Book of Birds

by L.M. Bryski

***Hollywood Book Festival Award Winner Best General Fiction Honorable Mention (2016)*** In post-war Canada during the late 1940s, Elly McGuinty and her younger sister, Dot, are newly orphaned. The girls are sent to live with their grandparents in a small prairie town. Still grieving the loss of her parents, Elly chafes at the responsibility of helping care for Dot and struggles to find a place for herself in her new life. When a travelling circus comes to town, Elly's desire for new experiences leads her, Dot, and new friend Stammer-a shy boy mocked for his halting voice-down a path where lives are altered forever.

285 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2016

Reviews

[K.J. Chapman]

This review is featured on my blog: Writerly Bookish Stuff

I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this book. It is not my usual reading genre, but that being said, if something is written well and captures my attention, then I’m all in. Book of Birds was one such book.

The writing effortlessly captures the essence of post war Canada and the lifestyle of two orphan girls having to uproot and live with grandparents. The narrative reads smoothly, and you are transported in time to the late 1940’s, seeing the world through Elly’s eyes. Bryski has truly captured the mind and voice of a young child in her writing.

Hard topics are well handled and interwoven with plot twists and secrets that corrupt the town. There is something bubbling away just under the surface that is expertly introduced in some shocking and heartbreaking moments. This book isn’t fast paced, but that didn’t matter. Bryski’s writing style fully submerges you as a reader. It feels as if you are plunged into the story and are the eyes over Elly’s shoulder so to speak.

The title, ‘Book of Birds’, refers to a bird encyclopedia that Elly clings to for comfort and as a link to her past. It also refers to Elly’s own journey as her life changes forever.

[Stacy Koster]

With the first line, "I don't advise losing your parents when you are young." you are instantly hooked into the story, wanting to know what it is about. Like Harper Lee, Lisa Bryski’s language is simple and easy to read, but the sentences are layered and packed with meaning. The main character, Ellen (Ella) is a mix of Scout and Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce. Like those characters, Ella is the main part of the story, but she is also an observer of the people and events surrounding her. There are secrets, and part of the story is her learning about them, and as she learns, growing up a bit more. This is also a tale about loss. The loss of her parents, and later on, her sister. It is also about relationships, and how complex they are. Ella is in a small town where there is more going on underneath than can be seen from the top.

One of the devices Bryski uses to tell the story is Ella’s Book of Birds. It was given to her by her father. Her sister, Dot, has a stuffed rabbit for comfort, and Ella has her book. At one point, Ella goes to the circus, and while there sees a bird from her book, a Drongo. Ella sets it free, and even though the bird itself isn’t the main part of the story, Bryski skillfully uses it to illustrate how Ella is like the bird, trying to navigate a strange new land.

[Eliza]

Wow! Circus, friendship, bullying, love and more.
Every time I opened this up, it sucked me back in time. I've never had that from a book before. The voice, setting, and characters were amazing!!
What a great story!

[B Zimp]

This was a beautiful and well written novel, following sisters in the 40s through a series of traumatic events. My biggest complaint was that one depressing event, after another, continued to occur until I felt like I was reading a Wally Lamb book of sadness.

[L.B. Scott]

When I read the first few chapters it reminded me of something between Anne of Green Gables and Oliver Twist. Yet, LM manages to form a darker plot but keep her quirky, imaginative tone throughout. The way LM describes scenes will make you laugh, and even in the darkest moments of the book, there is a gleam of light in a passing comment or a thought.

BOB is written from the perspective of Elly, a young girl whose parents recently passed. Elly and her little sister, Dot, are on their way to live with their grandparents. Elly is annoyed by her little sister and resents having to start at a new school and take care of a younger sibling, as any child would be. As an outcast, Elly notices a lot about the people in her new town, but doesn’t say too much. The juicy bits she shares only with us, the reader. But as the story unfolds, the darker elements never so much disappear, but are hidden behind Elly’s innocence in such a realistic way. What Elly doesn’t notice, the adult reading the book might see. The story is sweet, sad, and horrifying, but even Elly knows, this is just the way life is.

Sometimes I’d read a paragraph and stop, just to savor what had been written. Ex: “A book is a comfort. It’s a place to hide when things aren’t going well. A book is for when you’ve got no more of your own words, and want to rest your eyes from all the things the world has to show. Things weren’t going well. I guess you could figure by what I’ve already said.”

I wanted to live in this book for a while. Unlike some stories that I needed to know what happened on the next page immediately -- I did not want to rush this story. I really enjoyed the way this story is told: the nostalgia for the 1940’s and childlike wonder is captivating. I can’t wait for another book from this talented author.

[Ted Prokash]

With the young narrator, it reads somewhat like a YA novel. But the world inhabited here is macabre. Not for the squeamish. The writing is direct, forceful. The story is heavy on tragedy and suffering, but a coming of age story emerges nonetheless. Like a green thing pushing up through concrete. A good read.

[Squid McFinnigan]

WOW, what a book! The author has done an amazing job of building some of the most realistic and deep characters I have come across in a long time. I was not sure what I was getting if I was going to judge the book by the cover but let me tell you, when you get this book you are getting a riveting tale of trial and tribulation in a young woman's life. Lisa does a fantastic job of getting inside the head of a child and capturing such a young voice in her writing. I am not going to give away any of the plot twists but when moving to a new place the girls have to deal with fitting in, losing loved ones, and of course boys. But the author is not shy of tackling some harder issues and at times this story goes to some very dark places indeed, places that made me wonder for the compassion of men and where it may have gone.

I can't recommend this book highly enough and will be telling all my friends about it. Bravo!

[Jessica Baumgartner]

I doubt the impact of this book will ever leave me. Some stories just grab hold and stay with you. This is one of those coming of age tales which doesn't hide from the harsh realities that many people face everyday, but instead of being preachy, there is humor, loss, love, and heartache balanced in a beautiful tale that I am glad to own. This is a book to read again and again. It's meant for earmarking and underlining favorite passages and exploring the deep connections between the story and one's self. I absolutely loved it.

[Jon Nikrich]

One part historical fiction and one part murder mystery. It's engaging and interesting. An excellent first novel.