An unusual book which I really enjoyed, lots of very human emotions and, regardless of whether you believe in ghosts or not, you do want to know how it's going to turn out. Easy to follow, no complications, characters are straightforward and the story unfolds logically. Shortish chapters which always makes a book easier to read, each chapter a separate character. I would recommend.

I like Luica Morgan's novels as she's a good storyteller and her plots are compelling. This one was not my favorite as the blurb sounded intriguing but the story was a bit too slow and my mind wanderend.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

an incredibly banal story that not only is cliche-ridden but doesn't even succeed in being gripping or work as a light entertainment

Such a fab ghost story with an unique twist. The characters of Bea and Anne drew me in with their vulnerabilities and reasons of hiding on the island. It's creepy in the right places, atmospheric and has depth and insight in the topics it raises which are just as relevant now as in the 70s when its set. Perfect reading for dark nights

Beatrice Bird is a psychologist who after taking LSD starts seeing ‘ghosts’ around every person. She was always a bit ‘fey’ but now as she’s seeing these spirits everywhere it’s driving her nuts so she withdraws to a small cottage on an isolated island. Set mostly in the 1970s the story jumps around a bit in time and character point of view. Another strand of the story is Anne married to a judge, who is almost a caricature of a controlling violent husband and her five year old son. I enjoyed the story but there was something about it that didn’t work for me, too long maybe?too nice? set in a historical time but domestic violence is still with us so why not set it now? Not sure but I love the cover.

When I learned that a new Louisa Morgan book was coming in 2023, I got excited. I think it’s safe to say The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird was one of my most anticipated reads this year. The first novel I read from her was The Great Witch of Brittany in 2022, which I requested on a whim, without knowing anything about Morgan or her previous books. And even though I read it early in the year, it set a really high bar for anything coming after it – not surprisingly it landed on my top 10 reads, easily. I was hoping to catch up with her other books, but things didn’t go that way. Oh well. At least had her latest, and boy I’m so happy I did get my hands on a review copy. Morgan is definitely making her way on my favorite authors’ list and I have zero regrets about that.

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is mostly set in 1977, with flashbacks into the past as we get to know Beatrice and Alice’s stories. Beatrice is in her late forties, has a PhD in psychiatry and she voluntarily left behind her life in San Francisco to live as a recluse on a small island where there is nothing but a small community run by nuns. She has a cottage with a view and a lonely life as she tries to have as few contacts with people as possible. Dr. Bird has a curious ability to see people’s ghosts as she calls them, and have feelings or rather intuitions into their lives and emotions. Throughout the book, we learn how her ability started and how it got so out of hand that she ended up closing herself off from everyone. Her peaceful life is disturbed when Anne shows up on the island, and Mother Maggie (a senior nun), asks Beatrice to shelter her for a night. Anne is in her early thirties, and quite clearly troubled. Beatrice can barely bear to be near her due to her oppressive and sorrowful ghosts. Their meeting starts a chain reaction of events which forms a bond between the two women.

I’ll not go into more details than that regarding the plot because I believe this is a book everyone has to experience for themselves. Morgan waves the plot masterfully, and though it’s not a book I would call fast-paced, there is not a moment that feels unnecessary or out of place. The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird grabs you at the very first page and never lets you go. I could barely set it down, I was so invested in these ladies’ stories, and how it all would end. And even though I had hopes for the ending, I could never be sure what it might be, and that kept me on my toes. I don’t know what it is in Morgan’s writing that appeals to me, but at this point, I really don’t care what she is going to write about next, I will read anything she puts out. You know I don’t usually write gushing reviews, but I literally have no complaints whatsoever about The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird.

I loved the clever choice of time in which this book is set and the atmosphere Morgan created with the island life including the cows, the nuns, and everything. The way she was able to paint the scenes in simple ways that still felt very real, like you were right there with the characters. There are a lot of elements here that many people will be able to identify with. The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is not an easy read though. Morgan touches upon a lot of hard topics, some are only mentioned, some are hinted at and some are explored more deeply. Such as child abuse, domestic abuse, mental health problems, societal issues (the roles of men (toxic masculinity!) and women within and without a relationship, people living together without marriage, and the effects of the summer of love among other things). But the focus is on relationships in general – we see a lot of examples of a toxic relationship but there is also a balance of a relationship where people are equals. There are examples of dysfunctional families, and also examples of how a parent-child relationship should be.

There were times when I could see myself in some of these character’s situations. I think I mostly identified with Anne when it came to her relationship with her parents. There is a scene where Anne mentions she visited the family of her friend on a holiday and how astonished she was to see a different type of family dynamics, and how it unsettled her. That got under my skin.

“She, Anne Iredale, had buried her true self under layers of propriety and convention, and she had no idea how to exhume it.”

As for Beatrice, I could identify with her because of her well, let’s call it intuitions. I usually call it my sixth sense, and even though I don’t have anything like Beatrice, but I still tend to know things I have no explanation for. It’s pretty hard to surprise me because of that. I have a handful of stories, some that still dumbfounded me to this day. I’m not sure I myself believe in ghosts and spirits as I never had any experiences in that area, but I do believe in some people having unexplainable abilities. Maybe not on such an extreme level as Beatrice Bird, but still. I sure as hell don’t believe in coincidences.

The hardest parts of The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird to read are the ones that are written from Benjamin’s POV, who is Anne’s 5-year-old son. Boy, those cut deep. And after everything is said and done, it’s just impossible not to have some kind of emotional reaction to this book. It’s written with such precision and care to have the maximum effect, that nearly a day later of finishing it, I’m still under its spell. And I don’t think The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird will leave me anytime soon. I really hope that people will pick up this book and experience Louisa Morgan‘s genius.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2023/11/23/the-ghosts-of-beatrice-bird-by-louisa-morgan/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Emotionally satisfying tale of friendship

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is a beautifully told mystery circulating around the lives of two women who are both trying to escape something.

The story is told through three POVs, Beatrice Bird, Anne Iredale and her pre-school age son Benjamin.

Beatrice is the driving force for the story. During her chapters we cast back and forth and pretty soon discover that since being a small child, and for as long as Beatrice can remember, she has had ‘feelings’, I suppose premonitions really although she doesn’t ‘see’ anything specific, more that she just understands that something may go wrong, or someone is upset, etc. As she grows into a young woman she moves into the role of therapy, and although her ability sometimes leads her to become too emotionally attached and anxious for her patients her life overall is happy. She has a partner, a doctor called Mitch and they have a respectful and well rounded and loving relationship. That is until Beatrice dabbles with drugs and this opens up her ‘gift’ making it much more real. Beatrice can see shades or forms that are attached to people and this sight eventually leads her to flee her home and seek sanctuary on a small, island where the inhabitants are few and Beatrice spends more of her time in the company of the two cows that were attached to the property she bought.

Anne then enters the scene. She has run away from an abusive relationship and one in which the husband carried a lot of sway and was forcing her into a sanatorium, leaving their 4/5 year old son Benjamin alone with his father. Anne was a trophy wife. With stunning looks and a fantastic figure her husband chose her to look good in front of his friends but has no love for her and no respect for anything she thinks or does. For a while Anne tries to be happy, her parents are proud of the marriage and wealth that she has achieved and have no time for her grumbling about her husband’s little whims (as they see them). She has no friends to speak of and is completely isolated. She eventually runs away and seeks sanctuary within a nunnery, before winding up on the small island where Beatrice now lives. The two are thrown together, just for one night at first, but from there a tentative friendship begins to grow and although Beatrice can see the same shades attached to Anne, and in fact can see something that seems a lot more threatening, she takes the decision to try and help this young woman.

Finally, we have Benjamin. Anne’s lovely little boy. Benjamin has been traumatised by his father and can barely speak in his presence having now developed a stutter. His storyline is lovely and much as you would imagine a small boy’s pov to be. This particular pov allows us a view about what’s going on in the background of Anne’s life, an element that we would otherwise lose sight of and I very much appreciated that the author chose Anne’s son (and not her husband) as the third narrator. Benjamin’s presence brings a lovely innocence to the story.

Now, it may be that you don’t like ghost stories or perhaps you’re worried that this might be too creepy. For me, this was more about the mystery involved. We get to understand and learn more about Beatrice’s abilities and it soon becomes clear that these are not ghosts that she sees attached to people. They’re more akin to burdens and unresolved emotional issues that people carry around with them. However, there is a ghost in the story and this is something that both Beatrice and Benjamin can both see – in quite different ways. But, this isn’t really scary, this is a ghost with a story and, well, unresolved issues of it’s own.

The writing is lovely and well paced. The island and cottage in which Beatrice now lives have a lovely cosy feel and in fact in some respects the setting is idyllic – remote and perhaps a little bit lonely – but also peaceful and perfect in many ways for reflection.

The last third becomes quite tense as the action picks up and certain characters try to take desperate action but the author manages to pull everything together in a very satisfactory way.

I really enjoyed this story. I felt a strong emotional attachment and I loved the way the story develops plus the resolution is really pleasing.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

4 Stars
One Liner: A poignant and atmospheric read

Beatrice Bird has had a gift since she was a child. She can see ghosts or rather physical manifestations that get stronger as she grows. Unable to handle the pressure, she leaves her home and partner to live on a remote island in a secluded cottage.
Soon, Anne Iredale arrives at the island, bringing her share of ghosts. She has lost everything that matters to her and doesn’t know what to do. Despite her hesitation, Beatrice begins to talk to Anne and thinks she might help her. Maybe both women can heal themselves if they can take the much-needed steps.
The story comes in the third-person POV of Beatrice and Anne, with a few chapters from Benjamin.

My Thoughts:
The story, though majorly set in 1977, has a few chapters from different years to show Beatrice and Anne’s pasts. The progression is non-linear but is easy to track and follow. This is done to provide the necessary information at the right time.
Even though the setting is atmospheric, the story is mostly ‘told’. It suits the content as things are dark and could have gotten unnecessarily graphic. Right now, there is enough information to understand the characters and empathize with them.
The book deals with themes like DV, past trauma, controlling behavior, manipulation, family, relationships, etc. There are very few lighthearted scenes, and even those have a layer of darkness, much like the fog on the cover. (Check the TW list at the end of the review)
There’s quite a lot about God and faith as well. This comes as a surprise since the blurb didn’t hint at it. Thankfully, it’s not preachy, but I still had to get used to repeated references to God and some discussions around the theme (and also get a friend’s help to clarify a couple of doubts. Thanks, Rosh).
However, the concept of ghosts is quite intriguing in this one. It has literal ghosts but also metaphorical ones with literal manifestations (trying hard to not reveal spoilers). I like how these two blend as the plot progresses.
The pacing is moderate and dips in the middle. However, the action picks up in the last quarter. It is intense and ups the paranormal element without being spooky (at least to me). Though a few developments are convenient, I don’t mind. The plot needs to come together somehow.
I like the characterization of the leading women, Beatrice and Anne. One of them has what the other would have considered unconventional. They are flawed but have their share of vulnerabilities and can inspire empathy in the readers. And oh, there are two cute cows, too!
Benjamin, the five-year-old kid, gets the most love. His POV, though in the third person, is written to suit his age. These chapters are almost heartbreaking in some places.
The ending is hopeful and ties up the loose ends. Some things are glossed over, but do the job. We knew enough to not have any lingering doubts, though the book does leave us thinking about a lot of things.

To summarize, The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is a poignant and atmospheric read about friendship, healing, love, loss, moving on, and starting afresh. Pick it up when you are in the mood for a slightly heavy read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit (Little Brown Group), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
TW: Domestic abuse, child abuse (non-sexual), animal abuse (mention), drug abuse (mentions) parental control, toxic cycles.

It truly was a very interesting read. It was unlike the kind of novels that I usually read, which made it even more compelling. It had an aura of sadness throughout it, and I loved it. It is the story of two women having complex and sorrowful lives, tangled in turmoil and despair. Anne and Beatrice are polar opposites but meet in the middle of this unhappiness. They are both running away from their faded realities. They both have inner demons to fight. And this novel is about them bringing some light in each other’s lives. I was more engaged with Beatrice’s story but Anne’s was absolutely miserable to read about. It is not a happy story, but it isn’t hopeless either. It is gloomy and full of longing. And it also has a gothic feel that is very pleasant.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Beautifully written and slow burn as it unwinds, this was a delightful surprise. Atmospheric, intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable. Utterly surpassed my expectations.

I love all of Louise Morgan's books, and this one was no exception. Beautifully written and well described she sets the stage for a fantastic read.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

I have loved previous work by this author so I was very excited to receive this arc. As always her writing is absolutely beautiful, she has such a way with words and really writes such atmospheric books
I didn’t love this purely as it was a bit slow paced and was more character driven which is not always my favourite type of book. Overall though I did like it and will continue to read anything from this author