AVAILABLE DECEMBER 10TH
“We were both quiet for a while. I mostly just looked out the window. I wondered why Kate had mentioned the idea of my dad. She did, though, know what it was like to wonder and to try to understand why parents do the things that they do. Maybe she was thinking about her dad. Maybe our questions and sadness were all mixing together.”
Eleven-year-old Goldie’s world is changing fast, and most of it is out of her control. Loneliness overcomes her as her beloved sister, Elise, goes off to college, and the recent loss of her great aunt consumes her mother’s emotions. Goldie feels adrift and out of place.
But when she joins her mother for a trip to Heritage where her late aunt lived, Goldie forms an unlikely friendship with Kip, a sweet boy with an infectious sense of adventure. Kip shows Goldie the carefree thrills of birch bending and secret caves where the two bond over common experiences and escape the complexities of the adults around them.
As she reluctantly returns to her life, Goldie must adjust to being a middle schooler as things at home become more challenging. Despite her deep love for her sister and mother, Goldie feels unsure of where she fits in their lives, forcing her to grapple with the bittersweet aspects of growing up and letting go of the way things used to be.
With her frequent letters from Kip and her new friend, Kate, by her side, Goldie tries to navigate all that comes her way on the quest for acceptance and belonging. In this timeless, coming-of-age novel, Goldie symbolizes the universal experience of deep familial connections, friendship, and self-identity.
Goldie Bird
Size: 5X7
Pages: 336
ISBN: 979-8-218-53496-7
Size: 5X8 (case laminate)
Pages: 338
ISBN: 979-8-218-53498-1
Reviews
I’ve been anxious to have time to read Goldie Bird since I received it last month. Fitting that I brought it along to the beach and finished it today and the sunset picture is my view as I am writing my review. Goldie Bird was a perfect beach read- light-hearted, sending my thoughts back to my childhood of trying to make friends. Bravo Patty! It is a great read and I’m happy to call you my friend.
“Always remember, the sunset sky will be there for you when you think you have nothing left.”
Goldie Bird is a light hearted novel that also delves into the complexity of growing up as a pre-teen. I for one could empathize with Goldie & her journey from having made for you friends vs making your own friends.
As a nanny for 20 yrs & a Foster/Adoptive Aunt for 15 yrs I have seen multiple children grow up & find their roles in life & in their families as Goldie does.
The only disappointment came at the end when I had to face the fact that my time with Goldie had come to an end.
What a sweet little book, Goldie Bird! It beautifully captures the sometimes awkward and transformative age of 11. Reading it brought back memories of my own experiences as a young girl—learning about adult topics, navigating new friendships, trying to make sense of adults' decisions, and drawing my own conclusions along the way.
Grandpa Charlie says it all when he tells Goldie and Kip “that the sunset sky will be there for you when you think you have nothing left “. While reading this wonderful book about growing up, I kept going back to the his wise words. Goldie’s life like all of our lives is part past, current and future with parts we want to hang on to, part apprehension of the future and holding on to those who mean the most in our lives.
Thank you Patti for sharing your amazing voice through a young girl.
Patty's ability to flesh out the soul of an eleven-year-old girl and describe the world through her eyes is remarkable. I was immersed in Goldie’s life and all the characters (I loved Rosa!) because Patty's understanding of the human condition is spot on. Patty's writing is poetic and paints clear images in the reader's mind. I hope Goldie Bird becomes a huge success because her story is one of love, friendship, family, and hope…all the things we need most in the world.