"Let the Willows Weep" by Sherry Parnell is an emotional coming-of-age story. The majority of the book focuses on "Birddog" who received this nickname from her older brother, Denny. Birddog lives in a time when there are clear delineations between class and race. Birddog goes through more heartbreak than anyone should be able to bear, including abuse, loss, grief, adversity, abandonment, and betrayal. Parnell wove such depth into Birddog's character that I found myself wishing I could reach into the book and give that girl some love.
Having said that, there were a couple of things that prevented me from a 5 star rating. The narrator changes early in the second chapter, and I was confused for a bit about who the narrator really was, and whether the narrative would switch back and forth between a mother and her daughter.
There were also some unanswered questions for me. *SPOILERS* Her brother, Caul, after being her tormentor for so many years, just disappears one day and we never find out where he went or what happened to him. Why did Birddog's mother dislike her so much and find her such a disappointment? Birddog seemed to live in the same area when she got older: wouldn't she run into Denny and Samuel all the time? I can only hope there will be a sequel to this beautiful story to get some answers.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
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