THE GHOSTS OF BEATRICE BIRD by Louisa Morgan – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan
Published by Redhook on November 21 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Ghosts, family trauma and close-knit relationships make Louisa Morgan’s latest a delightfully nuanced and layered story.

Louisa Morgan always writes the most comforting stories, even though her characters face dangers and challenges, and The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is another shining example of this. At its core, the story is about two women, lost and dealing with trauma in different ways, who find each other and through friendship, begin to heal. I absolutely loved this book, and even though there is some heavy subject matter (spousal abuse) and some sections are very hard to read, Morgan manages to deftly combine the good with the bad and pull off an unforgettable, feel-good story.

The story is told in dual timelines and alternates among three main characters. In the present day, 1977, we meet Beatrice Bird, who has left her boyfriend Mitch, her therapy practice, and her beloved city of San Francisco behind and moved to “the island” (which is never named), a bucolic, secluded location accessible only by ferry. Beatrice’s remote cottage affords her privacy from other people, with only two milk cows, Alice and Dorothy, for company. And the reason Beatrice doesn’t want to be around people? She can see “ghosts,” emotional manifestations that hover around everyone, and because she keenly feels the emotions they’re tied to, it’s overwhelming and even debilitating for her. On the island, she rarely encounters anyone other than the nuns who live in the nearby monastery, and their ghosts are faded and easier to deal with.

The second point of view is that of Anne Iredale, a young woman who has run away from her abusive husband and finds herself at the doors of the monastery, begging the nuns for sanctuary. Mother Maggie doesn’t have any extra beds, but she does know someone who might be able to help. She introduces Anne to Beatrice, asking if she can put Anne up for just one night until the next ferry arrives in the morning. Beatrice is reluctant at first. Anne has two terrifying ghosts attached to her: one is a dark storm cloud, a menacing presence hovering over her shoulder, while the other is a sad and scared child, clinging to her leg. Of course Anne doesn’t see these ghosts, but Beatrice can barely look away. Still, it’s only one night, so she grits her teeth and invites Anne into her home.

In a third point of view, we meet five year old Benjamin, whose mother has been sent somewhere “to rest” after a traumatic event. Benjamin doesn’t understand why his mother left him alone with his father, who scares Benjamin and sometimes locks him in the closet. With only his grandmother as a buffer, and a ghost he calls “the lady” to watch out for him, Benjamin longs to get his mother back. 

Eventually, the reader learns why and how Anne escaped a terrible fate, and the reason Beatrice is haunted by other people’s ghosts, as the two women begin to bond over their different traumas. Through flashback chapters Morgan fills in the blanks of Beatrice’s life as a therapist, living and working in San Francisco, and her satisfying relationship with her doctor boyfriend Mitch. We also dip back into Anne’s past, meeting her future husband James, being pushed into marriage by her parents, and how she slowly lost control of every part of her life, due to James’s high powered job and abuse. I loved how each woman finds solace in the other, despite their age and circumstance differences, and their slowly blooming friendship was my favorite part of the story.

As for side characters, Mother Maggie is a very special nun with a wry sense of humor and a penchant for justice. I loved Beatrice’s milk cows, who added some lighter moments to the story. Beatrice sells their milk to the monastery, which was a nice connection between her and Mother Maggie. 

I loved the time period as well. Beatrice’s story unfolds during the “summer of love,” when San Francisco was a hot spot for free love and drugs, and the events of that time play a big part in Beatrice’s predicament. Her relationship with Mitch was a breath of fresh air. She and Mitch are older, in their forties, I believe, and neither one feels the desire to marry and have children. They enjoy each other’s company and trust one another, and even when something happens to compel her to leave Mitch, she still loves and misses him terribly.

Anne, on the other hand, is in a terrible spot, made even worse because of her son Benjamin. Her chapters were so hard to read, but she is a lifelong Catholic who finds comfort in her religion, and her faith is one reason she’s able to survive. It takes a while before the author reveals exactly what happened to separate her from Benjamin, and the sections leading up to this reveal were tense and exciting. I really enjoyed Benjamin’s chapters as well, although he’s not as prominent a character as Anne and Beatrice. It was heartbreaking to experience abuse through the eyes of a child, but Benjamin is a strong little boy with an unusual champion: a ghost.

And speaking of this ghost, its identity is only hinted at until Morgan’s big twist later in the story, when the reader learns some shocking things that tie everything together. I loved how at this point the story morphs into a domestic thriller/murder mystery, and the last twenty percent was an exciting page-turner of a story that was nearly impossible to put down.

Watching the characters grow and change made me wonder how on earth Louisa Morgan could possibly wrap things up, but she does so brilliantly, giving her readers an ending that was completely satisfying and heartwarming. And yes, I’m not ashamed to admit I cried at the end. The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird has it all: heartfelt relationships, thoughtful explorations of trauma recovery, lighter, funnier moments, ghosts, a villain who is truly terrifying, and best of all, characters you wish you knew in real life. Highly recommended for anyone in search of a well written, immersive story.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.