Review:Where the Birds Call Her Name

Title: Where the Birds Call Her Name

Author: Claire van Ryn

Publisher: 4th March 2025 by Penguin Random House Australia

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: General Fiction | Family | Women’s Fiction

Synopsis:

Broome 2023: When Saskia’s free-spirited mother leaves her a caravan in her will, it doesn’t make sense. Saskia is a schoolteacher, tied to plans and schedules, even if they are beginning to feel restrictive. Then she finds clues in the van about her mother’s mysterious past, setting her on a journey to Tasmania with her young daughter Anouk, who shares her late grandmother’s fascination with birds.

In 1968, teenager Greta De Winter seeks solace in the Stanley wetlands, a swamp that attracts all manner of wildlife. Her father is the local councillor and her mother a taxidermist, working to create bird dioramas for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. But while the De Winter household seems harmless from the outside, a dark secret hides within.

When Saskia and Anouk arrive in Stanley, they search for the missing pieces to the puzzle of Greta’s tragic childhood. In the process of uncovering her family history, Saskia realises that her mother’s final act might also enable her to rediscover who she really is, and what she is truly capable of.

Set in the breathtaking landscape of Tasmania’s majestic north-west, this is a moving and highly evocative novel of family bonds and betrayals, by the bestselling author of The Secrets of the Huon Wren.

My Thoughts

Where the Birds Call Her Name is a dual timeline story set between Broome, Western Australia in 2023 and Stanley, Tasmania in 1968. Claire has seamlessly blended fact and fiction to pen a moving and heartfelt story. 

‘Saskia stood up and walked to the window, stretching her neck, her back, stretching the questions playing on repeat in her head and agitating every fibre of her: Why, Mum? Why give me your caravan?’

Saskia's mother left her a caravan and a ticket on the Spirit of Tasmania in her will.  Within the caravan, Saskia finds her mother's journal which hints at a life Saskia knew nothing about. Feeling unsettled with her life in Broome - hectic life of being a teacher and her seemingly distant husband - Saskia decides to make use of the van. Packing up her life, taking a break from her marriage and job, she takes herself and her daughter in the van heading off on a journey across the country.  Together they travel to Stanley, Tasmania where Saskia slowly unravels the story of her mother Greta 'Kiki' De Winter and what had been her unhappy childhood. It is a wonderful story of four generations of women who are connected by not only family but by the secrets that they carry. The descriptions of the unique Australian birds are both interesting and serve as metaphors within the story itself. Each chapter showcases a particular bird whose attributes are then revealed through the chapter theme - maybe resilience or strength, for examples. 

‘Kiki’s death has given me a wake-up call,’ Saskia spoke with more conviction than she’d had in a long time. ‘I want to feel again, for my life to have meaning and joy.’

Where the Birds Call Her Name is a remarkable story. How understanding the past can lead to self discovery, along with the strong bonds that exist in both families and with nature. Recommended for readers of generational tales who enjoy fabulous storytelling and lyrical prose 

‘The stillness broke and their hearts drank from the place where the birds would always call her name.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.