The Snowbirds: a couple heads south for the winter and finds themselves at a crossroads

The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy is a story of a couple who flees the Midwest winter in Palm Springs and finds their relationship at a crossroads. For thirty years, Kim and Grant had a great “separate but together” partnership, raising their twin daughters together. However, when the realities of middle age have reared its ugly head, flying south for the winter seemed to be the perfect solution. Kim immediately feels at home at the Le Desert community while Grant struggles. When Grant goes missing while on a hike, Kim faces two possibilities: Grant is truly lost or he has finally left her. As the search for Grant proceeds, Kim searches their life together and asks the question what does it take to truly commit to someone for a lifetime. Will Grant be found? Is their life together over? 

In The Snowbirds, Ms. Clancy sets out to explore “the redemptive power of finding ourselves and being found” with “compassion and humor” starts out great and what it means to truly commit to someone. However, while the story started out great, as the story jumps into the search for Grant and flashbacks to their life together, it quickly falls flat as Kim and Grant are hard to relate to and even unlikeable, especially in the story’s flashbacks. It is hard for me to relate to the “separate but together” partnerships, which can happen in unmarried and married couples. Overall, I was bored. I didn’t really care for Kim and her search for Grant. While I may not be the right reader for this type of story, there are readers out there who might connect with the characters and their relationships. 

The Snowbirds will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on February 4, 2025