This might be a weird comparison to make, but this book reminded me of nothing so much as Pinterest circa 2012 and the kitschy, twee lifestyle bloggers that I used to follow and try to emulate when I was fresh out of college. Something about the setting, the color palette I imagined, Charlotte's blue scooter, the bird imagery, Zoey's wide-eyed youthfulness, the gourmet donuts, all made this book feel slightly of another time. I wouldn't say that this is a bad thing. It's kind of nice to open a new book in 2022 and not have 2022 staring back at you, all haggard and with bags under its eyes.

I had a lot of excitement going into this book because it's the author's first in several years and after multiple losses, an excitement that others clearly shared judging from how long I waited for my copy to come in at the library. It's a wait that's worth it, that at the end yielded a book that feels good to read not only for its gentleness but because its existence seems like a triumph of perseverance. I'm not that interested in pointing out flaws or comparing it to her other work, just happy that it's here and that I got to spend a couple of days in its sugar-scented world.