This boo was very good.
I couldn’t put it down and the ending l.
I don't wanna talk about it.
Highly recomme t though.

This was a lovely book, all about the choices that we make and the how those choices can either trap or free us. It is also about family and obligation, and about how the way we look at a situation can change our reality.

Elisa has been a drifter for her whole life. According to her mother Lily, the women in their family are cursed : if they stay anywhere long enough to think of it as home and start putting down roots then their skin will turn to bark and their blood to sap and they will literally develop roots. The limit seems to be about ten months. Elisa has never been sure whether she believes in the curse or not but her mother certainly believes, and as the story begins Elisa is on her own for the first time. About a year ago her mother stopped running, married the man she'd loved for over twenty years, and died (or became a willow tree by the river). Unlike her mother, Elisa does not want to accept that she has no choice in her fate and she is searching for the origin of the curse, so that she can finally escape and create a home for herself. Her quest leads her to a small town that no one seems to be able to leave, and suddenly Elisa has to find answers before she's trapped forever.

The narrative jumps between Elisa, Lily, and Lily's mother Rose. Each timeline focuses on choices; how every choice that we make creates new paths, and closes off others. How choices can trap us, and how they can also set us free. The town where Elisa finds herself is mysterious and full of interesting characters. The parallel stories, and how Elisa finally discovers some answers and makes her peace with the past create a compelling and touching novel that reminds me of Alice Hoffman's work. If you're looking for an emotional but ultimately optimistic story about three generations of women and the lives that they touch then you will love The Warbler.

This was so good! First of all, the writing is stunning. Second of all, I'm always a sucker for magical realism, and throw in generations of storng woman and I'm sold!

The start is a bit slow., but there was never a point where I was upset about that. I feel like the writing, and different POV's helped a lot. I did find the ending a bit predictable but this didn't take away from my enjoyment.
Definitely would recommend this one for fans of Addie LaRue.

I did think that this magical realism book would be a little bit heavier on the magic rather than the realism, but that wasn't the case. That being said, I do think the emotional journey the character goes on was really well done. As a primarily fantasy reader though, I wasn't quite as interested as I would have liked. I definitely think this would be a great pick for a reader who prefers realistic fiction.

This book was astounding. I loved the mystery and the romance. I loved the prose and the three stories that were interwoven together. I do wish that there wasn’t a reference to the famous boy wizard series tho.

I want to read more books by this author as the storytelling is excellent. This book is poignant and full of emotions.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This was an interesting enough book. I was curious about the curse, but would've liked to know more. Some parts felt obvious. And the title seems like a bit of a spoiler. But I think it was still intriguing and a good read with slight sinister magic vibes.

This was my first Sarah Beth Durst book but it won't be my last! A good friend loves her work and has recommended this author to me for years and now I know why.

This is an absolutely delightful, cozy Urban Fantasy that is magical realism at it's "squint one way and you can see the otherworldliness" best. Magical Realism is not my favourite Fantasy subgenre because I think that, for all it looks like deceptively easy smoke and magic, "now you see it, now you don't" illusion, it is incredibly hard to do well in a way that truly feels magical and, well, actually real.

Sarah Beth Durst has mastered that art. If you like Alice Hoffman or Charles de Lint's Newford, I think you'll be charmed by this as well. It's a book that's best going into knowing little.

Like the other cozy fantasies I've read lately, major plot points are easily foreseen and predicted yet the journey is so compellingly written that I didn't mind at all.

Three generations are linked by a curse: the women can't stay in one place too long, because if they start to feel like they're home, they will root and turn into trees. In the present day, Elisa is determined to learn more about this mystery and find some way to break the curse. In the past, her mother had no choice but run from it - until she made a decision Elisa still can't understand. And her grandmother might have been the one who started it all...

Although the mystery is intriguing, this is also an incredible story about grief and the ways the legacy of family relationships affect us both past and present. And the importance of making our own choices, unhindered. It is incredibly moving and both heart-breaking and heart-healing at the same time.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC; Releases March 1st, 2025</i>

This novel has a lot going on. Obviously, magical realism which has some definite fairy tale vibes. But it’s also a cozy mystery and there’s a bit of coming of age in there as well. It’s a lot and I think maybe is trying to do too much at the same time. Sometimes the hits were heavy handed and the only one not getting it was the main character.

I think fans of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue would love this book. It has a certain flow and vibe to it which I've only found before in Addie, add that to the cursed women theme and the traveling and there's a lot of overlap to enjoy. For all their similarities though they are wildly different stories. The Warbler is about family, society, expectations and the impacts the decision of others can have on our lives.

I never got bored reading this, I took it slow, sometimes going days before I picked it up again, but each time I came back to the story it effortlessly welcomed me back with a soft gentleness that made me feel like I'd never left. Durst is one hell of a writer. I don't even know how to describe the atmosphere this book has but it was a key part of what kept bringing me back to the book.

I loved the characters, although not Rose. It didn't matter how much I learned of her I found it difficult to feel sympathetic toward her, I just don't think I ever forgave her but she did resonate on a society level and I found myself highlighting a lot of commentary about the expectations and presures others put on us. Elisa was a great character but Lori was my favourite, for all her struggles and hardships she remained such a beautiful soul.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the mechanics of the curse. There were times the magical realism of the story was spot on and other times that felt jarring. I'm not sure how to get into it without spoilers so lets just say that the talk of coffins, trees and sicknesses didn't always line up and that got annoying. Allison blaming Owen for her situation doesn't make sense once you know her story, and I'm questioning details about the before of things like Mark's yard the undoing or not of curses.

All and all I enjoyed this book and I think it's well worth the read, I can think of plenty of friends who would just love this story and I will recommend it to them but I don't think I'll read it again myself. I need a little bit more consistency within the speculative aspects personally.

I enjoyed this book very much. Kept me thoroughly interested through one sitting. Look forward to much more by this author.

Interesting read! Sometimes a bit oddly paced but i enjoyed the unique premise, the exploration of family ties, and a little supernatural element. A fun fall read!

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

First of all, have to acknowledge that The Warbler has such a unique premise. Elissa is on the run her entire life in ten month increments because the women in her family are cursed to turn into trees once they put down metaphorical roots. It could have easily gone hokey but ends up being one of the novels strengths by bringing in generational curses and traumas into play.

I’ve seen comparisons to Addie LaRue which is probably the closest to the premise I’ve read but it also reminded me a lot of the Unmaking of June Farrow in its writing style. That is, it was super readable. I flew through it in one day and essentially one sitting. I loved the characters of Elissa, Lori, Rose, and Allison. The town of Greenborough’s oddities were also super compelling.

Half a point off for Oliver, I wish his character was more developed, and I also wish I believed the ending’s loop hole more.

The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
☀️☀️☀️⛅ (3.5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A mysterious tale of magical realism that was an enjoyable, albeit predictable, journey of womanhood across generations.

This book had a strong premise which I had no problems jumping on board with despite its oddity. The first act was relatively slow but informative; the second act was significantly better, though it does get bogged down by the ever-changing POVs; the third act was unfortunately where things fell apart for me. I can buy into the vague curse logic but the resolution of it in this form felt contradictory. I don't mind having unanswered questions but when many other aspects of the plot are signposted a mile away, it is unsatisfying.

I liked Elisa as the main narrator, and her perspective is beautifully written - Durst's prose is generally very nice throughout. Being given Lori and Rose's context was helpful too, but it did slow down the pace significantly and left me ahead of Elisa by a long way in the final stretch. I struggled more with the male characters who all felt a bit underdeveloped in comparison to the women, though it's obviously a story focused on womanhood.

Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read but the predictability of the reveals and the odd logic of the magical realism elements left me a bit underwhelmed.


"I am a rock skimming the surface of a pond, wanting to make ripples but afraid I'll sink."

The Warbler Sarah Beth Durst , Lake union Publishing – Published 1st of March 2025

A multi-generational tale with magical realism woven throughout set against a small-town backdrop. I absolutely loved this book ! beautifully written I devoured it in one sitting and could not put it down.
“my mother is a willow, she stands by a stream that burbles like a toddler kisses, and her leaves dip into the water whenever the wind blows, to be nibbled by fish who don’t know better”.

This is just the introduction utterly captivating, if you loved The invisible life of Addie Larue then you will love this book it has the same kind of whimsical feel.
This book tells the stories of three women Rose, Lori, and Elisa from three different points in time. Finding themselves caught up in lives they do not want to lead, forced to make choices along the way choices that impact through time. Elisa and her mother Lori have an unusual curse, never able to stay in one place to long as they will transform into a tree (strange but bear with ). If a place starts to feel like home, they most leave constantly on the move never knowing home and trying to stay one step of their fate.
Present day, Elisa sets out searching for answers about her family and their past in hope of breaking the curse, after the loss of her mother. While searching she ends up in a small town Greensborogh, Massachusetts and soon realises she has landed in a town with its own curse, if she can unravel Greensborogh’s mystery maybe she can unravel her own and break her curse.
I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be buying a physical copy to add to my bookcase. All three women where admirable and strong , and this shone through in Sarah’s writing. The book does deal with some strong topics such as generational trauma , not being able to let go, the loss of parent that will really pull bat your heart strings they definitely did mine.
This is the first book I have read by Sarah but will definitely not be the last ( I have just started The spell Shop and am probably the last person on earth to read it !).
Overall, a magical, compelling whimsical tale.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the arc and the chance to read.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book... is not what I expected and I loved every minute of it! The premise... the multi-generational storytelling... the magical realism... the small town feel... I loved it!

My mother is a willow. She stands by a stream that burbles like a toddler’s kisses, and her leaves dip into the water whenever the wind blows, to be nibbled by fish who don’t know any better.

Ten months. That’s the longest Elisa has stayed anyplace, constantly propelled by her fear that if she puts down roots, a family curse will turn her into a tree.
But she’s grown tired of flitting from town to town and in and out of relationships. When she discovers a small town in Massachusetts where mysterious forces make it impossible for the residents to leave, she hopes she can change her fate.

I have been a fan of Sarah Beth Durst since I was 13 when I read Into the Wild and then Out of the Wild from my school library. I have been waitinnnggg to read The Spellshop since I heard about it (as of 20/09/2024 it still hasn't arrived in South Africa), but when The Warbler popped up on Netgalley I just about fell to my knees. The book has everything!

The book is a small-town, cozy mystery with a sprinkling of magical realism with actually believable characters. Eliza knows she sounds crazy when she attempts to tell people that she is cursed , and the book is riddled with her self-doubt as she questions all that she thought she knew about her mother and grandmother throughout the story.
I thought that Eliza might begin to fall into the trap of being an annoying MC but she didn't (thank goodness) but for the amount of information that the poor girl had to process in such a short space of time after believing something for years... she's doing okay.

The plot moved slowly in the beginning as Eliza gets settled in this new town after escaping from her old life. From there, we jump back in time to Rose during the night of her prom. It took me a beat to understand where we were in the story but I came to crave Roses chapters and her story, less so with Lori.

The pacing of the book was good considering the plot events took place within the space of a month or less (don't quote me) but at the same time, the characters didn't rush to conclusions or figure things out too quickly which I appreciated. It left me space to speculate and attempt to draw my own (incorrect, sigh...) conclusions.

For those scared about the magical realism, don't be. Sarah will gently take you by the hand and lead you through the story, never once making you feel like this type of thing would be impossible to exist in the real world. The story has a beautiful message, and for someone whose partner was diagnosed with cancer whilst I was in the middle of reading the arc, Sarah handles the character's respective diagnoses with respect whilst creating a beautiful allegory in the process.

DID I MENTION THERE WAS A CAT? His name is Charlie and he works (yes, works) at the bookshop. This is the entire reason Eliza gets a job there and I respect that.

In conclusion, I will read anything Sarah Beth Durst daines for me to read.

The premise of this story along with the structure told in multiple timelines and POVs from three generations of women is typically my sweet spot. I found myself skimming parts of the story just to be finished. The ending was slightly predictable but left so many unanswered questions for me. This was my first foray with the author. I do plan to read her previous novel, “The Spellshop.”

Book Review: The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Warbler from NetGalley, as I've enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst’s previous works. This novel is a poignant exploration of motherhood, choice, and the concept of home, all wrapped in a touch of magic.

Elisa, the protagonist, has spent her life evading permanence, fearing a family curse that she believes will turn her into a tree if she puts down roots. This unique premise drew me in immediately. Durst's writing beautifully captures Elisa's internal struggles as she navigates her fear of commitment while yearning for a sense of belonging.

The small town in Massachusetts where Elisa finds herself trapped is rich with history and mystery. I loved how Durst intricately wove the town's secrets into Elisa's journey, revealing layers of her family’s past that resonate deeply. The idea of the pet birds singing secrets added a whimsical yet haunting touch that I found delightful.

However, there were moments where the pacing felt uneven, and I sometimes struggled to connect with Elisa’s emotional journey. Despite this, I appreciated the themes of resilience and self-discovery, and I was ultimately invested in her quest for freedom and understanding.

The Warbler is a magical read that I believe will resonate with anyone who has grappled with family legacy and the desire for a true home. I can't wait to see how it unfolds for others when it’s officially released!

Told through the alternating perspectives of three generations of women, The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst is the story of a family of women cursed to transform into trees if they stay in one place for too long. Current day POV Elisa is searching for a cure to the curse shortly after the death of her mother, Lori.
I love magical realism, and I really enjoyed The Spellshop by this author, but this one did fall a little flat for me. It felt repetitive at times, and I felt that the ending left some questions unanswered. I enjoyed the mystery of the curse's origins, and the characters were well developed, but the writing at times felt more YA than adult.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Warbler in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Beth Durst is one of my favorite authors and I love that she keeps branching out and writing different styles and genres.
This magical realism book is full of mysteries that end in a satisfying conclusion. The messages about hope, creating your own fate and found family are ones that hit home for me.