Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller

 

Elderly Birdie Greenwing has received the devastating news that she has terminal cancer. With only a matter of months left to live, she expects her decline to be a lonely one. Thankfully, chance brings some of her neighbours into her life, ensuring she's not alone.

I heard about Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller pre-publication thanks to lots of amazing praise on Twitter. Desperate to read the book I bought it and then let it sit on my TBR pile for months. After a glut of thrillers, I decided a switch of genre was needed and plumped for a visit with Birdie.

I hesitate to say I needed some light relief, this book certainly isn't "light". While there are moments of joy, laughter, and hope, the main story is filled with sadness. Writer Ericka Waller has handled the main themes with a lightness of touch that makes the book immensely readable and fills you with optimism.

Birdie has lived alone since the deaths of her husband and twin sister. She's a proud woman, stoic and uncompromising. Loneliness surrounds Birdie, her only companion is her dog, and she knows that her death with be a lonely one. Jane, and her daughter Frankie, are Birdie's neighbours. They've recently moved to Brighton and have issues of their own. Living on the same road is Ada, who is also Birdie's oncologist. Ada has built a barrier between herself and the people around her, she refuses to let anyone get close to her. An accident brings the three women together and as a result, their lives blossom.

Birdie reminded me so much of my mother and the women of her generation. Capable of virtually anything, they accepted whatever life threw at them and just got on with it. Help was not something they would seek out, or easily accept, but tight-knit communities would always find a way of ensuring those that needed help received it. 

I did shed a tear, and then immediately started laughing, as the curtain was lowered on Birdie's life. In her final few months, she learnt that by letting people in she was given a new lease on life; a message we should all take to heart.

Author Details

Ericka Waller is 38 and lives in Brighton with three daughters, too many pets and a husband. She is an award winning blogger and columnist. When not writing she can be found walking her dogs, reading in the bath or buying stuff off eBay.