Other Birds

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I'm a voracious reader from North Carolina currently traveling the United States with my husband and reviewing books as the mood strikes. I'll read almost anything--contemporary fiction, the classics, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, adult, young adult, middle grade... If it looks like an interesting story, I'm game! Oliver Lime has done his best to get as far away from his mother, Lizbeth, as possible. But when she dies, he is dragged into dealing with what she left behind. Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Allen attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville and graduated with a degree in literature. [3] Once I got over the guilt of loving my future more than I loved my past, my old life dropped away and became make-believe, and my present life became my second birth. 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.

Other Birds: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen, Paperback Other Birds: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen, Paperback

In the end, this is another book from Sarah Addison Allen that just makes my heart happy. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a mood-booster and doesn’t mind occasional deft touches of magic. Received From: There is so many things that I loved about this book. There are some surprises in this book. I loved the magical realism. I loved the characters too, especially Zoey. The writing was beautiful.There is an element of wistfulness, of wanting to connect, that is surely enhanced by the author’s personal experiences. Her mother suffered a major stroke, managing to hang on for several years. But Allen’s sister died only days before their mother passed. Add in that Allen is, herself, a cancer survivor, and you can see some very personal investment in stories about connecting with lost loved ones. It helps explain why there are a passel of moments near the end of the book that are tear-inducing. Food is inextricably linked to the people and places in our lives, and by recreating a memorable meal we can feel reconnected to our past. Mac expresses love through food, as Camille once did for him. For example, he invites Charlotte and Zoey to his restaurant An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go sums up the book! Magic realism can be hit or miss for me. It works here. “Not everything has to be real to be true.”

Other Birds Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary Other Birds Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary

When Zoey leaves home for Mallow Island, it is both an end and a beginning. Think about the following statement: Endings are beginnings and beginnings are endings. Can you think of some examples in the novel where this statement is true? What about in your own life? The one bright spot for me in this book were some LOVELY lines of prose. It is clear Sarah Addison Allen is a thoughtful and intelligent writer and very dedicated to the craft. I was so impressed with certain parts of the book that I would stop and question if I had just been feeling disengaged momentarily and if I WOULD end up loving this book. Sad to say, within a chapter or two I would end up where I started, but if I was the type to highlight lines in a book, this would be a prime candidate. I can understand why Allen has such devoted fans and I truly wish I'd fallen under her spell too! Zoey is immediately mesmerized by the beauty of the island and it’s unusual birds, the Dellawisps! They are beautiful and very vocal turquoise birds. Zoey has traveled with her bird, called simply Pigeon, and is anxious to move into the condo. She loves the beauty of the condo but was hoping to find some signs of her mother, Paloma, there, but she does not. 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!

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Sarah Addison Allen uncovers unifying concepts in her host of characters. Their lives stem from the bizarre to the tragic to the unexplainable. And they all circle dance around the deepest desire to be loved and to be accepted in the scheme of things. Other Birds is a gift from this author to see what can't readily be seen and to experience a life without self-imposed limitations. A honey of a read.

Other Birds: A Novel: Allen, Sarah Addison: 9781250019875 Other Birds: A Novel: Allen, Sarah Addison: 9781250019875

Zoey’s neighbors are a quirky bunch, but they soon become her chosen family. Which character do you most identify with? Is that character also your favorite? Why or why not? Did you know that marshmallows were originally made from the mallow plant which was said to grow on the island, hence the name Mallow Island. The story begins when eighteen-year-old Zoey arrives at her deceased mother’s home on the island of Mallow, which is known for its marshmallow confections. A cobblestone, horseshoe-shaped building called the Dellawisp—named after a variety of local birds—becomes Zoey’s unlikely home. The other residents who live in the Dellawisp are a curious mélange of outcasts, ghosts, and birds, but on the first night, when one of her neighbors is found dead, Zoey’s quiet summer becomes something quite extraordinary. And soon enough, the other residents of the Dellawisp become a found-family that Zoey never expected.The characters in Sarah Addison Allen’s Other Birds are grappling with their pasts. Zoey Hennessey is eighteen years old, an innocent, with a heart open to everyone. Starting college in Charleston soon, she wanted to spend some time at the condo that her mother had left her. Paloma used to bring her here for weekends and getaways. It carries the warmth of those memories. Mom had died when Zoey was a child. Her father did not have anything good to say about her, and her step-monster was not exactly her number one fan. Stories aren’t fiction. Stories are fabric. They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them.’ - ROSE AVANGER, Sweet Mallow I love stories of found families and I got a delightful one here. The world has tried to break each member in a different way but they’re survivors. Teenaged Zoey is still hopeful and open. Charlotte is distant and skittish. Mac holds so strongly to the past that he can’t see his future. There are other members of the tribe (even some ghostly ones) but I don’t want to give any plot points away. These characters complement each other well and begin long-overdue healing processes. This was such a cute charming story. It was so magical. I loved Garden Spells by this author so much more but I loved this one too. Allen stirs up a bewitching brew". Greensboro News & Record. September 23, 2007 . Retrieved 3 November 2013.