Discover Your Next Great Read

Get sneak peeks, book recommendations, and news about your favorite authors.

Tap here to learn more.

About the Author

Katherine Slee has a master’s in modern history from Oxford University and is a member of MENSA. She left the crazy and chaotic world of investment banking to enter the crazy and chaotic world of being a stay-at-home mother to two children and wife to a workaholic husband. She grew up as a bit of a tomboy, with scars on her knees and mud in her hair, and as a result developed a taste for everything from Star Wars to whiskey, with a dash of ornithology thrown into the mix. When she’s not either reading or writing, she enjoys baking (with various degrees of success), photography, and walking the dog. Her favorite place to be is on the beach in France, where the light is always surprising and the ice cream is the best she’s ever tasted.

Reading Group Guide

The Book of Second Chances

Birds and Their Meanings

Emily always struck me as someone who looked for the hidden meanings in life. It made me want to give her a fascination, an obsession, that she would use to distract her from the pain and grief she had to endure.

In turn, it led me to research the superstitions and symbolism behind birds, with a view to include some of them in the book as an extra insight into Emily and her journey. There were countless to choose from, and what I have listed below is just a fraction of what exists for each bird, but they are the ones that resonated with me, and with Emily’s story, the most.