Book Review: ‘The Songbird’ Is A Great Story About Family And Friendship

I read a lot of novels about killers, police detectives, missing children with lots of plot twists and turns. So if was refreshing when I got The Songbird by Marcia Willett. It’s a story about family and friendship set on the estate of Brockscombe in the English countryside.

Tim is in London and tells Mattie his co-worker he is quitting and wants to go somewhere quiet and get away from everything. She suggests her families estate in Brockscombe. It has a main house where Francis the owner lives. He’s in his 80’s and recovering from a stroke. Tim takes one of the guest houses there and moves in. He soon becomes friends with Francis, William, Charlotte and Kat (the other people that live there). They are all related. Charlotte’s husband Andy is in the service and is away. She is raising their son Oliver. William is married to Fiona but they’ve been separated for years and have little to do with each other since she met another man.

Now that Tim has moved in things with everyone is great. There’s lots of barbecues, dinners and hanging out. Fiona is back now wanting to get closer to her grandson and the family. William isn’t sure how to handle her being back. Everyone is suspicious of her. Mattie comes and visits and she and Tim fall in love. But he has a secret he’s afraid to tell her. Charlotte is waiting for Andy to come home and is unsure of their future as he wants to accept a job in Washington. Kat has met a new man and is in a love triangle with him and another woman. And Francis is worried about everyone and what will happen to them and the estate when he dies (which he feels will be soon).

Author Marcia Willett has been published all around the world. She has written a touching story of family being there for each other in a touching, heartfelt way that makes you care for each character and what their ultimate fate will be. In the end family is who you should be able to count on and in this novel it’s never been more true.

You can pick up The Songbird in stores on Tuesday, December 4th.