Crow Talk is one of those books that sneak up on you as you read them. I was slow to warm up to Mary Francis O'Neill, the young woman at the heart of Crow Talk, and early on she is so geographically and socially isolated that I began to wonder if I ever would. It's not that "Frankie" is an unimpressive woman. As noted in the novel's very first paragraph, Frankie is first in her University of Washington graduate school class, was the first female from her high school to win a "full ride" to that school, and was even the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree of any kind. And then there's the revealing kicker: she's also the first on either side of her family to reach the ripe old age of twenty-six without giving birth.

Frankie has come to June Lake to regroup. She's frustrated and she's running from something, and the empty family cottage feels like her only refuge, a place where she can finally finish her thesis before getting on with the rest of her life. But there is obviously more to the story, and layer by layer, Frankie's past, her family dynamics, and the shakiness of her future are revealed. Frankie is unemployed (and perhaps unemployable), homeless, friendless, barely speaking to her family, and simply out of options. It is June Lake or nothing, even if she is the only one on the isolated lake as winter approaches.

Then Aiden, a little autistic boy who suddenly stopped speaking a few months earlier, and Charlie, a baby crow with an injured leg, change everything. Frankie might not be able to heal herself or her family, but she's a natural when it comes to Aiden and Charlie, both of whom seem to recognize just how important Frankie might turn out to be in their own worlds. And maybe, just maybe, Aiden and Charlie Crow can return the favor.

It was only after finishing Crow Talk that I realized how fully invested I had become in the Frankie O'Neill character and how real she felt to me. Eileen Garvin has created a unique little world here filled with people I hated to see leave my own. Sure, her story is heartwarming and inspirational, but it's more than that. Much like Garvin's previous novel, The Music of Bees, Crow Talk is a painless science lesson. I came away from The Music of Bees understanding and appreciating more about the importance of bees and the intricacies of beekeeping than I ever expected to know. Crow Talk taught me about the fascinating life cycle of crows and the way that crows can interact with humans, even to recognizing the faces of their "allies."

Eileen Garvin has become an author I trust, and I can't wait to see what she has to teach me next time around.

Frankie is an ornithologist whose father has died, and whose advisor has turned against her and refuses to accept her thesis. She returns to her family’s remote cabin in the mountains to mourn the losses of both her dear father and her career. There she befriends Anne, a musician who is suffering from writer's block after the tragic death of her best friend. Anne's five year old son Aiden refuses to speak, but finds a friend in Frankie, who introduces him to an injured crow that she has rescued. Careful observation of the crows leads Frankie to new insights and submission of a scholarly article for publication.
Both Frankie and Anne have difficult relationships with their families, but both find solace and renewal in nature. I felt as if I were mourning the loss of a friend when I finished the book.

3.5 stars rounded up - this book broke my heart and pieced it back together. i am a sucker for birds. i am a sucker for broken people finding each other and healing. my absolute favorite thing is this isn’t a romance. it’s just a beautiful, well written story about finding yourself again. my only real gripes are the pacing - the beginning was truly brutal and it took quite a long time to get to the plot - and the fact anne stayed with her husband who just on a dime decided to no longer be a jerk.

I fell in love with Garvin’s debut novel THE MUSIC OF BEES when it first released and have been looking forward to her sophomore novel.

The story is told in two POVs Frankie an ornithologist who returns to her family’s cottage on Beauty Bay a community of homes set on a lake in the foothills Mount Adams where she grapples with her future and grieves her late father. Anne an Irish musician, married into a wealthy family and raising her son shows up at the neighboring home on the bay.

The story is very beautiful. Garvin writing of a sense of place reminds me of J. Ryan Stradel but make it PNW. I love her additions of 90s nostalgia throughout the story to give you a sense of time, which gave me Elin Hilderbrand vibes.

I loved the touchpoints at the beginning of each chapter. I found all the information on birds to be fascinating and the string of fairy tales subtly woven throughout. I would love a copy of the book mentioned but upon listening to the authors note it is fictional but will be revisiting some of the fairytale books she shared.

What brings Frankie, Anne and Anne’s son Aiden together is an injured baby crow. From there the story takes off in slow, beautiful, descriptive burn.

Thank you Dutton & PRH audio!
Releases 4/30

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Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin is a heartwarming standalone novel. This story revolves around two women, Frankie O’Neill and Anne Magnuson, and Anne’s young autistic son, Aiden. Frankie returns to Beauty Bay, a remote island on the shores of June Lake, where her family lived in a caretaker cottage; with most houses are closed for the off season. Frankie is determined to work on her master’s thesis, with having a dismissive and non-helpful advisor, as well as still grieving the death of her beloved father. Anne and her husband, Tim are staying for a while at the family mansion on the hill temporarily, with their five-year old son, Aiden; who refuses to speak. Anne is an Irish musician, and has not been able to resume her music, especially after losing her best friend to an accident.

Frankie rescues a baby crow, and slowly brings him back to health. When Aiden walks into Frankie’s house, though he is mute, he feels comfortable with Frankie; especially when Anne finds him in Frankie’s place. Aiden is very interested in the baby crow, who is now called Charlie Crow. In a short time, Frankie strikes a friendship with Anne, as well as Aiden. The story does revolve around crows, and Frankie’s dissertation is part of her study on crows. I really loved Charlie Crow, especially when Frankie fed him, and got him healthy again; and when he was freed, he would talk up on the branches in his own language.

Anne and Tim do everything in their power to keep Aiden content and loving, even though he does not talk. However, Anne’s in-laws interfere with their lives, as they constantly try to force him to talk. When Tim is offered to take over the company, his family decides that Aiden needs to be put away to a facility for those autistic; much to Anne’s horror. At first Tim agrees, since he will be very busy with the new job, but when an accident happens, and everyone in town, including Frankie try to find the missing Anne. It was a very emotional time, with Aiden finding his way back. Anne and Frankie both had their own issues, but they ended up with a close friendship.

What follows is a story of three main characters, with anxiety and grieving issues, who in time bond together to help each other heal. A wonderful story of hope, healing, friendship, and the healing power of rediscovering life. I did like all of our three main characters, as well the wonderful secondary characters we meet along the way. Crow Talk was very well written by Eileen Garvin. This was a heartwarming, poignant, emotional story of friendship and healing. I suggest you read this beautiful wonderful story.

I am an avid bird watcher and was drawn to this book because of the ornithology subject along with a story of two women who become friends because of a crow. A really good book with a very good story.

What a lovely, heart-filled, heart-felt book. The pace is just right to allow you to savor and wonder and immerse yourself in the story. One would think with so many aspects feeding into the theme of the book - communication of crows - it would feel disjointed, but it all works beautifully.
We have a young woman trying to complete her master’s dissertation, after losing her father; a marriage being challenged by not only a difference in family standards, but a child with autism; the challenge of weather and water on a remote lake… but threaded through it all is the family structure and communication of the crows.

Round up to 4.5

Crow Talk is a story about how nature can bring out the best and worst in us. Garvin weaves a tale about two families whose time away from it all on the shores of a remote lake shows them what they need most…connection.

Frankie seeks the solace of her family's mountain lake house in a remote area of Washington. Only a few cabins set near each other with the fanciest owned by Anne's in-laws. The women bond after Anne's 5 year old non-speaking son wonders into Frankie's cabin and becomes fascinated with a crow she is nursing back to health. Chapters alternate from the perspectives of each woman as they grow closer and deal with the traumas they have experienced. A feel-good novel of healing, growth, and friendship.

Frankie is an ornithologist staying at her family's lake cottage, trying to finish her Master's dissertation on spotted owls. She is facing problems with her dissertation while also trying to figure out her next steps and deal with the loss of her dad. She meets Anne, a mom with a son (Aidan) who has stopped communicating verbally, and the friendship develops as both Aidan and Frankie heal through their shared observation of crows in the woods.

I recommended The Music of Bees to so many people, and then I saw that Garvin had written a new novel, Crow Talk. I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't. What a beautiful book, and not one to rush through. I appreciated the detailed information on birds and nature from someone who is obviously passionate about it.

definitely a slow starter, but beautifully written. i'm a birder, so i appreciated the constant bird references. might have been a little too slow for me, though.

This is a really beautifully written book. I liked Frankie and Anne and Aiden. I liked how a bird brings them together. I felt from the writing like I was there with these characters and going through these emotions with them.
It is slow at times, but I think it helps add the back story as we learn about these characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Fiction
Setting: Washington
Format: 📖
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Length: 368 Pages

Ornithologist, Mary France (Frankie) O’Neill recently lost her father. Frankie is struggling, lonely, broke, no job, no place to live other than the family summer cottage and after a tiff with her adviser she is having difficulties completing her dissertation on the spotted owl. Her mother is distant, cold and comes across hardhearted.

Irish born musician and schoolteacher; Anne Ryan like Frankie is having her difficulties. She is far from home and family, still grieving over her lost best friend Kat that died in a horrible accident and trying to raise a five-year-old son Aiden who just stopped talk. Being married into the wealth and powerful Magnusen family is not helping. The Magnusen matriarch is thoughtless as to her family needs as long as they all cater to her needs – this is causing martial problem for Anne

Unexpectedly, an injured baby crow will bring these two women and one little boy together to form an unusual bond and help all three on a journey of healing, leaning to be assertive and finding peace.

In 2022 I read Eileen Garvin’s debut novel The Music of Bees, a book I thoroughly enjoyed and was eager to get my hands on her latest novel Crow Talk. However, I have such conflicting feeling about Crow Talk. While I thought the writing was beautiful with true-to-life characters with real life problems there was something I was having a hard time connecting with. I enjoyed learning about crows, their family dynamics and communication skills. At times I found storyline jump times and left me confused, I found parts dragged and were a little tad repetitive. A great read for someone that does not mind a slow read dealing with loss, grief, friendship and lots of great bird information

Thank you, Eileen Garvin, Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on April 30, 2024.

This book checked all the boxes for me. I loved the way the crows were woven throughout, and I was completely engaged by both storylines and the way they came together. What a beautifully written, lovely story of people coming into themselves and moving past barriers to connect deeply with one another -- not to mention a reminder of the importance of our relationship to the natural world. I'll be recommending it widely.

Thanks very much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read a digital copy in advance of publication.

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin is a poignant exploration of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. The narrative follows Frankie O'Neill, a struggling ornithologist, and Anne Ryan, an Irish musician navigating life in a remote community. Their lives intersect when Frankie discovers an injured baby crow, setting in motion a journey of love, grief, and rediscovery for all three lost souls—Frankie, Anne, and Aiden, Anne's son. Despite a slow and at times repetitive plot, the novel weaves a tale of resilience, highlighting the transformative power of nature and the interconnectedness of human relationships. While some readers may find the pacing challenging, the book's strengths lie in its exploration of grief, the beauty of avian life, and the enduring importance of communication in overcoming life's challenges. Overall, Crow Talk is a unique and emotionally resonant story, offering both moments of reflection and a celebration of the human spirit.

This one was a little bit more challenging than "The Music of Bees" to gt into. While to info on bees seemed tobe woven into the story, the ornithological info in this book seemed to be more of a lesson. About 1/3 of the way through magic happened and I got sucked into the lives and stories of the character. Fantastic character development and relationship growth were the key messages, presented in a unique and wonderful way. Please, if you find it difficult to begin, persevere. The reward is well worth it.
Thanks to #NetGalley#CrowTalk#DuttonPlumeTinyReparations for the eARC

Crow talk by Eileen Garvin is a well written book about grief ,love and relationships.Mary Frances O’Neill called Frankie is going to June Lake in a remote area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest where her family vacationed for many years.She is planning to finish her masters thesis in ornithology..Ann Ryan is a music teacher at Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts.Her husband Tim Magnussen’s parents own a newspaper business.They have a large lake home on June Lake.Their son Aiden has stoped talking and is showing behavior problems.You will enjoy how their stories are woven together with the other people in their lives and information about birds.

I read Garvin's previous book, "The Music of Bees" and I was excited to read this ARC. I liked this one, but I didn't love it.

Two women, one well-off and one bordering on incredibly poor, come together on the island Frankie grew up on. Frankie has gone back to the summer cottage to try to pull her life back together. Finishing her dissertation and dealing with a less than cooperative advisor, coming to grips with the death of her beloved father. Anne and her son and husband live in the big house up the hill. Anne's career as a musician has stalled, her five-year-old son has stopped speaking, her husband is frustrated by the demands of his controlling parents.

Frankie rescues a baby crow and this rescue leads her in a vastly different direction. She and Aiden meet and something clicks between them. Aiden, although mute, is very interested in the baby crow and Frankie's simple home and life. Frankie and Anne are both true caregivers, although their approach to caregiving is very different.

The story moves slowly and the culmination is dramatic. Through it all, we learn a lot about the effects of grief on people and the lives of crows and their sense of community.

What a phenomenal novel! Crow Talk is a 5 star, heartfelt novel that had me at hello! The storyline was well thought out and was intentionally paced so the reader would slow down and savor the book—love that! The characters are so incredibly endearing and will definitely stay with me. Eileen Garvin is a master at writing character driven novels, and I recommend Crow Talk to absolutely everyone.