Call the Canaries Home

A Novel

By: Laura Barrow

Narrated by: Amy Bentley, Sophie Amoss, Janet Metzger, Arielle DeLisle

Three estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness.

Savannah was four years old when her twin sister, Georgia, went missing from their small Louisiana town, fracturing their family. Twenty-eight years later, Savannah convinces her estranged older sisters, Rayanne and Sue Ellen, to honor the pact they made as children and retrieve the time capsule they buried in their old backyard. But coming home means confronting old ghosts…and their stubborn grandmother, Meemaw.

Sifting through the artifacts, they come across a photograph taken on the day Georgia disappeared and spot a familiar woman lingering in the background. While Sue Ellen and Rayanne want to move on with their lives, Savannah is determined to find the woman—and perhaps a clue to the past.

When old tensions, rivalries, and memories resurface, the sisters must reconsider what they thought they knew about that fateful day, about each other, and about themselves. On their search to uncover what happened to Georgia, each of them will discover what Meemaw has known all along: family is everything.

©2023 Laura Barrow (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The concept of home, shaky at the beginning, is made whole again…A good addition to women’s fiction collections.”—Booklist

“With lush prose and vivid description, Laura Barrow paints a picture of three sisters and their grandmother searching to uncover a secret from the past—and heal the wounds that have, in many ways, shaped their lives. Lyrical and lovely, Call the Canaries Home is a stunning debut from a standout new voice in women’s fiction. And Laura Barrow is officially on my list of must-read authors!”—Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds

“For fans of small-town fiction and bighearted family comes a moving tale of forgiveness, loss, and secrets told through a cast of memorable characters. As three sisters move closer toward the truth behind their sibling’s disappearance, they discover deeper truths about themselves. Barrow crafts an impressive debut, culminating in a bittersweet yet satisfying conclusion. A touching, heartfelt read proving that family truly is everything.”—Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of When We Let Go

Best I have read in a while!

I really liked how the author kept the story tempo perfect without leaving anything out that would make you wonder. Now a favorite book of mine. Also, the world needs a few more Mary Lynne’s aka Memaw!

the story line

Great Southern spirit and down home charm. loved it from beginning to end, every character is relatable.

Excellent book

I absolutely loved this book. Everyone needs to read this book. Please write more books

Wonderful read!

This story is heart warming and loving but it will pull at heart strings. Thank you! Hope to read more from this writer!

Good for the soul

A warm and fuzzy story. Good for the soul,especially during these crazy times we are living through.

Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend

I have to agree with so many other reviewers. This was a sweet story with character development and insight. I enjoyed the various points of view and the different character struggles. Sometimes I had trouble recognizing some of the voices of the sisters -who was I listening to? But overall I was sorry to see it end.

Enjoyable Listen

I liked being able to hear the story from the point of view of various characters. They are all likeable and relatable, even the "bad ones". The writing was easy to listen to as were the performances.

Explores bonds and family dynamics combined with trauma

Narrators we're well suited. Enjoyed sibling constellation development and found how trauma was used as pivotal connection of the family interesting.

Sweet and heartfelt story

Sweet yet heartbreaking story about love, loss and the importance of family! The narrators for the audio version were spot on and I could vividly picture each character in my imagination.

A great story over all but

Should have a trigger warning about child kidnapping and murder. Although no details are given it almost made me turn it off. The author did a great job giving 5 different voices/ perspectives without it being jumpy.