Let the Willows Weep

This book is a heartfelt, coming of age story. On the surface it looks like a Bildungsroman novel that follows the blossoming of the main protagonist ‘Birdog' from her rambunctious childhood into her early adulthood. But set in the Deep South this story tackles and grabbles with tough subject matter. This book addresses race inequality, racism, poverty, death, grief, loss.

While the plot didn't evolve in a way I anticipated or wanted. The direction of the plot made logistical sense. The authors strength clearly lies in character development however. Her father, her brother Denny and Samuel as well as her mother felt like larger than life characters that leapt from the page. They were extremely tangible characters that felt fully realised and we were able to see multiple sides of the key characters throughout the story, which I found fascinating. It really added to the overall reading experience. The descriptions of the landscape were also stunning.

In summary this novel is hard hitting in places but extremely readable and compelling. This book has a powerful and poignant message and I felt it delivered that message wonderfully. I hope more readers will be encouraged to pick it up. If you enjoy historical fiction set in the Deep South, then I highly recommend this novel!

Thanks to the author Sherry Parnell and BookSiren for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.