Book Review: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

 

Goodreads Overview:

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Jacque's Review:

This book was selected by the Marysville Public Library for their Books on Tap book club. This is a fun little group that meets once a month at a local brewery.

Anna Kate's mother fled Wicklow, the town where she grew up, shortly after her boyfriend died in a car accident. She was pregnant at the time and did not want the father's family trying to take the baby from her after they accused her for his death. Anna Kate's mother always claimed it was a terrible accident, but she doesn't know what to believe. 

When her grandmother passes away, Anna Kate must return to settle her estate. As part of her will, she must stay in Wicklow and run the Blackbird Cafe for a period of time if she wants to inherit any of the money. She has every intention of selling the property once the summer is up to pay for college and medical school, which was always her mother's dream for her. She tries not to establish ties in Wicklow, but that becomes next to impossible. The more she learns about her mother's family history, including the legend of the blackbirds and the cafe's famous pie, the more connected she feels to the town. She eventually meets her father's much younger sister and starts to learn more about his side of the family and his death.

This was a Hallmark type of story with a feel-good message. I never would have selected it on my own to read, but I really enjoyed the characters and the story. Anna Kate brings life to this town and is able to help so many people who have been struggling. In return, the town provides a family and a sense of belonging that she never had growing up.