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9th out of 19 books
—
4 voters
Birds of Paradise
A multilayered, beautifully textured novel about family and self, self-indulgence and generosity, against the vivid backdrop of contemporary Miami.
In the tropical paradise that is Miami, Avis and Brian Muir are still haunted by the disappearance of their ineffably beautiful daughter, Felice, who ran away when she was thirteen. Now, after five years of modeling tattoos, sk
...moreHardcover, 362 pages
Published
September 6th 2011
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2011)
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Diana Abu-Jaber's writing hits all of the marks for high praise in this book about a family coping with the loss of their teenage daughter, a junior high school runaway reaching her 18th birthday and living on the streets by choice instead of opting to stay comfortable in her Floridian upper middle class life.
There are lush foodie descriptions, of the cakes and pastries baked by the girl's wealthy mother and equally, of the organic foods sold and prepared by the proletarian (also by choice) bro...more
There are lush foodie descriptions, of the cakes and pastries baked by the girl's wealthy mother and equally, of the organic foods sold and prepared by the proletarian (also by choice) bro...more
This was a beautifully-written book about a teenage runaway and her family. It's one of those books where the plot almost doesn't seem to matter, since the writing is so good and the characters (at least most of them) are so interesting. Although having said that, I was dissatisfied that one plot point was never resolved, and the character of the husband (Brian) I found kind of lacking. He is someone who is tempted by a couple of bad ideas, and then turns away from them... which is great in real...more
I found this book difficult to 'get into' at first. There's something about the writing style that feels dry, staccato, distancing. But that was precisely the essence of the relationships between the central characters.
Then about a third of the way in, I was hooked. I couldn't wait to return to the story. The characters grew on me, so much so that I felt like I knew them, understood them. I related to their experiences.
Was it my imagination, or did the writing style become fuller, juicier as the...more
Then about a third of the way in, I was hooked. I couldn't wait to return to the story. The characters grew on me, so much so that I felt like I knew them, understood them. I related to their experiences.
Was it my imagination, or did the writing style become fuller, juicier as the...more
Apr 16, 2012
Hoover Public Library Adult Fiction
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
family-issues,
general-fiction
This story is about the Muir family, fractured, but very typical in its dealings. Brian is an ivy-league trained real estate lawyer who is growingly disillusioned at work to the point of flirting with a Cuban co-worker. Avis is the mother for whom baking is a art and profession. She crafts the most elaborate desserts the Miami rich have ever known and all that baking takes her away from her problems in the home. The oldest son, Stanley, owns an organic grocery but is struggling to survive with h...more
Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber is a richly layered and beautifully written novel. It is akin to an archeological dig - each layer uncovering unexpected treasures. The book begins five years before Hurricane Katrina hit and ends during its aftermath.
The gist of the novel is about a family living in Coral Gables, Florida. The chapters are told from the viewpoints of different family members. Felice, the protagonist of the novel, is a thirteen year-old runaway who, at first, runs away repeate...more
The gist of the novel is about a family living in Coral Gables, Florida. The chapters are told from the viewpoints of different family members. Felice, the protagonist of the novel, is a thirteen year-old runaway who, at first, runs away repeate...more
Feb 14, 2012
Karen
added it
This is a story about the Muir family....the mother Avis, who is an excellent pastry chef and owns her own business; Brian, the corporate lawyer who is concerned about being a good provider and doing the right thing; Felice, who runs away from home at 13 years (SPOILER ALERT) because of a classmate's suicide she things she may have caused; and Stanley, the successful "whole foods type store" and environmental entrepreneur.
The pace of this book is slow. There is an infinite amount of detail abou...more
The pace of this book is slow. There is an infinite amount of detail abou...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Five years after their 13 year-old daughter Felice ran away, Brian and Avis Muir are still struggling to cope with their loss and feelings of failure. Avis is a gourmet pastry chef who immerses herself in her work to deal with her grief, using pastries as comfort and communication. (There are so many lush descriptions of pastries in this book – I was craving baked goods almost the whole time I listened to it!) Brian is a real estate lawyer and he and Avis’s oldest child, Stanley, owns a natural...more
There are books you read for the enjoyment of the story and ones you read for the language of the author. Diana Abu-Jaber has written a book that includes both. You can not help but be swept up in both the riveting story of a young run-away girl on the streets af Miami and the lyrical language of life for her family who struggles to come to terms with her absence.
This book is flavored with the language of food. With the disappearance of Felice, both mother and son turn to their love of food and...more
This book is flavored with the language of food. With the disappearance of Felice, both mother and son turn to their love of food and...more
Sep 12, 2011
Kathleen Hagen
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-audio-books,
2011-general-fiction
Birds of Paradise, by Diana Abu-Jaber, Narrated by Tamara Marston, Produced by Highbridge Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
This story involves the four members of a family, each chapter is viewed from a different family member’s perspective. Avis Muir is a brilliant pastry chef, Brian Muir a corporate real estate attorney. Their son, Stanley, is the proprietor of a trendy food market. Their
beautiful daughter, Felice, is missing. A runaway at 13, Felice has spent five years modeling tattoos, sk...more
This story involves the four members of a family, each chapter is viewed from a different family member’s perspective. Avis Muir is a brilliant pastry chef, Brian Muir a corporate real estate attorney. Their son, Stanley, is the proprietor of a trendy food market. Their
beautiful daughter, Felice, is missing. A runaway at 13, Felice has spent five years modeling tattoos, sk...more
This is the first book by Diana Abu-Jaber that I've read, but it won't be the last. After reading "Birds of Paradise", I learned that its author won a PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction for "Crescent" and an Oregon Book Award for "Arabian Jazz".
"Birds of Paradise" is absolutely heart-rending, literary, and downright lyrical in its portrayal of Felice, her family, the ethnic communities of Miami, FL, the social behavior of emotionally immature teenage girls, the fragility of relationship w...more
"Birds of Paradise" is absolutely heart-rending, literary, and downright lyrical in its portrayal of Felice, her family, the ethnic communities of Miami, FL, the social behavior of emotionally immature teenage girls, the fragility of relationship w...more
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This beautifully layered tale delves into issues of modern family, parenthood, marriage, childhood, lost innocence, redemption. The story of a family living in Miami dealing with the aftermath that follows in the wake of the disappearance of 13-year-old Felice, the extraordinarily beautiful daughter of Avis and Brian, and the sister of Stanley. The story opens six years after Felice's disappearance, on the eve of her 18th birthday, as a hurricane approaches Miami. Through flashbacks and sidestep...more
I find the endorsement on the back of this book to say it best, "Like Woolf, Abu-Jabaer does an admirable job of showing how small moments can nudge a person to take large actions..." This book explores those moments in intricate and beautiful detail. The story is told from the point of view of four family members: Avis (the mother), Brian (the father), Felice (the runaway daughter), and Stanley (the withdrawn son). Many stories told this way cause me to speed read through some chapters, so I ca...more
I was left with an overwhelming feeling of sadness and heaviness, despite the author's attempt at leaving this book on an uplifting note.
I personally read as a form of escapism. My book club elected to read this book, though, so I dug in eagerly, hoping to discover a gem I would learn to love. Although I connected with the characters individually and in their interactions with one another, I was left feeling as though all of them were being sheltered, shrouded, and treated as incomplete entitie...more
I personally read as a form of escapism. My book club elected to read this book, though, so I dug in eagerly, hoping to discover a gem I would learn to love. Although I connected with the characters individually and in their interactions with one another, I was left feeling as though all of them were being sheltered, shrouded, and treated as incomplete entitie...more
The story Diana Abu-Jaber tells in Birds of Paradise is as multi-leveled as a buttery croissant or honey-drenched baklava. It is the story of one upper middle class family in Miami, fractured when the 13 year old daughter runs away from home and becomes a street kid. The story picks up 5 years after she leaves, as both her 18th birthday and Hurricane Katrina approach the vulnerable coastline and emotionally vulnerable family, each wrapped up in their own distinct world.
The story shifts point of...more
The story shifts point of...more
1 like
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In the interests of full disclosure, the author of this novel is a friend. So I started out wanting to like this book. But I liked it way more even than I expected, or even more than I dared to hope. It's the story of a family that has fractured -- the daughter, Felice, ran away at 13 and has managed to survive on the streets of Miami Beach. The older son, Stanley, is semi-estranged, running an organic market in Homestead. The parents are just getting by, doing their jobs (Avis is a pastry chef,...more
Having just finished Birds of Paradise, I find myself puzzled. I found the writing style beautiful and quite lyrical. The author certainly can create mood and she captures the essence of Miami and the environment of south Florida equally as well. My criticism centers around the characters. Their motivations, emotions and personalities just did not ring true to me. More than once, I found myself shaking my head in confusion as the central character and mother of the run-away daughter carried out...more
It pains me to write this review because Diana Abu-Jabers books have brought me such joy and entertainment in the past. I just did not like this book at all. I honestly think the biggest problem was the editing. It droned on and on about the dads career and business deals that were neither interesting or sexy. There was some very good writing and memorable lines that I even shared with my nonreading husband. "But I did it - I left. To make her happy. You see how that works? You keep leaving, lik...more
I won this book from the Goodreads giveaway. I probably would not have picked this book up in the bookstore. But I am glad I won it. It challenged me. It took me out of my comfort zone. It took me to a different world in our country. A tropical world with culltures that are not familiar to me.
This is a book about choices. Instead of relying on each other, the people in this family lead very separate lives and stife tears them apart rather than bringing them together. But they realize how much th...more
This is a book about choices. Instead of relying on each other, the people in this family lead very separate lives and stife tears them apart rather than bringing them together. But they realize how much th...more
I could not put this book down. Diana vividly painted her characters
and their surroundings. Its about a couple with 2 kids, a boy and a girl.
The father is a lawyer, mother is a baker working out of her home, Stanley
is the older of the kids & Felice is the youngest. Felice runs away from
home at the age of 13 and becomes a street kid. You don't know why until
quite late in the story. Its written in chapters from the familys point of
view, how the father buries himself in his work, the son strive...more
and their surroundings. Its about a couple with 2 kids, a boy and a girl.
The father is a lawyer, mother is a baker working out of her home, Stanley
is the older of the kids & Felice is the youngest. Felice runs away from
home at the age of 13 and becomes a street kid. You don't know why until
quite late in the story. Its written in chapters from the familys point of
view, how the father buries himself in his work, the son strive...more
I read about this book somewhere and was really interested in the premise (thirteen-year-old girl runs away and five years later the whole family is dealing with the ramifications). I've also been struggling to find more recent books written by women.
Unfortunately this book did not deliver: I have read about half, and have decided not to finish. The writing seemed messy at a micro level, and I constantly felt like I wanted to brush away words and phrases to get to the actual story. The characte...more
Unfortunately this book did not deliver: I have read about half, and have decided not to finish. The writing seemed messy at a micro level, and I constantly felt like I wanted to brush away words and phrases to get to the actual story. The characte...more
I received this book from GR Giveaways. I've read Crescent by the same author. I won't go over the story of Birds of Paradise as it's amply available here. Instead, I'll share my opinion of the style of writing and its tone.
The writing is very good and beautiful in many parts. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of food and especially baking. The author is clear and very touching in her writing.
The tone is sad and depressing. Given that the book centers around how a family copes with having a...more
The writing is very good and beautiful in many parts. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of food and especially baking. The author is clear and very touching in her writing.
The tone is sad and depressing. Given that the book centers around how a family copes with having a...more
This book is one of those rare, exotic novels that shine in a world of stories that are "okay"., or "pretty good." Whether you are a parent, or a child or a sibling, you will tremble just a little when reading Birds of Paradise. I would have said that I had never been to Miami before reading this book. I would have claimed I never lost a daughter and that I did not fully comprehend the extent of despair that might result from guilt. Set against the backdrop of a beautifully appointed home bakery...more
I was privileged to receive this audio book from Library Thing and found the book to be enjoyable. For some reason the voice of the narrator was difficult for me to connect with but the story line held my attention and I was hopeful for the positive reunion and redemption of the characters from the beginning.
The setting is Florida and the book is told in chapters with a different family member the center of each chapter. Felice is the thirteen year old runaway who is the main character in the s...more
The setting is Florida and the book is told in chapters with a different family member the center of each chapter. Felice is the thirteen year old runaway who is the main character in the s...more
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/disp...
In her newest book, author Diana Abu-Jaber tells the story of a runaway daughter, Felice, and the effect of her absence on her mother, father, and brother. Abu-Jaber explores the issues of adolescent cruelty, parental self-absorption, and hidden histories of political violence and tragedy. She joins us to discuss the novel.
Guests
Diana Abu-Jaber: Author and professor at Portland State University. Her books include The Language of Baklava, Origin, and Cresce...more
In her newest book, author Diana Abu-Jaber tells the story of a runaway daughter, Felice, and the effect of her absence on her mother, father, and brother. Abu-Jaber explores the issues of adolescent cruelty, parental self-absorption, and hidden histories of political violence and tragedy. She joins us to discuss the novel.
Guests
Diana Abu-Jaber: Author and professor at Portland State University. Her books include The Language of Baklava, Origin, and Cresce...more
Diana Abu-Jaber has a writing style that intrigues the reader with its rich but not heavy description and relationships among its character. This novel is set in Miami--the suburb of Coral Gables, South Beach, and the gritty parts. Felice, after a disturbing school-related incident, reacts by running away from home. Several times and for good at age 13. Her parents, Brian & Avis, and older brother Stanley are all deeply affected by her absence. To choose to be a homeless child frightens me,...more
I enjoyed this book so much, so gave it four stars, but I got bogged down in the middle. After setting it aside for a couple of weeks, I picked it up and it pulled me back in. If I'd been an editor of the book I would have suggested tightening the middle, and perhaps giving an earlier foreshadowing of the reason why Felice ran away in the first place. I loved the impending hurricane, but maybe that should have come in earlier too. With such fantastic character development and literary language,...more
This novel kind of sneaks up on the reader. A good, solid opening, replete with Abu-Jaber's characteristic vivid descriptions of food and the care that Avis, one of the the main characters, takes in preparing it. The descriptions of pastries are exquisite! Slowly, I was drawn into the midst of the family drama, and began to care more and more for each character dealing with a past crisis and its consequences. I also loved the depictions of Miami: not just the sunny beaches and Miami scenes one s...more
Gave this four stars because it was different and took place in Miami. I was able to relate to the setting although not the plot which centers around a family whose 13 year old daughter has run away. It flips back and forth between the different characters points of view and although incredibly descriptive and somewhat wordy, it was an easy and entertaining read. Not to mention all the amazing sounding pastries the main character Avis prepares so beautifully. Totally related to father Brian's di...more
I listened to the audio version and overall I recommend this solid story set in Miami about a teen age girl who runs away. Avis is a baker, a wife and a good mother of two. Her teenage daughter runs away from home and nothing seems to bring her back. Why would a young girl do this to her family is the question that kept me reading or rather listening to the end. This story hits home for parents. I listening to this book as the mass murder in CT was occurring and I felt overwhelmed by all the dan...more
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Diana Abu-Jaber is the award-winning author of Origin, Crescent, Arabian Jazz, and The Language of Baklava. Her writing has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Ms., Salon, Vogue, Gourmet, the New York Times, The Nation, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. She divides her time between Coral Gables, Florida, and Portland, Oregon.
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