★★★★★ The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox | A Mountain Community Novel of Healing, Hope and Restoration
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
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About This Book:
A forbidden romance, a fractured family, and one woman's journey to piece it all together
Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt prepare for retirement. A town called Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she's desperate for respite from the attention and unwarranted admiration of her community. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird-watchers takes her under their wing--a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.
But when Ana's adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree--one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner's daughter and a preacher's son--what began as a getaway to help her great-aunt becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.
MY REVIEW: ★★★★★ 5/5
Amanda Cox has done it again with The Bitter End Birding Society—a beautifully written, emotionally rich, character-driven story that swept me away and captivated my heart!
Set in the quiet, rugged beauty of Bitter End, a mountain community near Roan Mountain, Tennessee (an area close to my own heart) this novel perfectly captured the rhythms of mountain life, from moonshine-running legacies to the tender grace found in small-town community. Cox’s immersive storytelling paints every scene with heart and depth, weaving together two timelines: a poignant past of brokenness, loss, and regret, and a present-day journey of faith, healing, and second chances.
What stood out most to me was how skillfully Cox handles hard topics like PTSD, generational hurt, and the consequences of poor choices, without ever losing sight of hope. The quirky, yet deeply relatable, characters of the Bitter End Birding Society brought both humor and warmth to the story, and I found myself laughing, tearing up, and cheering them on. From the richness of family dynamics to the gentle threads of faith and hint at a budding romance, this book is a moving reminder that restoration is always possible, even in the most unlikely places.
I highly recommend this novel for fans of heartfelt fiction with authentic emotion and redemptive themes. It's a story you're sure to enjoy.
About the Author:
Photo Credit: Sarah Swainson Photography | Image courtesy of Baker Publishing Group
Amanda Cox is the Christy Award-winning author of The Edge of Belonging, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, He Should Have Told the Bees, and Between the Sound and Sea. She holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com.
