-driven story of family relationships, love, and friendship is Pollyannish because these people have real troubles. We, then, can relate to their emotions and situations. Many seem like someone we know, used to know, or wish to know, rendered with grace and old-fashioned values and manners. You will not find any vulgarity or cruelty in the prose.

Cruelty does come, though, from circumstances out of the protagonist’s control. Tim, in his thirties, has decided to take a sabbatical from his marketing job at a London publisher, where he works with Mattie, a publicist. He doesn’t tell her why he needs to leave, but does ask if she knows any place he could “chill for a while. A cottage in the country but not too remote.”

Tim and Mattie are friends with early hints their relationship could go further if he let it, but he won’t, against his own needs, caring more about protecting Mattie, sparing her pain. Mattie, in turn, wishes he’d tell her why he’s leaving, but doesn’t pry. Right away you like them, the way they respect each other, tread gently.

Early on you’ll also learn one of Tim’s secrets: he’s been diagnosed with a cruel illness. It’s scary, made scarier because Tim has no family, no one to be there for him. Just this enormous burden, a time bomb waiting to explode.

Mattie does have an ideal solution for a healing retreat: a cottage in the West Country, where her sister and cousins live. When the novel opens Tim is living in one of the “terraced cottages” owned by Mattie’s cousin Frances Courtney, a retired member of the British Parliament. In his eighties, he’s writing his memoirs alone in the main house, once a farmhouse that goes back to the Napoleonic era. Also on the grounds are three cottages: two he rents out to extended family, the third now to Tim.

Tim finds the serene landscape helps to soften the blow of the heavy burden he’s carrying. He also discovers Mattie’s family is “the family he’s always longed for.” How they’re all related is a bit messy, and each is dealing with their own stages-of-life issues, but we like them a lot too (except for that one.) 

A favorite is Aunt Kat “in her early sixties, a former international ballet dancer and choreographer, tall, graceful, unconventional.” She embraces this quiet landscape surrounded by this little family, nursing the death of her lover two years ago. But she’s not bitter or angry about her significant loss, for she’s someone who exudes a love for life and the arts that’s quite wonderful. Yes, she’s unorthodox, charmingly so, a live-your-life-to-its-fullest person. An antidote for Tim who needs all things life-affirming. Kat also delights us because the author was once a ballerina (noted inside the book jacket), so she conveys Kat’s gracefulness and appeal naturally. 

Kat is living with cousin William, an arrangement that made sense when William’s wife abandoned their twenty-year marriage and the country life for a career in London, where she also cheated on good-natured William, who enjoys simpler pleasures such as singing in a choir. No one likes a manipulator, a betrayer like Fiona, including the reader. As the plot develops, you’ll see her selfishness and deceit come back to haunt her. 

Tim is renting William and Fiona’s empty cottage. The other cottage is being rented by Fiona and William’s son Andy and Charlotte, Mattie’s older sister, whose essentially single-parenting their baby boy Ollie as Andy is in the Navy, away at sea. This little makeshift family makes all the difference in the world for Charlotte (and the others), easing her loneliness and helping out with Ollie. Wooster, her lovable, wagging tail dog, also provides great comfort, epitomizing our need for companionship and why so many of us can’t live without dogs. A “big, solid presence,” dogs love us no matter what. 

What this surrogate family also prizes is Britain’s West Country. Francis’ estate may be fictional, but this area is not. Located in the southwest of England, somewhere near Devon and the moors of Dartmoor, nearby the sea. The author lives in Devon, clearly appreciates its “tranquillity” and unusual beauty.

Tim is not the only character who feels he’s living on borrowed time. Francis is not a well man; everyone’s future is uncertain as no one knows what will happen to the property should he die. Francis, more profoundly than the others, recognizes Tim is a “man with a secret – because “Francis knows all about secrets.” So he takes a special interest in Tim. Tim is also especially bolstered by Aunt Kat, whose “warmth and vitality give him courage. She accepts him without questioning or curiosity about his past. He is Mattie’s friend.”

Which brings us back to Mattie, who finds ways not to just keep waiting in the wings for reticent Tim. Since Mattie is the type of person who “could always make people love her,” says her older, a bit jealous sister, Tim is challenged to stay self-disciplined since there’s chemistry in the air.

Everyone cherishes something about the West Country, but seen through Tim’s lonely, anxious soul, it’s salvation. He marvels at “the peace of the woodlands – the banks of flowering azaleas, the scent of bluebells, the flittering of the birds in the canopy.” He savors the changing spring and summer seasons the novel spans, when sometimes the landscape has a “half-finished watercolor” look; at other times there’s a “radiance in the damp air: a brightness that touches the trembling raindrops with light and gleams on wet green leaves.”

Tim also can’t get over the slower pace that seems to enable so much friendliness and kindness to neighbors and strangers, though this family never treated him like one. An only child, we understand the importance of that for Tim, whose gratitude is profound. 

The West Country and Tim’s newfound family make him feel that maybe, just maybe,“miracles can happen” here. Whether they do or don’t, he and we experience the better angels in us.

Wishing all a kind and gentle holiday season. See you in 2019.

Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)

[TheHauteBookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy this author’s work. She has a beautiful, poetic way of writing. Her words flow in a melodic way, creating magnificent imagery for the reader. It is quite exquisite! Songbird is very reminiscent of her Summer on the River book, where a diverse grouping of people are put together for a period of time and we are given a voyeuristic view of their lives; their secrets, struggles, and joys. This remains true in this story as well. The author tells this story through varying points of view. Giving each of our wonderful and eclectic character’s a voice.
Songbird is about a group of people who are mostly family/friend related living in houses on an old farm outside of Dartmoor. During their time together we see them continue to strengthen their relationships and create a summer filled with very special memories. During their time together, some will face their fears, some will learn to live again, and some will learn that they just can’t change.
The majority of the story’s secrets are implied. The reader is given wisps of implications that are embedded throughout the story. The author also incorporates symbolic imagery throughout, including delightful parallels with summer patterns of song thrush birds.
As much as I liked the varying view points and the opportunity to be behind the thoughts of each character, I didn’t feel a strong connection with any one particular character. Additionally, a lot of the events were stated in such a matter of fact way that the emotional connection wasn’t there for me. The characters themselves were delightful, I just didn’t connect. I do have to say I was very surprised by the ending, but with contemplation, it makes complete sense and it really is as it should be.
Overall, a well told story. Multi-layered tidbits in every portion of the story.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, easy to read book about a family in rural England. It's not a family because of the blood ties of some of the members but a family of people from different parts of life that live in a small compound and love and take care of each other. The descriptions of the English country side are so beautiful, that you feel like you are there enjoying the scenery and relaxing in the life style of a small town.

Tim decides to take a sabbatical, even though he is young, and Mattie (a woman he works with) offers him a cottage in her family compound in Dartmoor. Even though she feels that he is hiding something, she doesn't pry and helps him find a place where he can be comfortable. Also living at the compound are Kat, a retired ballet dancer; Charlotte and her infant son who are waiting for her husband to come home from the Navy; William who is estranged from his wife and Francis, the elder owner of the main house and the small cottages. Francis cares for the people who live in the cottages as if they were his own children and everyone is friends with each other. Tim is the real outsider to the group and they give him time to himself to help him work through his problems. As he begins to warm up to the group, he realizes how much they all mean to him and that he can share his secrets with them and with Mattie.

The author does an excellent job of weaving the stories of each character together and making all of the characters interesting to read about. I enjoyed the story as well as the description of the English countryside.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the free review copy.

Over the weekend I finished THE SONGBIRD, which actually looked more like flying through about half of the book in one sitting. Once I got used to the slightly unique writing style (at least compared to what I’m used to), I found myself completely drawn into the story and so endeared to the characters that I simply couldn’t put the book down. I just *had* to know the outcome for all of the loveable (and one not so likeable) characters we get the pleasure to know.

This is a heartfelt story of family and friendship, secrets and complicated struggles. A group of family members plus one newcomer - a friend of one of the family - all live in cottages amongst each other at a family home. Throughout the story we see them grow and change as individuals, as well as in their relationships and how they fit with each other.

Something that stood out to me as I was reading was just how caught up in the setting and scenery I became. I so appreciate the vivid and rich detail with which the author paints everything for the reader (even down to certain sounds, that eventually become significant). It made for such a delightful reading experience. I’ve always wanted to visit the English countryside, and through this book it felt like I got to do just that.

This wonderful read has definitely left me eager to go back and read more of this author’s work!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Willett is following Jane Austen's advice to her niece Anna "You are now collecting your people delightfully, getting them exactly into such a spot as is the delight of my life. Three or four families in a country village is the very thing to work on, and I hope you will do a great deal more, and make full use of them while they are so very favorably arranged" without seeming at all like dear Jane. She has her own voice and fits nicely in my panoply of favorite Chicklit authors.
This is a gentle story. It captures one spring at Brockscombe a manor house with outbuildings in Devon and follows the lives of an assortment of people who have become unwittingly a kind of modern family. Spring is the disruptor season and by the end of the book spring is finished and everyone's life has been altered but not necessarily transformed. Characters remain pretty much true to their nature.
Authors have various means to relieve the sensibility inherent in Chicklit which is why they are often very funny. Wit is a great leveler. Ms Willett is not funny but she has an uncanny ability to insert the poetry of George Meredith and my absolute favorite Gerard Manley Hopkins into the story which has me reaching for my tattered and masking tape mended copy at the end of the book. What a delightful read.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love how this new-to-me author develops so many characters in such a clear and natural way so as not to confuse this reader who usually likes easy escape reading. The characters are distinct, but not caricatures or stereotypes; they're of every generation - and even the older and youngers are relatable.
Especially memorable are William, who after years of doing what his wife wants, finally grows a pair and does the Right Thing; Mattie, who is loving and innocent and fun and young - and so so sincere; and Tim, who moves to the cottage with a heavy burden, and leaves the cottage with someone to share it with.
Though my copy was an ARC, I was a little taken aback by the formatting - especially all of the proper nouns that weren't capitalized, and the majority of sentences that started with lowercase letters. Just threw off the flow for me and made the act of reading a little bit of a chore.
Besides that, I really enjoyed this cast of 10 or so characters, living their lives, figuring out their problems, getting to know each other and themselves. There's not a whole lot of action, but Willett does write a story filled with poetry, deep thoughts, and emotion.
NetGalley provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
https://randombookmuses.com/2019/01/2...

[Janista · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The story was told from every characters' point of view so it was initially quite confusing for me because this is my first time reading a book with this writing style. But then, I started to get used to it, and it turns out to be an interesting and new experience! Moreover, after a few pages into the book, I thought it would be quite difficult to finish. However, I was wrong, because this book turns out to be very easy to read and I was able to finish the book way faster than I expected!
Although the main synopsis was about Tim and Mattie, their love story turns out to only be a small portion of the whole book. I was disappointed because I want more of them especially since they are the main reason why I wanted to read this book. Nonetheless, I was not surprised because I have read a book that did not centre their story around the main characters from the blurb like this as well, so I kind of expected that.
Overall, for me, the story is sad, melancholy and emotional (Tim !!!! and the ending ;( )..nevertheless it still managed to be feel-good and heartwarming. I will miss and will hope for the very best for all of characters in this story <3

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all this author's novels, it's primarily character-based rather than having much plot. The story novel takes place over a few months, while a young man with a worrying diagnosis ponders his future. Various relationships change or develop in a small community of likeable people.

The writing is good, with realistic conversations and some poignant moments. I was surprised how quickly I felt caught up in the lives of these diverse people. As one character becomes involved in the community, I found myself feeling fond of them all, to varying degrees.

There’s a tad more of a Christian focus than there is in the author’s other books, although it’s done very well, in my view, without being pushy. There’s no bad language and no details of intimate scenes, although as with so many modern fiction books, characters seem to leap into bed with each other all too easily.

I’d recommend this to anyone who likes the gentle, character-based fiction of this nature. The ending is positive without being overdone, and the people will probably stay in my mind for some time.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Songbird opens with Tim confiding in his friend and co-worker Mattie that he needs to get away on sabbatical. Mattie sends him to Brockscombe farm in the South of England where her family lives. Tim rents one of the cottages on the farm and falls into a slower paced life with Mattie's friendly family who like Tim are harboring a few secrets. It doesn't take Mattie long to feel she needs to make a move to be closer to Brockscombe Farm. And then there's Tim, she seems to be falling in love with him despite his reluctance to share his secrets.

While this was a charming story, it was a little on the sad side for me. I enjoyed Willett's previous book, Summer on the River, but The Songbird didn't have that electric current running through it that the previous one had. Having said that, if you like family stories with multiple story lines and a lovely picturesque setting, then The Songbird might be right for you.

Thanks to Library Thing and Thomas Dunne Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com

[Shelbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would put this in the category of "Target Books". You know exactly what I'm talking about. There's always a section of books at Target that are just light, easy reads and you really can't go wrong with them! I did not get this book from Target, but that is what it reminds me of nonetheless. I really liked The Songbird because you get the mix of characters who shouldn't belong together, but work so well as a group. I love when an author unearths things about each character throughout the book, and then at the end, everything fits together so cohesively and wraps up any questions you may have had throughout the novel. Overall, a feel-good book. And, I felt like a part of the family by the end.

[Lisbeth Zabihi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skønne Marcia Willett har gjort det igen: skrevet en helt vidunderlig bog om familier, hemmeligheder og kærlighed i tæt samspil med den smukke engelske natur. Jeg elsker at læse denne type bøger og har bl.a. læst alle Rosamunde Pilchers bøger og arbejder mig nu stille og roligt igennem Marcia Willetts forfatterskab. "Svanesang" er historien om en spændende familie, der bor sammen i den gamle herregård. Generationerne mødes på tværs og kærlighed til familien er en rød tråd igennem hele historien. Hvordan familieforholdene egentlig hænger sammen, finder læseren først ud af til sidst. Skøn roman - glæder mig allerede til den næste af forfatteren.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story of community and family. Set at Brockscombe in Devon (love the area!), it starts as the story of Tim, who is remaking his life, and Mattie, who has always had a crush on him and invites him to the family house. The tale expands, however, to encompass others, all of whom have a secret- but this isn't a secrets and lies type novel. It's about how individuals can blend together as a group as they heal from psychic and physical injury. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is light, positive reading.