A page turner that kept me hooked and turning pages. A travel to remote places that me wish i was there.
Excellent storytelling and character development
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My heart ached. I’ve read this arc 3 times because I loved it. Not my normal choice but I’m so glad I was selected for an early read. It’s a beautiful novel

Sunbirds by Penelope Slocombe is a story of such depth and empathy, not just between mother and sun, but for the world, family, motherhood and spirituality

Set between the very different landscapes of India, the Himilayas and Scotland, the book tells of a mothers desperate search for her son, only to question every last thread of what she thought she knew

Slocombe is adept at creating colourful visuals through skilled despcriptions, writing from the depths of the soul and in turn reaching deep into the heart and mind of the reader. I was absolutely blown away by this story, so much so I had to read it twice and next the audiobook. Absolutely stunning

Thank you to NetGalley, John Murray Press | John Murray and Penelope Slocombe for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

19 year old Torran disappears in the Himalayas in the 1990s and despite extensive searches for him, he is never found. Several years later, his mother and her estranged niece once again pick up the search for him. This is a beautifully written book about the complexities of humanity, family relationships, parenthood and travel. Tender, sensitive and poignant, it is hard to believe this is a debut novel.

Anne’s journey is both heartbreaking and hopeful as she searches for her missing son in the Indian foothills of the Himalayas, an area notorious for its vanishing youths from the late 1990s. Estranged from her husband, who has long given up hope, Anne embarks on yet another search, driven by a tip-off relayed through her estranged niece, Esther.

The narrative delves into the intricate relationship between Anne and Esther, exploring their emotional landscapes with genuine depth and empathy. While the story is anchored in its darker themes of disappearance, poverty, and exploitation, it also celebrates India’s vibrant culture, landscapes, and people, revealing the country’s multifaceted nature.

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I found this novel very moving and loved the characters and the story of a mother’s search for her missing son on the far side of the world. Relationships between the characters were presented with a sure and gentle touch and I found the writing completely enjoyable and satisfying.
As the novel progressed I became totally involved with the search, the wonderful and terrifying world of the Himalayas and the steady growth of the main character and her interactions with people she met along the way and those who she’d left behind or who travelled with her. It was also brilliant how the vastness and alienness of the landscape was expressed.
Although there will always be something magical about the idea of a westerner seeking themselves in those wild and beautiful parts of the world, the novel was underpinned with research and believable social understanding. Who knew that so many people vanished into the mountains and have never been seen since. Who knew that there would be groups of people who knew about them and remembered them as they passed. It was a wonderful revealing of things that most of us in the West never have to think about when our children go off to explore the world.
Altogether a lovely novel and a wonderful read. I do recommend it.

Such a haunting read. Having a teen son myself I found I couldn’t read it in big chunks. It just left me profoundly sad. Like the mother in the novel I found myself questioning my parenting and how I would cope if my boy disappeared. It’s heartbreaking. The loss, the yearning, the whys, the thousands of questions, how it changed existing relationships and how to live with the new normal. I want to talk about the ending but reluctant to give any spoilers so I will just say, it would be a great book club discussion.

I was attracted to this book by it's beautiful cover and was grateful for the opportunity to read it. The book itself is so much more than a stunning cover, it is a journey into the hopes and dreams of a woman searching for her son in a country known for mysterious disappearances. Anne has been searching for her son for 7 years when new information comes to light and energises her search. Told in both the past and the present we get to a know a character and all her flaws. In the present she has been changed by how the search has panned out - her character developing real nuances that change the way she makes decisions. The supporting characters are also well created and each almost ricochets off the others altering the events almost without realising.

I was hooked after the first page and never lost that love for the narrative which might at times have been slower than others and yet maintained it drive towards the destination. The writing had real evocation of time and place.

Interestingly i would have real trouble trying to categorise it's genre. It is neither truly contemporary or historical, It doesn't fir neatly into a mystery genre I would call it Literary fiction and as a debut book is astounding in how complete it feels

Sunbirds was a beautiful, tragic novel containing multitudes. On one side, a very dark and sad tale and on another, a beautiful love letter to India, its people, to the Himalayas and surrounding region, although the author certainly acknowledges its darker side, poverty and exploitation. I really liked how this was written and the author is clearly talented. It was easy to get into and kept me hooked for hours, I stayed up way too late reading this!

At times I felt like the writing could have been a bit more developed – particularly the characters, they felt slightly one dimensional. However, I think this is a book that lots of people will pick up in the summer and enjoy.

Thank you for the advance copy to read!

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of Sunbirds.
3.5 stars
The story follows a mother looking for her missing son in India. The author beautifully describes the scenery, the flora and fauna, and the birds in this wonderfully descriptive book. The story fell a little flat but I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

An odd read and not one I could really get into. Some of the descriptions are lovely but then the characters all seemed rather vague and I couldn’t get a feel for any of them.

I was intrigued by the novel’s title, as ‘sunbirds’ could refer varyingly to the small, colourful birds that feast on nectar and insects, or to financially secure retirees leaving North America in search of warmer climes, or to the commercial calendar app. I did not regret picking up this book, even though parts of it were, as previous reviewers note, rather slow, as the book proved to be a total treat. It is an introspective novel about unbreakable familial bonds, motherly love that stops at nothing, and the ongoing quest to understand oneself. At the heart of the novel is Anne, whose son Torran mysteriously disappeared seven years earlier on a journey to the Himalayas. Anne has searched for him relentlessly, so when there is an alleged sighting of him, she immediately travels to India herself to follow it up. She is joined by her niece Esther with whom she has a volatile relationship, but for whom the transcontinental journey proves to be as enlightening as for Anne. A wonderful read for fiction lovers willing to immerse themselves in its themes and writing style! My thanks go to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the e-ARC that made this honest review possible.

I am in two minds about this book.

Part of me really enjoyed it, but another part found the characters frustrating. I could not deal with the selfishness of the son who vanished leaving his parents not knowing whether he was alive or dead - probably every parent's worst nightmare. And without giving away the ending, a book without a proper conclusion always annoys me.

But, there were some good parts. Some relationships developed nicely. The settings were evocative.

Troubling.

It takes a while to get into the story but it is wel worth persevering. It feels you are actually on the journey with the mother, Anne, looking for her son Torran It is a story about the love a mother perceives for her son and the conviction that he could not have disappeared voluntarily her search takes place over seven years. She questions herself constantly but fails to consider her perspective.As a reader you become engrossed in the the journey, the encounters and the search. It also encourages a visit to this part of India
Beautifully written.

Thank you for allowing me to review this debut book. I found the story very slow to develop. Anne is in India searching for her adult son, Torran who went missing 7 years earlier. Robert her husband remains at home with little communication between them. She is joined by his niece Esther and the search follows new leads. The actual descriptions of the area are very evocative, but I found the characters relationships very odd. It was not something I could relate to and felt uncomfortable with the storyline and was left with unanswered questions.

The setting of Sunbirds is stunning and beautifully described, so much so I could imagine the places visited. I did feel however that the book lacked any conclusion, which was maybe the intention but I felt like I'd been along for the journey too and hadn't quite reached the end. But maybe that was the point? Everyone learned something from the experience and made their own conclusions from that experience. Anne and Esther leaned more about one another, Torran continued as he was, poor Robert I feel sorry for as I'm not sure what he got out of it! The characters are generally likeable but certainly have their flaws, which means as the reader you don't hugely warm to them, though can feel the pain of missing a child, not knowing where they are and if they are alive (selfish, er yes!).
Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for my arc

Sunbirds is a slow meditative book about love, loss and family. The story of a missing adult child, and a mother who puts her life on hold until she finds him. It is beautifully written, its sense of place is good, and the emotional core of the book is not overwrought. The book unfolds at a slow pace though it is not a heavy read. I feel that for a lot of people this could become their favourite book of the year.
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A beautifully written book, I found “Sunbirds” a slow read. More of a novel on relationships rather than the mystery of a missing son, I struggled with the constant change of characters and therefore failed to connect properly to any of them. I enjoyed reading about countries I haven’t visited though, but unfortunately the ending left me wanting more answers.

Many thanks to John Murray Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This book is well-written, and the descriptions are very evocative. It was difficult to sympathise fully with the main character, as Anne is such an unlikeable character.

A great debut novel. The description of the areas are so real, they really take you to the mountains, the valleys and gives you the whole essence of India. Nowhere quite like it on earth for the different cultures smells noise and bustle, but also the calm that can be found there.

A story about young people that go to India to find themselves like they have for years and then disappear. Do they mean to, do they just want freedom to do what they want. Do they think about those left behind not knowing if they are alive or dead.

This book covers all those elements in a great read.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this great book.