Yellow-Billed Magpie is a love story, a spiritual journey, a quest to look beyond appearances to the mystical rhythms that guide the human heart.
Unlike their black-billed cousins, yellow-billed magpies are rarely found outside California's Central Valley. When they begin showing up in Samantha O'Malley's dreams, she wonders: are they calling me home?
Disappointed by failed fertility treatments and the break-up of her marriage, Samantha returns to her home town and slips into old habits, resuming her teaching career, even hooking up with an old lover. But she also renews her friendship with Craig, the school custodian she honors as her spiritual guide. The work they do together with Samantha's special education students will lead her to discoveries she never thought possible.
Nancy Schoellkopf is a California poet and novelist who writes stories with spiritual themes. She is the author of the Avian Series of Novels--Yellow-Billed Magpie, Red-Tailed Hawk, and Ghost Owl—as well as the short story collection, Rover. In her books she has created a universe where each soul–orphaned, homeless, autistic, wounded, rich, poor, unremarkable, ageless–is discovered as a luminous gift. She invites the reader to ponder the extraordinary treasures hidden in the ordinary events of daily life. Based in Sacramento, Nancy spent over 30 years teaching amazing children in Special Education classes in urban school districts. A full-time writer now, she enjoys lavishing attention on her cats, her garden, and her intriguing circle of family and friends.
"Yellow Billed Magpie" is the story of a young woman in transition, trying to find love and her life path. Shattered at finding out she cannot have a child, and newly divorced, she returns to Sacramento in the Central Valley of California and her previous occupation as a Special Education Teacher. As old loves re-enter her life and new acquaintances take her life in directions she could not have imagined, Samantha finds she possesses strengths and talents she never knew she had. Nancy's book not only provides a window into the special education classroom, but provides a new appreciation for the special skills and devotion with which Special Education teachers are gifted.
Yellow-Billed Magpie by Nancy Schoellkopf I enjoyed this book about Yellow-Billed Magpies. Nancy does a wonderful job writing the plot and the story. I enjoyed every part of it. I loved that there was an autism and other disabilities as part of the story as well.
You get a bit of a spiritual in the story as well. We learn about Magpies somewhat in the book. We also go on a quest with Samantha O’Malley. We meet Craig and her old lover. She goes back to her teaching career. What discoveries will Samantha and Craig find by working together and with her students? Nancy writing is done well. I have not been into a book that felt so real. I feel the book show us what it like somewhat of our world. Is our world what we think or is it an illusion? I start to wonder this and if we are just experiencing it as humans.
A story based on a woman picking up her life and moving on is always an absolute bliss to read. That resilient quality of a woman is always inspiring. This story was one such inspiring read.
Our protagonist Samantha survives a broken marriage and failures of infertility treatments. She moves to her hometown to resurrect her teaching career and in general put her life back on track. In the process, she meets an old lover and rekindles their relationship. She also meets with an old friend Craig who guides her in bringing her life back on track. This whole process of transformation turns out to be a spiritual process for her.
The one thing that immensely impressed me was a fact that the writer steered pretty clear of that romantic story line. In spite of the story having immense scope for it to turn into a romantic tale, the writer decided to purse just the transformation process. Romantic relationships are vital for a happy life but they aren’t just the only perquisite. The writer elaborated well on this line of thinking. The writing was pretty simple and straightforward. Characterization was something that was missing the much needed depth. I would have loved it if the writer had given much more depth to Samantha’s character. In spite of this, the book was absolute pleasure to read. Samantha’s effort to make her student’s world betters was so heartwarming. Craig’s helping hand and the interaction between Samantha and her students seemed very realistic. The book taught me one thing – Wisdom is never lost, it is just misplaced along the journey called life. I would have certainly liked to read more of Samantha and would have loved to have seen a “complete” result of her life’s transformation.
This book was much better than I expected. I thought I would feel a little out of sorts, due to the contrast of spirituality. However, it did not over take the story the way I thought. The main character has a strong sense of who she should be as well as a sense of not knowing who she is. I have a strong respect for Samantha's character for her patience and perseverance with her Special Educations class. The way the author writes is exactly what we do not see very much of in poor society. In awareness for Autism, this would be the perfect book to read. This book is about believing in one's self and pursuing purpose. I enjoyed reading this book. I was able to savor every detail and absorb the story without feeling overwhelmed with information or back story. It has consistent flow. The writing felt familiar to me and I like that.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review. My opinions are my own and remain unbiased.
With a background as a special education teacher and a writer of poetry, Nancy Schoellkopf is now enjoying the writing life as a novelist. Yellow-billed Magpie recently debuted in bookstores, on the Internet, and in the hands of those of us privileged to be part of Nancy's virtual book tour.
As a reader and a writer, I enjoyed the lightness and simplicity of Nancy's threading her experiences as a special education teacher with those of her main character, Samantha O'Malley. Perhaps there could have been more depth given Samantha's character by exploring the gifts and struggles of teachers teaching those among us who have their own challenges. Yet, Nancy allowed wisdom and thoughtfulness shine through in her character instead.
Samantha has had her ups and downs in life and returns to her hometown to start her life over. In so doing, she encounters an old friend, Craig, the school custodian. Craig soon becomes Samantha's spiritual guide in her new existence while at the same time Samantha reconnects with a former lover. Not allowing her book to fall into the "romance" genre, Nancy cleverly makes the reignited romance fall behind the more inspiring story of Samantha's dreams and Craig's impact on her life.
Without giving too much away here, Samantha's dreams are filled with yellow-billed magpies, Craig offers up lots of surprises, and Samantha's love for her students makes for a better world for them. I believe this is exactly what Nancy Schoellkopf wants you to find in reading Yellow-billed Magpie.
My only disappointment is that the book ended much too soon. I would have enjoyed knowing more about how Samantha's return home may have changed her life.
No matter your spiritual formation or journey in life, Nancy Schoellkopf's book brings us to a spiritualism and wisdom many have misplaced or forgotten along life's pathway. The interaction among the characters is at times touching and poignant, especially with Samantha's students. And Craig's impact on Samantha's return home to a better life is genuine yet mystical. Read the book? YES! Get the rest of the story? In the book? YES!
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author and iRead Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed are mine.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
Samantha, the main character, realizes that she made a mistake when she married Tom, a man she doesn’t love. She now realizes that she married him because she was afraid she wouldn’t have the chance to have children if she didn’t, and having children has always been an important goal of hers. Now that she knows she is unable to have children, she can’t see staying in a marriage to a man she doesn’t love.
Yellow-billed Magpie is about Samantha’s journey after she’s divorced and back on her own. She reconnects with Charlie who, to her surprise, works as a sub at the same school she’s teaching at. She also reconnects with Craig, who she had considered her spiritual guide years ago. Between the two men and working in a vocation she was meant to do, maybe she can finally find her happiness.
The characters are like real people, each with good and not so good characteristics. Samantha is a strong woman and it’s obvious that she’ll make it through her life changes. What’s not so obvious is if she’s going to end up happy.
Nancy Schoellkopf’s writing flows and well and is easy to follow. Yellow-billed Magpie is a fairly quick read and anyone who like’s women’s fictions will enjoy it.
Wonderfully written, this story of a woman's personal challenges is somewhat inspiring! Additionally inspiring, is her attitude and service to the special education students she was so dedicated to teaching and assisting. The romance takes a "back seat" to the rest of the context of this story. The reader will become endeared to the variety of characters within these pages. This was a well-written, "fairly clean", tale of the efforts of one woman to fulfill her dreams, and increase her self-worth, although feeling somewhat of a failure. It has a touch of the mystic and ends unexpectedly. There are a couple of sexual situations but not explicitly. The book cover is attractive and eye catching. For the "browser" the title was not a great fit. It needed a little bit more intrigue or content depiction in it to effectively attract attention. I just felt the lack of connection to the story. I cannot verbalize it exactly, but I felt it missed depth in her writing to give it a full Five Stars rating. Nevertheless, it was a very good novel. *I was sent this book in exchange for an HONEST review, of which I have given.
Wonderfully written, this story of a woman's personal challenges is somewhat inspiring! Additionally inspiring, is her attitude and service to the special education students she was so dedicated to teaching and assisting. The romance takes a "back seat" to the rest of the context of this story. The reader will become endeared to the variety of characters within these pages. This was a well-written, "fairly clean", tale of the efforts of one woman to fulfill her dreams, and increase her self-worth, although feeling somewhat of a failure. It has a touch of the mystic and ends unexpectedly. There are a couple of sexual situations but not explicitly. The book cover is attractive and eye catching. For the "browser" the title was not a great fit. It needed a little bit more intrigue or content depiction in it to effectively attract attention. I just felt the lack of connection to the story. I cannot verbalize it exactly, but I felt it missed depth in her writing to give it a full Five Stars rating. Nevertheless, it was a very good novel. *I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given.
While I try to avoid cliched romance books, this book seemed to unlike others, but I was hoping for more to the book and felt that the book was fairly simple. I liked how the author made Sam a character that was flawed but could also could be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wished that the book was a little longer, as I think that the characters, especially Sam, could have been fleshed out better than they were.
This book had a really nice ending. I was happy with how the main characters ended up, however I do want a sequel. The birds were also a nice tie-in at the end of the story. Infertility is something that a lot of women go through. It is not easy and there are a lot of reasons, some are unknown. This author not only spread awareness for how women feel, but also had a happy ending for Samantha. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
Imaginitive and well-written novel set in the Sacramento area. It's rare when the main character in a romance novel is a special-ed teacher. More rare when the story opens the reader up to thinking about kids with disabilities in a new way. There's a lot to like about this book, and I hope the sequel is coming soon.
Wonderful first novel. Facinating journey into worlds unknown, from the special education classroom to beyond. All in all a fun read and emotionally satisfying !
When I browsed the iread book tours for available books, I came across Red-tailed Hawk by Nancy Schoellkopf. The synopsis sounded interesting, and since it was hinted that, though not a sequel, it was in a way related to Yellow-billed Magpie, I decided, to review this, too.
Now I’m not into this whole esoteric business, and I haven't actually researched spirituality, but the latter fascinates me. I read Mutant Message Down Under all those years ago, and I devoured the Inspector Shan Tao Yun novels. All describe spiritual peoples of a very different origin, and I’m awed by this.
In Yellow-billed Magpie, there is yet another form of spirituality described, and although I cannot really comprehend it, it is yet fascinating. I couldn't find out on which people’s spirituality the one in the book is based on, my feeling was, that it was a mixture of various.
The spiritual journey Samantha does, isn't lying at the fore for a long time. The main story is about her trying to pick up her life where she left it before her marriage, and how she is coping.
We get glimpses of something indefinable throughout the book, but it is only when Craig appears on the scene that things start to take shape.
I have to admit, that although I’m convinced that there are more things between heaven and earth than we can explain scientifically, I couldn't quite buy into some of the things described here. This may be due to my lack of religious belief on the one hand, and ignorance of the whole matter on the other hand. However, this being fiction, I am willing to accept it, because I have no problems accepting lots of impossible (to me) things in fantasy and science fiction novels.
On the whole, this was a nice story about a woman finding her way after having lived through some unhappy years, and glimpses into the work with children with special needs to boot.
The language is simple and very readable, the book could do with some editing, though, there are missing or wrong words and punctuation.
Disclosure: Thanks to iread book tours for sending me this book for review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.
This is a heart-warming dive into a woman's search for her place in life and learning to trust in what she can do.
After a break-up of her marriage, Samantha returns to her home town and re-enters her career as a teacher for special education students. Here, she rediscovers herself and her heart.
This was a step away from my normal reading comfort zone, and although I wasn't sure it'd be for me, I enjoyed entering Sam's world. Spirituality is key as Samantha turns her life away from her earlier goals and ideals, and tries to find her footing as a single teacher again. Some of this appears in her dreams as she finds herself as different animals and always watching a yellow-billed magpie. These dream passages are very short and sparse but poetic and lovely like a small treat.
Although there are romantic elements in the pages, the scenes center more on Samantha and the experiences she has with her students and their parents. There's a lot of love, patience and care radiating through the gentle and well laid out exchanges between her and these kids. It's easy to love her classroom as much as she does, and her pure way of handling situations is simply inspiring. It's clear that the author knows exactly where this character is coming from and has a true understanding of the circumstances Sam is up against.
Despite the more serious message, much of the read passes quickly and has a light feel. The banter between Samantha and Craig add a nice bit of humor, and many of the relationships that develop between Samantha, her students and their parents leave a thoughtful smile on the face.
I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my thoughts.
So I actually got a little confused and ended up reading Red-tailed Hawk by Nancy Schoellkopf and Yellow-billed Magpie by Nancy Schoellkopf second. Thankfully both books can be read as stand alone novels so I did not end up confused.
Samantha O’Malley was a character that I found very easy to understand and I felt like I had a connection with her though her special education students. I have some experience working with special education students so I felt like I could really understand her.
The author Nancy Schoellkopf truly did a spectacular job in creating a story with a bit of magic throw in that still seems realistic. There were no glaring plot holes or areas that left me confused. Instead I felt like the book was written in a fun easy going manner that left me hoping for future books in the series.
I enjoyed reading this book so very much. It is spiritual, powerful and second chance of love. Divorced and childless Samantha gave up her first marriage and moved back to California, which she considered home. Life sometimes is not fair and we have to moved on. This is what happened to Samantha. I agreed to her decision to end the marriage to a man he thought she loved but was wrong.
Samantha is a very caring person. Being a teacher with disability is a tough job but with her kindness, patience and heart of gold, she helped kids success and find their strength. Lulu will amazed you. Echo is tough cookie. She will break your heart with her story.
It is also spiritual. Some scenes are even magical. At first, I thought this book is boring but boy was I wrong. You cannot judge a book by its cover.
This book is so emotional. I also has a special child and can relate to Samantha but while we will never give up for them, no doubt that special kids will shine.