Crow Talk

A Novel

De: Eileen Garvin

Narrado por: Helen Laser

Nationally bestselling author of The Music of Bees Eileen Garvin returns with a moving story of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set amidst the wild natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Frankie O’Neill and Anne Ryan would seem to have nothing in common. Frankie is a lonely ornithologist struggling to salvage her dissertation on the spotted owl following a rift with her advisor. Anne is an Irish musician far from home and family, raising her five-year-old son, Aiden, who refuses to speak.

At Beauty Bay, a community of summer homes nestled on the shores of June Lake, in the remote foothills of Mount Adams, it’s off-season with most houses shuttered for the fall. But Frankie, adrift, returns to the rundown caretaker’s cottage that has been in the hardworking O'Neill family for generations—a beloved place and a constant reminder of the family she has lost. And Anne, in the wake of a tragedy that has disrupted her career and silenced her music, has fled to the neighboring house, a showy summer home owned by her husband's wealthy family.

When Frankie finds an injured baby crow in the forest, little does she realize that the charming bird will bring all three lost souls—Frankie, Anne, and Aiden—together on a journey toward hope, healing, and rediscovering joy. Crow Talk is an achingly beautiful story of love, grief, friendship, and the healing power of nature in the darkest of times.

©2024 Eileen Garvin (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A touching tale of nature and love... Every page glows with the breathtaking view of the natural world."—Southern Bookseller Review

“Garvin’s writing power is her empathic approach of giving strength to what some might consider character flaws. Garvin can find power in the fear of broken dreams and the self-doubt of a parent.”—Spokesman-Review

"A gentle, life-affirming story about the healing properties of the natural world and the ways connecting with others—human and avian—can be a balm for grief, sorrow and alienation."—Cascadia Daily

Good Story Almost Ruined by Terrible Pronunciation

There were so many mispronunciations of local place names, I can’t even name them all, but how about “bow line.” Rhymes with cow, not low. I almost quit the audiobook and went to print because the mispronunciations were so distracting.

Not Well Written

Such a great concept! I loved so many of the details about birds and friendship, grief and neurodivergence but the writing fell short. It was an ending fit for Disney mixed with the Hallmark Movie channel on Christmas. The writing felt like it was from a mass produced cheap paperback for people who don't read often. I wanted to like it...and at some points there were some gems but overall it feels like the writer forced this one without really feeling its depts or allowing the characters to become fully alive to her. I wouldn't recommend it.

Exceptionally well thought out and written story

I especially appreciated how the story flowed and tied together without being too perfect. The author accurately captured complex feelings realistically, and challenges of relationships various relationships, particularly the relationship that the main characters have with themselves. I also enjoyed the tidbits about various birds sprinkled in throughout the story. I’m now excited to read (or listen to) the authors earlier books.

Lovely characters and beautiful use of language

I was not expecting this to be a novel of grief and I almost stopped listening (I lost my father and things are still raw). But I had already fallen in love with the characters and the writing, so I persevered. A beautiful novel that gives all the feelings.

Something to Crow About

This was an interesting mix of characters, human and avian. The ending was a bit Disneyish but it worked. It was a smart different read.

The story of the crows and how they can communicate.

I love how Eileen develops her characters. She is a masterful storyteller. Living in the northwest, it is easy to see the setting of this story.

Thoroughly enjoyable!!

This was the first book I have a read or listen to in about 25 years that have not been self-help and it was glorious to get lost in the story of Frankie and Aiden and the family. I live in the Pacific Northwest in the little town of Hood River and relish in all the familiar descriptions of, the surroundings in the community I call home. Wonderful story and is certainly the precipice of me falling back in love with reading again! Eileen’s musings and storyline was the perfect place for me to get lost in my own mind of visualizing the beauty of the gorge and that there is so much history here. If there was a June lake, I’d love to spend a summer there.

Good Read Based in the Columbia Gorge

Story written with great detail to assist a listener with visualizing the action. Hard to put down after the halfway mark. Unfortunate that the reader did not check with a local as to how to pronounce location names and of the Yakama nation. So easy to do with a simple phone call.

Compelling character development

This is the third Eileen Garvin novel I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. You will, too, if you’d like characters who develop and draw you in. I didn’t know one of the topics would be autism, but I immediately recognized this in Aiden. This novel is a great way to help people get an introduction to a child with autism, even though every person with autism is different.
I am from the Pacific Northwest, and it was extra fun to have a book set in that area.
I really like the Irish accent the narrator had for Aiden‘s mom. The life in two countries thread for her was also interesting, and I felt drawn to her.
Now I have to wait for Eileen to write another book!

bird lover

thank you, we loved this story, I have bird awareness and actually call myself a " bird babe"