Review - Where the Sweet Bird Sings by Ella Joy Olsen

In this provocative new novel, the author of Root, Petal, Thorn offers a powerful story of resilience, hope, and the secrets that, no matter how deeply hidden, can shape and ultimately unite a family. What connects us to one another? Is it shared history? Is it ancestry? Is it blood? Or is it love?

People respond to tragedy in different ways. Some try to move on. Some don't move at all. A year after her young son's death due to a rare genetic disease, Emma Hazelton is still frozen by grief, unable and unwilling to consider her husband Noah's suggestion that they try to have another child.

As the future Emma once imagined crumbles, her family's past comes into sharp relief. Searching for the roots of her son's disease, Emma tries to fit together the pieces in her genealogical puzzle. Hidden within an old wedding photograph of her great-grandparents is an unusual truth Emma never guessed at--a window into all the ways that love can be surprising, generous, and fiercely brave . . . and a discovery that may help her find her own way forward at last.

My Thoughts 
I seemed to connect to Emma from the very beginning.  Being a mother I think if I was put into her situation I would feel and act the exact same way.  She is still stuck in grief mode, after her son died of a rare genetic disorder.  Where does she go from there? She struggles to know where her place is in life going forward.
Her husband's way of coping is to suggest trying to have another child.  Is he crazy?  All she can think about minute after minute is the chance, even the slightest one, of a newborn having the same health issues...could she bare losing another in the same way?
Emma tries to pass the time by cleaning out her dear grandfather's home, he just recently passed as well.  She starts going through pictures and starts to wonder who some of these people are?  She decides to go on a quest for more information and maybe just maybe she can figure out where this rare gene came from that was passed down to her poor little one.
Emma starts to unravel an interesting chain of information, not only is it keeping her busy but it is also sparking interest into who she is and where she came from?
I couldn't put this novel down, the past has always intrigued me and I love how a tangled web of humans in our lives can create a story that we never knew. (I have to add the library full of  knowledge was amazing, I must visit!)

Drink Selection
This piece is perfectly match with a delish bottle of Pinot Noir - called Mysterious.  Very fitting I might add.

Rating 

Well deserving of a 4 wine glasses rating, a little bit of sadness, mystery and family mixed into a good read!

About the Author 

Ella Joy Olsen was born, raised, and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah – a charming town tucked against the massive Rocky Mountains. Most at home in the world of the written word, Ella spent nearly a decade on the Board of Directors for the Salt Lake City Public Library System (and four decades browsing the stacks). She is the mom of three kids ranging from barely-teen to barely-flown-the-nest teen, the mama of two dogs, and the wife of one patient husband.

Though she’s crazy about words, Ella is also practical, so she graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Finance. After years spent typing boring stuff, Ella eagerly gave up her corner cubicle and started writing fiction. She has also lived in Seattle, Washington & Savannah, Georgia.

She is a member of Tall Poppy Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Historical Novel Society, Binders, the Badass Writers, and the best book club ever: Salt Lake Bibliophiles.

ROOT, PETAL,THORN is her debut novel. And coming in September 2017: WHERE THE SWEET BIRD SINGS. To find out more visit www.ellajoyolsen.com, @ellajoyolsen (on Twitter).              

Link to Purchase

Amazon