Other Birds

Product Information

Stories aren’t fiction. Stories are fabric. They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them. Everyone’s looking for the new Dorthea Benton Frank…and who knew Sarah Addison Allen might be it. This plot was so wholly original and firing on all cylinders. It feels like the quintessential NEW type of beach read for the 2020s. This is spectacular book warmed my heart! Definitely soul healing, emotional, powerful and another must read I highly recommend! If you don’t like magical realism, give this one a pass. Sarah Addison Allen’s ghosts captivated me. One of the residents, Mac, is a celebrated chef at a nearby hotel. Every morning he wakes up with cornmeal dusted over him and his bedcovers. Mac lost the most important person in his life heretofore and she specialized in cornmeal recipes. I found that the magical realism added a special touch. The magical realism and surrealism matched with angsty dramatic stories of the people who find themselves at the Dellawisp sits- a stunning cobblestone building shaped like horseshoe : a place located in Mallow Island/ South Carolina.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen | Goodreads

Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways. I was sad when the ending came as I wanted to continue to follow the residents of the Dellawisp condos. This story was a great break from heavier reads, and I quite savored it! I loved the last chapter and found it to be an excellent way to end the story. years old Zoey, talking with her invisible bird Pigeon moves to this place to experience the life of her mother left for her as soon as she got her trust fund, leaving his neglectful father and criticizing stepmother behind. She wants to learn more about her mother’s past to start her new life.Zoe is eighteen and has a pet bird called Pigeon whom only she is able to see and hear. Not long before she arrives, we learn Lizbeth has passed away leaving her condo in total shambles. Zoe is the upbeat innocent type who instantly bonds with Charlotte who's secrets are kept close to the chest. A Cuban immigrant, Paloma had married a wealthy yet abusive executive, divorced him when Zoe was young and moved to Mallow Island and passed away due to illness. Since Frasier had known Paloma, he tells Zoe Roscoe Avenger seeks stories Lizbeth had written and wishes to publish them and Zoe is offered the job of finding them. Given the disaster the unit was left in, as her belongings are slowly inspected, we learn of her son Oliver who attends college in CA. Being the only child, it becomes Frasier's task to make him aware of he's inherited the condo. Its here where important elements about the estranged sisters are revealed along with the dysfunctional relationship Lizbeth had with Oliver.

Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia

Oh,” she said. “Yes.” The birdcage rattled in disagreement, but she ignored it this time. It was her first trip. The first trip she could remember, anyway. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allen grew up with a love of books and an appreciation of good food (she credits her journalist father for the former and her mother, a fabulous cook, for the latter). In college, she majored in literature -- because, as she puts it, "I thought it was amazing that I could get a diploma just for reading fiction. It was like being able to major in eating chocolate." I was impressed by the twists that turn up in the story. What initially felt like it might be too lightweight, added depth as it went on. The theme, that of a family made, not borne, might be common, but it always rings true to me.I loved the ghosts most of all! Lizbeth - that mean, unlovable curmudgeon! - was off the charts: a hoarder with a huge grudge against the world - and most especially against her sister, Lucy. She glanced at the cabdriver to see if he had noticed. The old fig-shaped man was watching her in the rearview mirror, his silver eyebrows raised. Several seconds passed and he continued to stare, which she found disconcerting because she felt his eyes should really be on the long bridge over the water. But he seemed to be waiting for her to respond. Zoey has been summoned to the enchanted and unique Mallow Island, just outside of Charleston, after her mother's passing to clean out her things and claim her apartment. When she arrives at the Dellawisp condo, home to the tiny turquoise birds that give it its name, she meets an interesting group of neighbors, from a grieving chef to a sister who loses her sister unexpectedly right when Zoey first settles in, as well as a caretaker named Frasier. Soon after Zoey’s arrival, one of the residents, Lizbeth, is found dead. Her estranged sister Lucy lives in the same building, along with a chef named Mac (who is always covered in corn meal), and Charlotte, a henna artist. Frasier asks Zoey to clean out Lizbeth’s condo (Lizbeth had a serious hoarding problem).

Member Reviews | NetGalley

Zoe is an energetic ball of charm who’s determined to bring these virtual strangers together, if she can get her often petulant invisible bird, Pigeon, to stop interfering. It’s sweet to watch her friendship with Charlotte grow and, in turn, their friendships with Mac, though the Lime sisters are another issue. I cheered for each character as they confronted the traumas of their past and opened their guarded hearts to each other. The budding romances were also handled with a light hand, so they felt very pure and sweet! I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. ** When asked about her writing process, she said, "I start with a loose storyline, then see where it goes." [5] Her books have been translated into 30 languages and sold nearly 2 million copies. [6] Awards [ edit ] I loved the characters and the setting was oh so lovely, it was easy to picture it all, the descriptions of the native plants, the birds, especially the dellawisps that is native to the island. A master of her craft, Sarah Addison Allen draws you in with her whimsy and poetic language, only to lay bare the deep emotional truths of being human.Mac, a talented chef, still finds himself covered in corn flour in the morning when he gets visits from the woman he owes everything good in his life. He still holds onto her, resisting to let her go.