Review: UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey Also by this author: Feels Like Falling, The Wedding Veil
Published by Gallery Books on April 20, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Pages: 400
Source: Netgalley
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Under the Southern Sky is the fifth novel I’ve read from Kristy Woodson Harvey and it’s my favorite yet. It’s a story about love, family and childhood friendships rekindled, and it’s also a story about loss and grief and how to move forward when you think your life has fallen apart.
The story follows journalist Amelia Saxton. Amelia is recently separated from her husband after catching him cheating on her and while licking her wounds, she is also researching the biggest story of her writing career, a story about what couples who have gone through IVF choose to do with any leftover embryos. Amelia discovers that her childhood friend, Parker, and his late wife, Greer, are on the list of those who have abandoned their embryos. After much consideration, Amelia decides she is obligated to reach out to Parker and make sure he is aware of the abandoned embryos and it is then that Amelia’s hunt for a story takes her on a far more personal journey than she ever anticipated.
I loved both Parker and Amelia and enjoyed watching them reconnect. They both have some tough choices to make, particularly Parker with respect to those embryos, and they are both dealing with loss and how to move on. So much of what they go through is heavy and heartbreaking but there are some lighter and more hopeful moments as well. I found myself rooting for them to build a future together almost right away because they just seemed so well suited to one another.
I don’t want to give anything else about the plot away as the story packs an emotional punch and it’s best to let it unfold as spoiler free as possible, but I will say that as someone who has gone through IVF, everything about this story spoke to me and I thought the author handled this sensitive topic with respect and grace. Even though Greer is deceased, we still get some chapters from her perspective so we get a feel for what her and Parker’s dreams for a family were before she got sick.
Filled with wonderfully complex characters and poignant moments, and all framed by gorgeous writing, Under the Southern Sky is a story that is sure to tug at your heartstrings and keep you invested from the first to the very last page. It’s not a light read but it’s one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read this year.
About Kristy Woodson Harvey
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the bestselling author of DEAR CAROLINA, LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE, SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE, THE SECRET TO SOUTHERN CHARM and THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF PARADISE. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing, a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, her work has been optioned for film and her books have received numerous accolades including:
Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads
Southern Living’s Best Spring Break Reads
Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s Okra Pick
Parade’s Big Fiction Reads Every Book Club Will Love
Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks
Us Weekly’s Sweet Reads for Right Now
Woman’s WorldBest Books
PopSugar’s Ultimate Summer Reading
USA Today Happy Ever After’s Best Women’s Fiction
New York Live’s “Ashley’s A-List”
Deep South Magazine’s Summer Reading List
Raleigh News & Observer‘s “The Best Reads of Summer”
Charlotte Observer’s “Summer’s Best Books”
Bustle’s Books to Read and Discuss With Your Mom and Grandma
Huffington Post’s Summer Reading: Women’s Fiction Style
She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life. Design Chic is the inaugural member of the design blogger hall of fame, sponsored by Traditional Home, and winner of Amara’s Best Luxury Blog, as chosen by Roberto Cavalli. She also loves connecting with readers on kristywoodsonharvey.com.
Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, Parade, USA Today, Domino, Our State and O. Henry. She has been seen in Today.com, Women’s Health,The Washington Post, US News and World Report, The Huffington Post,Marie Claire’s The Fix, Woman’s World, Readers’ Digest, Bustle, New York Live and North Carolina Bookwatch, among others.
She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers, serves on the board of Beaufort Historical Association, and is a member of the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Leadership Council. She is a frequent speaker at fundraisers, book conferences and private events. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son where she is working on her next novel.
I haven’t read any book by her, but this sounds so lovely! I love when a book hooks you from the start.
Her books always do that for me so they’re always a treat. 🙂
I love when authors can take a heavy, serious subject matter and make it uplifting, which is what it sounds like she’s done here. This sounds very emotional!
Yeah, it had me wiping tears away a couple of times, lol.
I was convinced by the second sentence of your review. You pretty much listed most of my favorite story elements there.
Yes, I thought of you when I read this book. I think you would find it a satisfying read.
I just want to be the girl on that cover!!!
I love the cover!
You’ve made me glad I decided to take a chance on this when it showed up at my library!
I hope you love it!
I haven’t read this author yet, but I love that this story has a little bit of everything and definitely sounds like an emotional read.
I’ve really enjoyed her books, especially her Peachtree Bluff series, which is just so charming.
This is such a tough, emotional topic, but kudos to the author for bringing hope To this story.
I’ll second the kudos. She did such a nice job with this topic.
Happy Mother’s Day. This looks like a book that’s right up my alley. Hope to see you on Sunday Post.
Thanks and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Thank you, thank you for such a lovely review!
You’re so welcome. Thanks so much for stopping by to read it. 🙂