Other Birds

Product Information

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. When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written. Each character in this novel has a complex past that contributes to who they are and where they are in their lives. For example, Charlotte escaped a painful childhood to reinvent herself as an independent artist on Mallow Island. Think about your past. How has it contributed to who you are today?

Other Birds: A Novel: Allen, Sarah Addison: 9781250019868

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. 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.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. 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.

OTHER BIRDS | Kirkus Reviews

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. 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.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). 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!

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen | Book of the Month Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen | Book of the Month

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. 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.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! 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! 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.