A warm-hearted story of fresh beginnings, unexpected friendships and the sustaining power of love and community, from the Top Ten bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle and Thursdays at Orange Blossom House.
Bellbird River, 1998: Teacher and single mum Alex is newly arrived in the small NSW country town of Bellbird River after escaping the city in search of a change of pace and the chance to reconnect with her young daughter. Across town, well-known matriarch Victoria and her globe-trotting, opera-singing cousin Gabrielle find themselves at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives, while local baker Janine and newcomer to the district Debbie are each secretly dealing with the consequences of painful pasts. With its dusty streets, lone pub and iron-lace verandahs, Bellbird River could just be a pit stop on the road to somewhere else. But their town holds some secrets and surprises – and it has a heart: the Bellbird River Country Choir.
Amid the melodies and camaraderie of the choir, each of the women will find the courage to leave the past behind. And together, they’ll discover that friends are much closer to home than they’d ever realised.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
A great read about the power of female friendship and new beginnings. One to sit up late in bed reading nonstop. It’s an enjoyable emotional book and one to put on your must read list. Vanessa, NSW, 5 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed The Bellbird River Country Choir. It could be a story about just about any country town, complete with secrets, scandals and hidden pasts. I love that all the main characters are women and all have their own voices throughout. Sophie’s writing style is perfect to allow each story to interweave with the next. A gorgeous book that is comforting in its familiarity. Chrissie, WA, 5 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir brings together a group of eclectic people that each have their own story to tell. Each character has their own reasons for being part of the choir whether it be for love, or friendship or even just to sing. There is really no one major character in this story but rather a whole gathering of people, each one different and fun. From the cousins, Victoria and Gabrielle come the most wonderful dialogue that had me laughing so hard, wishing I knew them or women like them in real life. The whole story is a mixture of love, laughter, friendships and family. From start to end I loved every part of this story beginning with the way Sophie has brought to your eyes the dry dusty landscape of Australia to —-well— you’ll have to read it to find that out. Ann-Marie, SA, 5 Stars
If you’ve ever lived in a small country town you will instantly feel the small town vibes from reading this novel. You are drawn into the lives of the five main women (Alex, Victoria, Gabrielle, Janine and Debbie) – immersed in their drama, secrets and everyone knowing their business (or thinking that they do). Set in a 1990s, in a small town outside of Tamworth, I was personally very connected to the story as I lived in a small town outside of Tamworth in the early 1990s!! It was easy for me to imagine the happenings in this story, however from personal experience this could easily be based on some truth. Sophie Green takes you to a place you didn’t know you wanted to visit, but are so glad you did. A delightful read. K, NSW, 5 Stars
I discovered Sophie Green’s books last year and fell in love with her stories of friendship between women of different ages and life stages. This one didn’t disappoint. Set on the eve of Sydney 2000 Olympics. We get to know 5 different women who end up in the town of Bellbird River looking for a fresh start. They all end up joining the same choir group. Each of the characters were very well developed and I loved getting to know them, their back stories and see them grow throughout the book. Green covers a lot of different topics such as stigma with jail time, mental health and bullying. All of the characters were engaging but I particularly found myself drawn to Alex and Debbie’s stories. The country town setting was well executed and I could really picture myself in Bellbird River. The small town, past its best, made for the perfect backdrop to the story. I enjoyed the 1990’s song references and was glad to see the book came with QR code with a playlist from the choir. Another fabulous story from Sophie and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Kirsten, ACT, 5 Stars
From the moment Alex and her daughter Kim drive into Bellbird River the reader is immersed into a small rural community with a memorable cast of characters. The Bellbird River Country Choir is a heartwarming story where each of the characters face their challenges while drawing the community closer together through the local choir. The story takes us back to 1998 and creates a sense of nostalgia of a time before smartphones and social media. It is a story which celebrates rural communities, female friendships and found family. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a great choice for a cosy holiday read. Holly, WA, 5 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir was not a book I expected to fall in love with, but I did – it was a wonderful story by Sophie. I really loved how each character come to life with their backstories and personalities. I especially loved Victoria and Jimbo – there should be a spin off book just about them! I loved the country feel and could imagine myself being part of their little community. Sophie really does create some wonderful characters in this book and brings them to life so well! – Highly recommended easy read that you will just love! Jodi, QLD, 5 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir is like reading a hug. Each character becoming a new friend. A small country town outside Tamworth, where everyone knows everyone’s business, but aren’t necessarily friends. Each chapter provides a new experience with the building of friendships, sharing life experiences, being there for each other. The story follows a number of members of the community that see their friendships and bonds grow through the power of music, when they join the country choir. It’s a heartwarming story that shows support, strength, togetherness and goodwill of others can unite a community when you’re prepared to share and connect in a way that only small town country folk do. Another 5 star read from Sophie Green. @sophiegreenbooks Sharon, QLD, 5 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir is definitely my kind of book. Love the setting and the quirky characters. So nice too to read about places in Australia. Sophie Green reminds me of Tricia Stringer, Sandie Docker and Josephine Moon. Warm stories about life and all it brings. Loved it! Chrissy, NSW, 5 Stars
A delightful heart warming story, perfect for curling up with! The characters stories are well developed and intertwine nicely into the thread of the story. Easy reading – a delight. Mandy, VIC, 5 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir is an amazing book about the importance of female relationships set in a little country town. I absolutely loved this book! I loved how the book did not have 1 main protagonist but rather each woman was the lead. It’s an uplifting book about women and all stages of their lives and how through a local choir, there lives intertwine. I loved the writing style and little life lessons. I had not read any of Sophie Greens previous books but I will now be bingeing them all! I would recommend this book to woman of any age who love stories of friendship/love/loss. Katarzyna, VIC, 5 Stars
I felt like I had moved to Bellbird River myself as every character was brought to life so vividly. A very enjoyable read, depicting small town life and a wide variety of personalities exceptionally well. An underlying message that you should always be kind, as you don’t know what someone else is going through. I thoroughly enjoyed The Bellbird River Country Choir! Tanya, QLD, 5 Stars
I enjoyed The Bellbird River Country Choir by Sophie Green. The story covers various characters all living in a small country town, who gradually meet and make friends by their participation in a local choir. Several different stories are running through the book, and some of the stories become intertwined. An easy read, with emotional sections. Fay, VIC, 5 Stars
Sophie Green’s The Bellbird River Country Choir is a warm-hearting story of new beginnings, unexpected friendships and the sustaining power of love and community. Set in 1998, Alex is a single mum of one, and a high school teacher, who has escaped Sydney to the small town of Bellbird River, near Tamworth. She is yearning for a change of pace and the chance to reconnect with her young daughter. Victoria is an established resident of Bellbird River, a matriarch who currently has her cousin Gabrielle staying with her. Janine’s family owns the local bakery and Debbie is a newcomer to the area. All have issues to deal with because of relationships in their past. Bellbird River is a typical Aussie country town with a long dusty main street, a bakery, a pub and local cop shop. There are secrets and surprises and at its centre, the Bellbird River choir. Amid the choir music, friendships and cups of tea, each of the women will find the courage to leave the past behind. They discover new friendships and healing in unexpected places. It’s the perfect book to read while snuggled up in front of the fire on a cold winter’s evening. Nell, NSW, 5 Stars
I hadn’t read a Sophie Green book before, but boy am I glad I did. Such a beautiful book set in rural NSW in 1998. The way in which the storylines of the characters intertwined was excellent. I really enjoyed the emotional journey I went on with each character. Definitely well worth a read! Lauren, QLD, 5 Stars
Thank you to Better Reading for the opportunity to read a preview copy of The Bellbird River Country Choir. In the first few chapters we are introduced to several characters: Alex, a teacher who is moving to Bellbird River with her 11 year old daughter; Victoria, newly separated town matriarch and her cousin Gabrielle, an opera singer recovering from surgery; Debbie, working on a cattle farm following her recent release from prison; and Janine, a 36 year old with a passion for art but working in her parents’ bakery. The reader learns that each character feels ashamed or secretive about some aspect of their life and the author provides great insight into each character though perceptive observations and sharp dialogue. The novel explores themes of friendship as they are formed, romance, human transgression, redemption, and what it feels like to be an outsider in a small town where everyone knows everybody and their business. Set in rural NSW, the town and its residents do feel a little stereotypical, but it is uniquely Australian and Green conveys a great sense of place with the descriptions of Australian landscapes and references to Australian culture, such as music. Melissa, VIC, 4 Stars
Set over the twelve months of 1998 Sophie Green’s latest novel, The Bellbird River Country Choir is a totally immersive read about the importance of female friendships. Five women from different backgrounds and age groups become unlikely friends when each of them, for different reasons, join the local country choir. At first the women are quiet and even a little judgy however they soon start supporting each other to face their challenges allowing them to grow in self-confidence. Each of the women are at a cross-roads in their life and find that confiding and trusting in one another gives them the confidence to move forward. Sophie Green includes themes of single parenthood, life after prison, mental illness, bullying, gaslighting and regaining self-confidence. These themes flow around a centric topic of love; for children, in marriage, forbidden love, self love, love for family and friends. The Bellbird River Country Choir is an easy read with likeable characters with relatable problems and realistic solutions. Well worth a read! Veronica, NSW, 4 Stars
It’s always a pleasure to read a Sophie Green book. Her writing has you wanting to keep turning the pages as you fall in love with the the relatable characters and find yourself becoming invested in their lives. This book set in fictional Bellbird River, is no different, with a lovely country feel, it has you wanting to curl up with a cuppa and a blanket, just a perfect cozy/homely feel to it, especially in the colder months with which we are now in. Melissa, VIC, 4 Stars
The Bellbird River Country Choir is another beautiful read from Sophie Green. The setting of bellbird river is the perfect laid back country town for the interesting personal dramas that play out amongst a small cast of wonderful characters. Debbie, Janine, Gabrielle, Alex and Victoria are the main group of people you can cheer on through their growth and development after joining the town’s local choir and befriending each other. I really felt for them and their small and large triumphs. An overall cheerful, uplifting book that makes you want more from this great author. Kristy, NSW, 4 Stars
For those who love Liane Moriarty and Monica McInerney- The Bellbird River Country Choir is a heart warming read about friendship, family and reconnection. Easy to read, uplifting and the perfect book to settle in with on a cold day. Jessica, QLD, 4 Stars
This is a heart-warming story of five ladies living in a country town. We follow their lives as they come together while singing in the Bellbird River Country Choir. Alex with her teenage daughter who didn’t want to leave Sydney, Victoria whose husband left her for the major’s wife and Gabrielle, her cousin, who has come to stay from Europe. And then there is Debbie who is trying to start over again and Janine who is the local baker and has issues from her past. These five ladies find they have a lot in common and find themselves looking out for each other. The music, the friendships and their closeness are what makes this small town a charming place to settle. An enjoyable read as usual from Sophie Green who manages to bring people together who are from very different worlds. Dianne, QLD, 4 Stars
An easy to read novel, perfect for a book club. A story about different women coming together to form a community choir. I liked that each chapter was from a different character’s perspective. Luciana, WA, 4 Stars
Green has again given us an wonderful tale of different lives intertwining, and strangers becoming family – because blood does not always make you a family. Beautiful imagery had me picturing the places she was talking about as I was reading. As there were many characters, it did take me a little while to distinguish a couple of them from each other, but once I got my brain wrapped around it all was good. I liked how the choir brought all these completely different, yes somehow similar characters together. Their issues were relatable, and I felt that their stories grew and resolved organically, Sophie Green has become one of the Australian authors whose stories I have come to really admire, and I look forward to reading more of her works in the future. Janeane, NSW, 4 Stars
Written by Australian author Sophie Green, this story is set in a small regional town where gossip is rife and everyone knows everyone else’s business. Needless to say, we are introduced to a range of characters who all have something they are trying to hide – secrets, shame, past choices and personal circumstances they are grappling with privately. A diverse bunch of people come together through the local choir group, who practice one night per week in a local hall. Friendships emerge, relationships spark and each character feels a sense of belonging and comfort that helps them deal with their troubles. An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more books by this author. Bree, NSW, 4 Stars
This was another delightful and heart-warming story that follows the lives of 5 women through a year in Bellbird River. Long-time resident Victoria, dealing with the shame of having her husband leave her for a younger woman, unexpectedly has her cousin Gabrielle, a famous opera singer, arrives to stay with her as she recovers from career threatening surgery. Both women are forced to face the reality of a very different future to the one had been living. Alex arrives in town to begin a new life away from Sydney for her and her young daughter, however through her year in Bellbird River we feel the problems with bullying for Kimberley and missing the connection with Marta, Kim grandmother to whom she has a deep attachment. A past that continues to haunt Debbie sees her seek refuge as a housekeeper on a property nearby, while local baker Janine is unable to move on with her life as she deals with the fallout of her brother being diagnosed with a mental illness that has fractured her family. These women come together in the Choir and each of them begin to realise their own talents and with the new friendships comes trust and the chance to move on with their lives. The setting around Tamworth was perfect in creating a story with strong attachment to music and was instrumental in giving these women the chance of a new beginning. Colleen, WA, 4 Stars
Friendship, family, relationships and the drama that unfolds. The story revolves around four characters finding their own voice and the secrets they’ve tried to hide. This is the first Sophie Green novel I have read and it was a delight! The Bellbird River Country Choir felt like an escape from my daily life as it delved into the life and relationships of four unique women. Mixed into the story was a nostalgic hit of 90s music, movies and pop culture references set in a small, country Australian town just outside of Tamworth. It was delightful! (Oh, there’s also a playlist/soundtrack of all the songs mentioned in the book) My most recent holiday was to Tamworth and so many of the locations were fresh and familiar to me as I read, making it even more wonderful. Kendall, SA, 4 Stars
I love Sophie Green books, they are like a nice hot bowl of soup on a cold winters day. This one didn’t disappoint, great characters, each with their own story who as in all her books come together , this time all part of a country choir. More of a character book, nothing shocking happens, but impossible not to get caught up in each of the characters plight, each one so believable and easy to relate to. I love Sophie’s writing style, from the first page I could tell I was going to enjoy this book set in 1998 and I did If you are after an easy, heart warming read, The Bellbird River Country Choir is the book for you. Vikkie, QLD, 4 Stars
Author Sophie Green has done it again with a heart warming story set in an Australian country town with descriptions so vivid I felt like I was really there! As with her other novels, Green shares insights into the worlds of her characters with sincerity and warmth. The Bellbird River Country Choir is heartwarming easy read that made me feel like I was a part of the choir. Astrid, VIC, 4 Stars
Reading Sophie Green’s immersive new novel is like arriving as a newcomer in a small country town, and what better way to get to know the local identities than by joining the Bellbird River Country Choir. Immediately the reader is drawn into the lives and dramas of five women, a mixture of long-term residents and new arrivals. For a sleepy town not far from Tamworth, there seems to be an awful lot going on in everyone’s personal lives. It makes you realise that everyone has a story to tell and their own issues they are struggling with. The choir becomes an important part of their lives, providing not only companionship, but opportunities for growth and development and healing. I felt like cheering as one by one each of the choristers begins to stand up for themselves and offer support to each other. This heart-warming story illustrates that, much like a choir, life is a shared experience which is better when we are singing in harmony and from the same song sheet, especially when that song sheet is based on kindness and understanding. Michelle, VIC, 4 Stars
This was a lovely introduction to an author that is new to me (yeah! more books to add to the TBR pile). The name “Bellbird River” conjures up a picture of a lush green and welcoming place to visit/live, and that is exactly the experience of reading this book. I truly felt “invited” to witness the many lively characters – from the worldly Opera Singer – Gabrielle – to the secretive – Debbie – as they join together in song. Like the saying “everyone has a song in them” in this choir they all have a place to belong, no matter who they are or where they come from. A beautiful tribute to the many small outback towns scattered around Australia. Lisa, NSW, 4 Stars
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