| Title | : | Other Birds |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250019869 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250019868 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 290 |
| Publication | : | First published August 30, 2022 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Fiction (2022) |
Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.
Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.
When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at the Dellawisp she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a young woman with a past, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and a lonely chef, and three ghosts. The sudden death of one of Zoey's new neighbors sets off a search that leads to the island's famous author and to a long-estranged relative of the sisters.
Each of them has a story, and each story has an ending which hasn't yet been written.
Other Birds Reviews
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"There are birds, and then there are other birds. Maybe they don't sing. Maybe they don't fly. Maybe they don't fit in. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing."
It's been seven long years since Sarah Addison Allen's last book. Seven long years of me waiting. Seven years of tumultuous life for the author--surviving cancer and then experiencing the loss of both her mother and her sister. It was worth the wait for sure. As much as I wanted to savor each page, I also wanted to inhale these words I had been longing to read. I think I was able to achieve a balance.
This story features one of my favorite themes, which is found family. These characters are real, raw, somewhat broken, somewhat healed, with fractured pasts and working toward new beginnings. There's loss and grief and misunderstanding. They come together, along with a few ghosts, to help each other move forward.
I adore Allen's magical realism and her incorporation of food as one means to communicate love and care. Her characters are vividly drawn and made me want to know even more about them. There's the perfect amount of intentionality by the author to craft an imaginative and moving tale, sure to please current fans of her work and hopefully to create some new ones as well. Do yourself a favor and pre-order this book, you won't be disappointed.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. -
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
I don't always know what to think of stories that deal with magical realism but this one is a winner for me. The Dellawisps are the tiny turquoise birds that the five unit, well hidden, apartment building in Mallow Island, South Carolina, is named after. This birds inhabit the courtyard garden of the apartment complex, and they can be found around and on the apartment manager, Frasier, too. These little birds seem to have a lot to say, strong opinions about everything, and are every bit as scary, for some folks, as they are tiny.
Nineteen year old Zoey has just arrived at the apartment complex so that she can inhabit her late mother's studio apartment. Her mother died when she was seven and she's lived a lonely life since that time. Her father is wealthy, wanted little to do with her even though she lived in his home, and neither did the woman he married after Zoey's mom's death. It was as if her dad, stepmother, and her two step siblings were waiting for her to finally move out of their house so they could really be a family without her intrusion in their lives.
All the residents and the manager of the property have hurts and longings that keep them from living their lives fully. They are lonely and sad and try to hide these feelings but instead they wear them like a cloak they can't take off. One resident, an intrusive, angry, bitter lady, dies as soon as Zoey moves in and she can't help being interested in this woman. Frasier asks Zoey to go through her apartment to find some missing papers and to clean the hoarded mess of this woman. Another neighbor, Charlotte, helps Zoey and despite Charlotte's fear of befriending and trusting anyone, these women become close. And there is the big, redheaded chef, Mac, who has his own hurts and secrets. Another resident is Lucy, the dead woman's sister, who is so reclusive that Zoey never sees her because the woman won't leave her apartment during the light of day.
This is such a sweet story, as these people come together and learn to give and learn to love. So much more makes a family than blood ties. There is so much more to belonging than having the same last name as others. And just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't real. This story brought such a smile to my face and I loved all the birds, including the invisible pigeon named Pigeon.
Pub August 30th 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. -
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
What a gem this book was!!!! I am so thankful to my Goodreads friends and their reviews because this book wasn’t even on my radar!
Zoey Hennessey, almost 19, has just relocated from Tulsa to Mallow Island, on the coast of South Carolina. She has inherited her mother’s condo there and will be staying until she starts school in the Fall in Charleston.
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.
In spite of some hardships while growing up, Zoey seems to be a preternaturally positive person. Upon hearing a bit about the other residents of the adjoining condos, she is anxious to meet them.
Without revealing anything of this wonderful plot, I will say that everyone there will be forever changed by knowing Zoey. There is a troubled, reclusive author, two estranged sisters who share a secret past, a henna artist on the run from something or someone, an amazing, lonesome chef and eventually a troubled young man who will return home. There are, of course, also a few ghosts because this author is known for her addition of magical realism.
I was completely blown away with this book. After so many disappointing books, this novel was like a ray of sunshine and I was willing to go wherever it took me.
Words cannot explain how I felt about these amazing characters – they were so original, flawed, but ultimately full of love. Their stories were all unique and all of their secrets came out in the end.
I was sad when the ending came as I wanted to continue to follow the residents of the Dellawisp condos.
*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.
I highly recommend this book to everyone!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title. -
Magical
4.5 stars
“Birds are supposed to be messengers between heaven and earth.”
A motley group of eccentric characters find the true meaning of love, loss, and friendship in Other Birds.
18-year-old Zoey moves from Tulsa to Mallow Island in South Carolina months before she starts college. The island holds a special place in Zoey’s heart, as it is where her mother lived when she first immigrated from Cuba. Zoey moves into her mother’s studio in a quirky condo community, Dellawisp Condo, named after the dellawisp birds that call the grounds home. When one of the residents dies, the building works in mysterious ways to bring the residents together.
In addition to Zoey’s, multiple perspectives are shared by the residents of the Dellawisp (and their ghosts). There’s Mac, an executive Chef, Charlotte, a henna artist, hoarder Lizbeth Lime, and her shut-in sister, Lucy Lime, as well as Oliver, Lizbeth’s son. The community is run by Frasier, the caretaker who holds a special affinity for the Dellawisp birds. I loved all of the characters, but there was something about Mac’s story that touched my heart.
The perspectives of the ghosts added another layer to the story. Pigeon’s chapter had me crying happy tears.
All of the residents have secrets, and their secrets are keeping their ghosts in their lives.
It took me time to connect, especially with Zoey’s character, but when I finally did, I was completely immersed. I could not put this book down; it made me want to move to the fictitious Mallow Island and meet the dellawisps.
Addison transported me to Mallow Island. I not only felt like I was in another place while reading this but also that I was in another time. Magical realism is woven throughout seamlessly, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. The dellawisps, the island, and all of the characters warmed my heart. Food also plays a special role in this story and unites the characters.
This is a beautifully written story with a heartwarming message about love and found family: “If the people around you don’t love you just as you are, find new people. They are out there.”
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. -
How utterly beautiful this story was!
From the writing to the characters to the various subplots: I was enchanted! The author writes from the heart: her tribute to her mother in her Acknowledgement brought tears to my eyes.
This is a story about love: how the lack of it can drive you to madness; how the abuse of it can break your spirit and make you try to erase your painful memories with drugs and alcohol; how the false lure of it can make you forget your obligations and endanger those you should have been protecting. Both poverty and wealth left their scars on the hearts of many of the younger versions of the characters we meet in this spellbinding story...
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.
Lucy's story, when you finally get to read it, will make you moan: this brutal, harsh world spares no one, it seems. Everyone looked the other way and young lives were damaged forever.
Charlotte, Mac, Zoey and Oliver were all on a trajectory to finding family, acceptance and ultimately love in the oddball Dellawisp community. Frasier's employer was the unwitting master hand that set the stage years ago when he gave the mentally unwell Lizbeth a job and a place to live in the Dellawisp condominium complex that Frasier managed. Frasier saw a kindred tortured spirit in Lizbeth's young son, Oliver.
I was completely entranced by this story, and can't wait to read more books by this author. I enjoyed every minute I spent on Mallow Island with this colourful band of misfit characters. I hope we get to hear about them in future publications by this author - they have become old friends!
I'm rating this gem of magical realism a 5 out of 5 totally well-deserved stars. There were so many praiseworthy and insightful passages that I've practically highlighted the entire book! Do yourself a favour and pick this one up, pronto! My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. -
"This was an enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won't let you go."
"Between the real and the imaginary there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways."
The characters in this book are Zoey, a girl on the run, two estranged middle aged sisters, a lonely chef, a legendary writer, and three ghosts along with Zoey's quirky and secretive neighbors.
I loved this quote in the book.
"I told her that's what I want too, for someone to love me so much t
that they can't let go of me. She says its about the love you give not the love that you get.
But the way I see it, its not really love if you aren't loved back.
Its just something you make up."
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.
I loved the ghosts in this story. They were not scary ghosts.
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.
I loved Mallow Island and felt like I was there along with the tiny turquoise birds.
After I finished reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
This was a buddy read with DeAnn!
I want to thank Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press, for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Available August 30 2022 -
A lonely, isolated young woman looking for remnants of her mother’s life, a place to belong, moves to a quiet island off the coast of South Carolina . On Mallow Island she connects with several other residents of the condo she has inherited. All of them are looking for something more in their lives. If you are not willing to accept a little bit of the imaginary, you might want to skip this book, but you’d be missing out on a sweet story of friendship and hope, a feel good story. It’s not that this is a totally light read, but it does provide some respite from the full reality of some of distressing things happening around us.
I get that magical realism is not for everyone and a steady diet of it doesn’t work for me, but once in a while this kind of story feels just right. This is one of those stories with an invisible pet pigeon, ghosts and birds that inhabit the place. This sad sack cast of characters pulled me into their quirky lives. Caring about them made it easy to suspend my disbelief for just awhile, long enough to enjoy this story and long enough to remember them, I’m sure.
I might have passed up this book if it wasn’t for my friend Diane’s wonderful review. Thanks, Diane.
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through Edelweiss. -
Another happy publishing day!🎂🎉🍾
Letting go as you still suffer from the emotional baggages you’ve been carrying which prevent you make peace with your past and shape your future might be the most challenging thing!
Sometimes just saying goodbye to the ghosts of your loved ones that seem like a betrayal and unfair ! Many things can hold you back to set them free: guilt feelings, fears, loneliness, disorientation, resentments, unconditional love, sadness.
This book is about the grief, the ghosts of the people who shaped and reformed the main characters’ lives and power of learning how to let go and believe in yourself to start over!
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.
18 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.
Charlotte, hippie , scooter rider, henna artist, 26, reserved young woman still deals with the ghosts of her past and the friend she’s lost.
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.
Frasier, the old man knows everyone in the building, getting used to connect with the birds and ghosts, hiding his own skeletons in the closet.
Lucy: a mysteriously lady in her 50s, living secluded life by never leaving her house and her sister Lizbeth who always resented her, recently passed away, lurking around at the building as vengeful ghost to tell her own story to feel connected and be loved by people!
And Oliver, Lizbeth’s estranged son who left the house for college education, still dealing with the damage his mother has created, having second thoughts to return to the island.
Those characters are lonely, carrying their baggages for so long! Zoey’s sudden move and Lisbeth’s death change their lives. They realize their stories are connected and power of friendship, forgiveness can heal all the damage they’ve been getting through!
This is spectacular book warmed my heart! Definitely soul healing, emotional, powerful and another must read I highly recommend!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. -
**Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Reading Group Gold, and Sarah Addison Allen for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 8.30!**
"In order to see birds, it is necessary to become part of the silence"-Robert Lynd
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.
She quickly learns that there is more going on in the community that meets the eye and becomes very involved with all of the residents in different ways. Add to the mix three ghosts who have some unfinished business of their own, and young Zoe has a full plate..and a troubled heart. Can she piece together the meaning she's been searching for and help her fellow residents in the process? And how exactly does her invisible pigeon fit into the mix?
I had astronomically high hopes for this read after some rave reviews from trusted friends and some general curiosity about the interesting premise this book offered. However, from the moment I started reading, something just felt a little bit off the entire time...and that feeling only snowballed.
I loved that this book had such quirky characters, but I never felt like I really got to know any of them that well. Each time I thought I would get more insight, the narrative jumped around again. I initially thought the book was designed to be from Zoey's perspective, but after the first shift happened to another character, it felt jarring and I just couldn't get the rhythm back.
The 'magical realism' in this also felt very light to me. I love ghost characters, but I didn't get where Allen was going with these particular ghosts. Their sections were few and far between, and the moments the characters 'saw' them or interacted with them weren't striking or memorable. I guess maybe this is symptomatic of reading lots of thrillers and expecting the ghosts to stand out more in general, even if they weren't set to scare? I'm not sure what I expected, but I don't feel that I found it. Other than everyone's 'witch balls' getting broken, I think they could have been erased from the book almost entirely without affecting much.
I also rarely say this, but this was a book that ABSOLUTELY needed to be longer...but in an effective way. To me, the 288 pages felt long...but at the same time, I think doing more of a deep dive on these characters would have been welcome. There were also some shocking secrets that were revealed randomly at the end of a chapter and then either a) not mentioned again in any sort of significant way or b) not expanded on the way I think they could have been in a longer book. Some of the sections also read a bit YA to me, and while this worked in a sense for Zoey's character, I also think it detracted from the overall gravitas of the book.
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!
Perhaps I just wasn't 'seeing them' clearly, but Sarah Addison Allen's tale of magical realism, love, and a found family just didn't quite take flight for me.
3.5 stars
Nominated for Best Fiction in the Goodreads Choice Awards! -
What a sweet story!
Sarah Addison Allen has reminded me once again why I love Magical Realism so much. How can I not love a book whose main character has an invisible bird named Pigeon and who resides in a condo complex with several ghosts and some curious little turquoise birds called dellawisps? It’s not really a question, because of course I’m going to love that!! Like TJ Klune, Allen captures the human spirit so well in a way that both charms and makes you feel for all the characters, while gently giving focus to some pretty heavy topics - in this case childhood trauma and healing old wounds.
Nineteen-year-old college student Zoe Hennessy has just inherited her late mother’s Mallow Island condo off the coast of South Carolina, managed by friendly but mysterious, Frasier, and is a new neighbor to four other residents of The Dellawisp: executive chef Mac, henna artist Charlotte, resident busybody/hoarder Lizbeth Lime, and Lizbeth’s estranged and reclusive sister, Lucy Lime. At first glance, they’re a rag-tag group with little in common, but after an event happens that slowly draws these residents closer together, you see just how similar they really are. It’s the newly formed friendships and each character’s gradually revealed backstory that give this book its heart and depth, and by the end I loved all these characters.
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!
My main difficulty with the story was that it was a bit heavy-handed on the bad parenting theme, which made it a little less believable, but then again, Frasier did say the residents were picked for a reason, so I guess the similar backgrounds were intentional? The ending went a teeny bit OTT for me as well. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this, I love her writing, and there were some fabulous unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming! I highly recommend this lovely story and I’ll definitely watch for more from this author!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and author Sarah Addison Allen for this ARC to honestly review. It’s due for publication on August 30th, 2022. -
“There are birds, and then there are other birds. Maybe they don’t sing. Maybe they don’t fly. Maybe they don’t fit in. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing.”
--------------------------------------“If the people around you don’t love you just as you are, find new people. They’re out there.”
What happens to the untold stories? Two of my grandparents were in vaudeville at some point, yet I know almost nothing about that. Any materials passed down found its way to relations other than me, to my aunt’s family perhaps, or maybe through my mother to my older sibs, sisters in particular. I had always intended to speak with my sister Loretta about Grandma Anna, but she passed away before I got to it. The wages of procrastination, and surprise illnesses in old age. What happened to that story? What was my grandmother’s life like when she was in Show Biz? What artifacts might there be from that era that might tell us something? I expect I will never know. What happens to that history? Does it cease to exist if no one remembers. Is it not our duty as children, grandchildren, descendants, to keep alive something of our family heritage? Because whether we are aware of the events of prior eras or not, they have had an impact on us. History ripples forward in time and we are all riding its waves or are swamped by them.
Sarah Addison Allen - from her FB pages
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.
It is one of five units in a tucked-away development on Mallow Island, off the coast of South Carolina. The area had been made famous by a world-class novel, Sweet Mallow, written fifty years ago by the rarely seen Roscoe Avanger. Think To Kill a Mockingbird. The island is also famous for the product that it is named for.If she hadn’t known that Mallow Island had been famous for its marshmallow candy over a century ago, Trade Street would have told her right away. It was busy and mildly surreal. The sidewalks were crowded with tourists taking pictures of old, narrow buildings painted in faded pastel colors. Nearly every restaurant and bakery had a chalkboard sign with a marshmallow item on its menu—marshmallow popcorn, chocolate milk served in toasted marshmallow cups, sweet potato fries with marshmallow dipping sauce.
Zoey has a companion no one else can see, Pigeon, a bird, who is fond of knocking things over.
Charlotte Lungren, 26, is a henna artist, with a space at the Sugar Warehouse, a local artists enclave. Her mother had been a real prize, joining a religious cult led by a thieving sociopath, which was not a healthy environment for a teenager. Charlotte fled when she was 16 and has been on the run, in one way or another, ever since.Nice, in her experience, meant one of two things: It was either hiding something darker just beneath the surface, or it made you lower your defenses and believe that there was more of it in the world than there actually was, which always led to disappointment. Either way, she wasn’t falling for it.
Frasier manages The Dellawisp Condos, named for the peculiar, turquoise birds that inhabit the grounds. When Zoey arrives, what she sees is an elderly black man in faded jeans and a khaki work shirt. He had a long white beard tied at his chin with a rubber band, like a pirate. He has an interesting personal characteristic that has made his life unusual.After passing away, sometimes his friends would visit him before leaving this earthly world. It had been happening all his life, and what had been a terrifying experience for him as a boy no longer surprised him. It was usually just a brief encounter—a sparkle out of the corner of his eye, a gust of wind in an airless room, a particular scent.
The ability to sense the dead was handed down. His grandfather had not fared well with it and took to drink to drown out the spirits. They have served Frasier in some positive ways.
But there were some, out of fear or confusion or unfinished business, who stayed with him longer.
And of course Lizbeth would be one of them.
She was here in his office with him and he sensed her impatience, like she was wondering where something was.
Mac Garrett is a chef at the local resort. He had a tough childhood, abandoned by his mother. Luckily for him there was a neighborhood saint of a woman, Camille, who took it upon herself to feed the two-legged strays in her neck of the woods. Seeing that Mac had essentially been orphaned, she took him in. It was from her that Mac learned that food is love. It became a lifelong passion for him, as Camille’s cooking always came with associated stories. Mac is a lovely, loving man who has some difficulties in the bedroom. No, not that sort. Seems he wakes up every morning covered in cornmeal. A reminder of presence from his late foster mother.
Lizbeth Lime (no relation to Liz Lemon) had issues. She was a hoarder, but with a story to tell. Problem is that she was never able, amidst all the clutter, to locate the diaries that held the tale she needed told. A bookcase falls on Lizbeth on the day of Zoey’s arrival, which leaves another spirit wandering the premises. Her sister, Lucy Lime lives in a separate condo. The sisters had been, to put it mildly, not close. Lucy serves as a Boo Radley figure here, mostly seen peeking out from behind her curtains, watching, always watching, but never engaging.
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.
Misfits all, in their own way, at the very least, ill-suited to the prescribed routes laid out for them. It is in The Dellawisp Condos that they find a family. The process of how this happens is simply magical. They have to come to terms with their pasts in order to move forward with their lives. It remains to be seen whether they are all capable of doing that.
Allen intersperses chapters titled Ghost Story, in which Lizbeth, Camille, and one other fill us in on backstory for our front-line characters. The ghosts tend to be of a maternal sort.
There are some excellent twists, and some mysteries to solve, like who is that shadowy figure who keeps showing up overnight at the Dellawisp and breaking into the condos? Long-held secrets are revealed. And some long-suppressed family stories are brought out into the light.
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.
I truly enjoyed Other Birds, looked forward to reading it every day. There are some lovely characters in here, people you will enjoy getting to hang with, however briefly. Allen applies magical realism to great effect, illuminating the conflicts the characters are confronting. In addition, there is also a payload of wisdom about finding or creating one’s tribe, the significance of hanging on too long or too hard to the past, and the importance of learning our history and carrying forward our stories. Other Birds is a very sweet satisfying readWe got wings we can’t see, Camille used to say. We were made to fly away.
Review posted – September 30, 2022
Publication date – August 30, 2022
I received an ARE of Other Birds from St. Martin’s Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review has been cross-posted on my site,
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=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s
personal,
FB,
Instagram,
Pinterest, and
Goodreads pages
Interviews
----- Barnes & Noble -
#PouredOver: Sarah Addison Allen on OTHER BIRDS by Allison Gavilets – Video – 46:06
----- Barnes & Noble -
transcription of the B&N interview
Items of Interest
-----Reading Group guides -
Reading Group Guide
-----Macmillan -
Reading Guide -
"Other Birds" by Sarah Addison Allen is a perfect blend of Friendship Fiction and Magical Realism!
Carrying Pigeon in her birdcage, Zoey Hennessey has arrived at her new home left to her by her late mother years ago. In the coastal town of Mellow Island, S.C., her condo is part of a secluded cobblestone building known as 'THE DELLAWISP'. It's named after the tiny turquoise birds that inhabit the island, the trees, and the air surrounding the small, private complex. A wrought iron gate is the only entrance and, along with the wispy birds, makes it feel like a secret, magical place.
Zoey is shown to her loft studio by the manager, Frazier, an elderly black man with a long white beard gathered and tied at his chin in the fashion of a pirate. He describes her new neighbors: Charlotte Lungren, a henna artist; Mac Garrett, an executive chef; Lucy Lime, a reclusive and her sister Lizbeth Lime, who Zoey meets briefly and surmises her to be brash but mostly confused. She wonders if the other neighbors are as...quirky!
Sitting on the balcony past midnight, the humid air feels thick and oddly still to Zoey. She knows all her neighbors are home now as she hears Pigeon land on her birdcage inside and cooing for Zoey to come in, too. Zoey feels a chill go through her and has a peculiar feeling that something is about to happen.
Inside, moments later, she hears a heavy thump from one of the apartments below that's startling. She sees Mac go outside and knows he heard it, too!
Something just happened! Something strange...
This is the first Sarah Addison Allen book I've read and it exceeds my expectations. This author creates characters that are quietly imperfect, solitary by choice or circumstance, painfully broken, and drawn together in one place for reasons beyond their control. Each is fearful of secrets from their past that leach out slowly to the reader through their backstories. Each is hoping for a brighter, worry free future.
The Magical Realism kicks in early and feels like wind chimes sound in a delicate breeze, soft, sweet, and soothing. That's what makes this story fun and easy to read because without the whimsical aspects, the character's stories may break your heart and bring you to tears. The author does a thoughtful job with this balancing act in her writing, which is light, simple, and carries you along as it flows so smoothly and gently through the story. It reminds me of a conversation you would have with a close friend.
There is a mystery within the pages of this book, but to me, this is more about the lives of the characters, the magic of those living and the memories of those in-between.
True to a Southern setting, there's food mingled in to comfort and satisfy the soul. Another plus for this Reader who lives in the South and is also a Foodie! I highly recommend this thought provoking read that makes me ravishingly hungry to dig into this author's backlist!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 'beautiful dellawisp' stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sarah Addison Allen for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. -
I was thrilled to see this author had written a new book!
This one is set on an southern island resort town…Mallow Island.
There is a beautiful cobblestone apartment building called the Dellawisp.(named after the tiny turquoise birds that inhabit the area alongside the tenants).
I loved this cast of characters who resided in this building… they are all lonely souls, some with secrets from the past..
the way they come together and become like family.
Its a beautiful story.
Of course, this author always has a touch of magical realism in her novels, this time a few meddling ghosts.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC! -
She wanted chaos......
Like so many, many others who breathe it in in order to reassemble the inner turmoil that festers there. With a constant shift in the air, it forced an unexpected response. A subtle presence of one who inevitably lights the way and calms the storm.
Sarah Addison Allen presents a novel structured with human building blocks. We will be introduced to shadows of individuals, both real and perhaps not, who fill these pages with doubt, fear, rejection, grief and tiny fragments of simple love in all forms. Allen wishes for us to slowly make their acquaintance before instantly reacting with surface judgments so ingrained in the human psyche.
Zoey Hennessey, on the cusp of nineteen, is relocating from Tulsa to Mallow Island off the South Carolina coast. Autumn will bring her to college in Charleston. But for now, Zoey just wants to embrace her mother's memory in Paloma's condo that she has inherited on the island. Zoey has traveled with her pet pigeon, Pigeon, who brings her comfort. But there's other baggage that Zoey carries from her former life. In spite of it all, Zoey searches out connection wherever she lands.
We'll meet the other residents of Dellawisp Condos including the turquoise blue birds that fly freely throughout the grounds. Frasier, the manager, runs a tight ship. The other occupants are as varied as the shells on the shore. They are all clinging to their privacy with two being reclusive. But it is Zoey's nature to seek out the ticking stories held within. Frasier hires Zoey to sort through boxes upon boxes in one of the condos of the reclusive who just passed away. Zoey will uncover unexpected treasures from an unexpected tomb.
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.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Sarah Addison Allen for the opportunity. -
Not rating!
I was wanting to try some magical realism, but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me!
Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Despite including certain magic elements, it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality, while fantasy stories are often separated from reality. (Wikipedia)
Please read the reviews from those who love the genre and the author because it’s just a matter of personal taste and nothing more. 🐦 -
My last audio was amazing, but dark. I needed an audio that would brighten my spirits, and Sarah Addison Allen’s “Other Birds” received consistently high marks for “charming” and quirky. Sounds like a winner!
Who wouldn’t enjoy a novel that features birds, ghosts, eccentric characters, and a suspicious death? Plus, the main character, Zoey Hennessey, is a plucky protagonist, in search of remnants of her deceased mother.
The story opens with Zoey arriving at a remote tiny island off the coast of South Carolina named Mallow Island. Zoey’s mother, Paloma, owns a condo there secreted in the middle of town where Zoey intends to stay. She came for the summer to attempt to find information about her mother, who died years ago. Zoey brings an empty bird cage which holds her imaginary bird, Pigeon. The condo building is horseshoe-shaped, and maintained by an elderly man named Frasier who is written like Saint Francis because of the turquoise dellawisp birds that follow him.
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).
Allen provides chapters for the ghosts. We learn why they are hanging around. There is the back story to Zoey and Charlotte. Lizbeth and Lucy had a disturbing childhood. Mac’s story of how he became a chef is heart-warming.
This is a charming story. I recommend it for those who are in need of a cozy mystery or just an enchanting story that leaves you happy. The magical realism is written well.
The audio is narrated by Siiri Scott and is 9 hours long. -
Whimsical, charming, magical, who can't use a little magic in their lives? A feel good book, one that explores real life problems and features some terrific characters who are trying to work their way through them. The location of Mallow Island, an island off the coast of Georgia, and is noted for their mallow plant, reminded me of St.Simons island a place I love. Just gorgeous.
There are whimsical birds, magical cornmeal, and love just waiting to be found. Spending the time to read this book was both poignant and delightful. I just love this authors books and this one was a long time coming. Well worth the wait.
ARC from edelweiss. -
4.5 Fantastic Stars!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
4.5 Stars
’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
’There are birds, and there are other birds. Maybe they don’t sing. Maybe they don’t fly. Maybe they don’t fit in. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing.’
There’s a whimsical charm to this story, without being twee, set against what seems like an almost sinister aura, a darker, unveiled story.
This begins on Mallow Island, in South Carolina where Zoey goes that summer following the death of her mother many years before, who left her studio condo to Zoey. Zoey has memories of this place, memories of when she was there with her mother as a child, but that was long ago. In the interim years, she’d lived with her father and her step-mother, although it was a life that lacked even the most basic sense of care, or caring, for her or about her.
I adored Zoey, the quirky and cranky occupants of the neighboring condos. Zoey, jobless since she’s new there, is hired to help clean out one of the condos. It will help her to have something to do, along with some money, as she will be starting college in the fall. A deceased resident, Lizbeth Lime, who left behind piles and boxes of paper stacked so high they are hiding the walls behind them, and who knows what else in between. Her death likely due to her hoarding, one of her bookcases having fallen on her causing her death. Lizbeth’s sister Lucy still resides there, although not in Lizbeth’s condo, Lucy has her own condo. And now Zoey is tasked with going through every single piece of paper to make sure that nothing important is thrown out. The one thing that haunts her every day is that she is positive she locks the condo when she leaves, and yet it is unlocked when she returns to this task every morning.
The setting was lovely, it was easy to picture it all, the descriptions of the native plants, the birds, especially the dellawisps, the exquisitely tiny birds ’no bigger than ring boxes’ which are native to the island.
There are several other characters, including a famous author, some who bond with Zoey over time, and some stories from the past, as well. There’s the grief of loss, but there is also the magic of healing, and families created from love, sprinkled with a touch of magical realism.
An ode to family, the ones we create when the ones we’re born into are gone, or fail us, and the power of memories.
Published: 13 Sep 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press -
Other Birds managed to be a sweet story without being saccharine.
Zoey is 18 and right out of high school when she comes to claim her mother’s condo at the Dellawisp, on Mallow Island off of Charleston, SC. Zoey’s a bit of an oddball, with an invisible parrot as her only friend. She sets out to meet her neighbors, including a chef, a henna artist, the condo manager and two reclusive old sisters. Oh, and the place is also haunted by ghosts that are bound to the various individuals. On the other side of the country, a young man finds himself without a job or means and decides to return home.
Magic realism can be hit or miss for me. It works here. “Not everything has to be real to be true.”
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.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book. -
ummmmm did i read the same book as everyone else or
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4 whimsical stars
Sarah Addison Allen is known for writing books with magical realism and this one is no exception! Set on Mallow Island, South Carolina, the author creates a world that I would love to inhabit!
An apartment complex is tucked away like a secret down an alley -- named The Dellawisp for the enchanting birds that live there. Our main character Zoey moves to her mother’s abandoned apartment at The Dellawisp one summer. She encounters the odd cast of characters in the apartment dwellers, but soon makes friends.
There’s Max, a world-class chef, Charlotte, a young woman who never settles for long, and plenty of ghosts. Throw in a death and mysterious cornmeal and you have a fascinating story!
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.
An excellent buddy read with Mary Beth. And can't wait to read the thoughts of Jayme and Marilyn too.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. -
4.5 stars
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Other Birds was precious! Magical realism at its best!
Zoey Hennessey finds herself moving from Tulsa to Mallow Island in South Carolina. She'll be there until she starts college. The condo was left to her by her mother, Paloma who died when she was young.
Paloma used to love going to Mallow Island and Zoey is hoping to find out more about her mother at the Dellawisps. The building's name comes from the small turquoise birds that inhabit the courtyard. On her arrival, the apartment manager, Frasier takes her to her condo and Zoey realizes there is nothing left behind by her mother. Yet, her disappointment is not long-lasting.
Zoey will get to know the other owners of the condos including Charlotte (henna artist), Mac (chef), Lizbeth (eccentric, hoarder), Lucy (Lizbeth's sister and a recluse), Frasier, and Lizbeth's son. The readers will also meet the ghosts too.
It was a sweet story despite the painful background of each character. I love Zoey's innocence and the way she is able to connect with all the other characters. In a way, she helps them heal and move forward, with some of them finding romance too.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It |
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It's been such a long time since I've picked up a novel by SAA and I was so hoping that OTHER BIRDS would feel like so many of this author's previous works -- magical, delicious, and full of wonder. And while there is some deliciousness, and a little bit of magical, it wasn't quite wonderful. And, combined, it didn't quite pack the punch I expected.
Initially, this story doesn't do much to draw the reader in. I found the voice of (what I presumed to be, and was later wrong) the MC to be a little off and not very engaging. And the same could be said for the other POVs, which was something of a disappointment. As is typical for me, though, the one perspective I liked the most was the one we had the least.
I think what works against this offering is that the found family element doesn't feel realistic. This group of motley misfits, living in this condo complex, on a small island, are drawn together by proximity and a few strange events and things quickly escalate in a way that doesn't feel quite believable; which is kind of funny because I was absolutely onboard with the magical part of the story.
I think, had this been given a little more time to breathe, the page count been a little longer, it might have fleshed things out more. But maybe it's supposed to be a snapshot. It's something of a beginning for these characters, or a reset, or a new chapter, and there's something hopeful in that, in letting go and moving on. But as a reader (or at least, for this one) it's also a little unsatisfying.
Having said that, I'm very glad to see SAA pop up after such a long time (her last release was 2015!) and I do hope there's more to come. I would absolutely recommend you check out her backlist if magical realism is at all in your wheelhouse.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
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This review can also be found at
A Take From Two Cities. -
I tried, but it’s very rare for me to find a magical realism book I enjoy.
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4+
“There are birds, and then there are other birds. Maybe they don't sing. Maybe they don't fly. Maybe they don't fit in. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing."
This was such a sweet and delightful book, uplifting. It’s a story about how to move past a sorrowful, often traumatic background. The characters come together in a residential condo called Dellawisp, after the unique birds that live there. Dellawisp is located on Mallow Island off the coast of South Carolina. There, I met Zoey Hennessy, moving into a condo left to her by her mother who died several years back. Her father has remarried to a woman with twins and the author makes clear that Zoey is not a top priority in the family. They didn’t attend her high school graduation for grief’s sake. On move in day, Zoey meets Lisbeth, a cantankerous woman whose loud remonstrations and complaints keep the other residents holed up in their homes.
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.
I had a friend who lost her brother to AIDS. She used to talk about how he left her messages all the time and how he was always leaving dimes for her to find. When my mother had a stroke, I returned from the hospital to the hotel where we were staying to find three dimes. One was on top of the freshly made bed, another on a bedside table, and another on the floor, all of them observable the minute I walked into the room. I took the dimes as a message from my Dad that Mom would be okay. She was. I’m not a person who seeks the supernatural or has an explicit belief in the hereafter, but I don’t shun it either. As someone who falls somewhere in the middle, I enjoyed this positive story that was as much (or more) about the beautiful connections made with found family as those connections with those we have loved in the past. -
the premise of this one had me so excited/had so much potential, but the execution let me down 😭 i am a BIG fan of magical realism tropes and needed more of that in this book.
it was very heavy on the character development and growth and didn’t have a lot of magical realism + plot (until the last ~50ish pages and then it all got very chaotic and felt like a different book).
there were also a TON of characters that weren’t all fully developed so it was hard to “bond” to one. there were a few twists in the backhalf that surprised me, and one i saw coming. but they happened so late that i was already a bit tuned out.
the setting was beautiful and the description of the birds had me googling to see if they were real!
thanks to St. Martin’s Press for gifting this to me pre-release. -
Rating 3.78
Ms. Allen is a skilled author that engages the reader with likable characters, ghosts and premise. Lighthearted by nature, she builds a puzzle through back stories that are revealed in the final chapters, the mark of a carefully planned out plot.
The story takes place in Mallow Island, a tourist area in the Carolinas whose history is unique in many ways. Having learned she'd become owner of her deceased mother's condo unit at the Dellawisp, Zoe uses her trust fund to move there since she'd enrolled in a college nearby. Originally a historical mansion and named after the tiny indigenous birds, Roscoe Avenger, a local author took possession, and sold the units after a remodel. Among the residents were Paloma Hennessy, Zoe's mother, estranged sisters Lizbeth and Lucy, Mac a local chef, Charlotte, a henna artist and Frasier, the resident manager.
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.
Interactions between the residents of the Dellawisp are complex as are the 'ghost' stories that form the 'glue'. Between Zoe learning of her mother and the island's history, Mac's fascination with cornmeal, the mystery of the tiny birds and countless other plot points, the author does a masterful job of bringing them together toward the end.
I'm not a fan of spoilers nor am I the type that likes to go into plot details. That said, its filled with interesting revelations, and well worth the time reading. -
Oh, the sweet and tender feeling of a book pulling at your delicate heart strings.
Zoey, wanting to keep a connection to her late mother, relocates into her mother’s old apartment on Mallow Island. The complex itself is a character, of which provides the home for the gracious owner, a cautious artist, a secretive shut-in, an amiable chef, three ghosts, two mysteries, one invisible pigeon and a myriad of turquoise birds called dellawisps.
On the turning of the first page and throughout most of the book, it is a quick and sweet read. Allen then begins peppering in glints of the characters’ pasts and we see each of them hold hurts, causing various degrees of loneliness and a perceived separation from love, as one does by holding onto their hurts and longings. The characters, sometimes unknowingly, support each other, become the family they were looking for and learn how to live, love, and let go.
Throughout the last few chapters, “1000 Oceans” kept playing in my mind, a perfect companion song to this tenderhearted novel.
I can't believe that I would keep,
Keep you from flying;
And I would cry a thousand more
If that's what it takes to sail you home. – Tori Amos “1000 Oceans”
Love. This book is about the stages of love from the tickle of a spark, the loneliness and longing its absence can bring, and how although it may not be seen, it is with you now and forever. The birds are a wonderful metaphor and the writing made me tear up, as it may with anyone else who has lost a loved one.
The book’s essence is a good-bye and a welcoming; the end of one season and the beginning of another. -Sara S.
