Other Birds

Product Information

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 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! This book is filled with lyrical prose and magical realism which hooked me from the start. Birds, ghosts, people and beautiful imagery what is not to love about this magical story that will capture your heart. Sarah Addison Allen and the worlds she creates are always so warm and welcoming, and Other Birds was no different. I always love the sense of family you feel in her books, whether it's found family or the one you're born into. Other Birds is set on an island near Charleston, SC, and reading this book during the summer was the perfect time to read it and imagine life on a coastal island. Allen stirs up a bewitching brew". Greensboro News & Record. September 23, 2007 . Retrieved 3 November 2013.

OTHER BIRDS | Kirkus Reviews

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. 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. 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 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. There are birds, and then there are otherbirds. 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.” 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. 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.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - Publishers Weekly Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - Publishers Weekly

Sarah Addison Allen has been one of my favourite authors from the day i read her first book. I was so excited to know that the author had a new book coming out. And this book did not disappoint! With a dash of her signature magic, Allen dishes up a touching story that hits the sweet spot between heartache and healing. Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.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. Ghosts with untold stories and guests with long-buried secrets reside in Mallow Island’s mysterious Dellawisp condos. 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. Allen’s gift for whimsical, poetic language, makes Other Birds one of our most-anticipated books for 2022. You’re going to want to read this one with your book club.”—Reader's Digest

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

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. 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. When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a girl on the run, two estranged middle-aged sisters, a lonely chef, a legendary writer, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written. My Review: 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. 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!Allen skillfully weaves the various threads, as vignettes narrated by ghosts of former building residents provide further context as the plot unfurls…This will move readers. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. ** Sarah Addison Allen (also known by the pen name Katie Gallagher) is an American and New York Times bestselling author. [2] Biography [ edit ] In my zeal to read a new book by Sarah Addison Allen, I found that I had inhaled this book in two sittings. Oops. No savoring the prose here. But a friend sent me an ARC so I feel the need to write a more reasoned review and I wanted another chance to take my time with the book anyway. So I’ve read this twice within about two weeks. It was just as good the second time.