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Other Birds cover art

Other Birds

Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
Narrated by: Siiri Scott
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Publisher's Summary

From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes a tale of lost souls, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.

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's named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

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.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she's thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won't let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

©2022 Sarah Addison Allen (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What the critics say

“The wistful sweetness in Siiri Scott's narration perfectly complements the small-town South Carolina setting of this audiobook.… Scott movingly depicts each character's hesitant yet hopeful path to friendship and, in some cases, romance. Scott employs light accents and adeptly softens her tone or deepens her pitch to portray every character—male or female, young or old, local resident or transplant.… Scott creates an absorbing, atmospheric listening experience.”AudioFile Magazine

“Siiri Scott's engaging narration accompanies listeners as the story moves from past to present, revealing the residents' backstories and introducing ghosts, both symbolic and literal.… Scott sensitively takes listeners through the twists and turns in each resident's story, ending on a hopeful note. With ghosts that are comforting rather than frightening, this story, gently laced with magical realism, weaves a charming spell. With its underlying theme of resilience and growth, Allen's (First Frost) latest will have wide appeal. A great match for book clubs.”Library Journal (starred review)

"The biggest challenge for the reader is to try to not turn the pages so quickly in order to extend the fun. ... An outstanding reading experience. Readers who enjoy a Southern story, a touch of the unexplained, and works by Fannie Flagg and Karen White will all be delighted by this novel."—Booklist (starred review)

What listeners say about Other Birds

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Heartwarming

Sarah Addison Allen is brilliant in her writing craft. Such vivid imagery with a heartwarming story. Such a joy to listen. Great performance of the reader. It felt like there were many people acting. Bravo!

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2 people found this helpful

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Warm and Magical

As always Sarah Addison Allen does not disappoint! Other Birds was worth the wait. A story about finding yourself again amidst loss with that dash of whimsy, magic and love you can expect from this author. I can smell the mallow and hear the birds singing.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure...

This isn't genre fiction, even though the category lists it as such. It is more literary in my estimation. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot. There are some interesting ideas in it, though, which is why I gave it a 3 star rating. The naration is good.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Loved this story and narrator

This is my first book by this author and I truly enjoyed it, loved the story and the narrator was incredible! Can’t wait to “read” another from this author.

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  • Overall
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Chosen Family, Magical Realism novel

A book within a book, stories nestled together.

A character said "Stories aren't fiction. Stories are fabric. They're the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them." This is a whimsical novel about ghosts, hidden histories, written stories, recipes as a memory of love, and all the way through there are found families, chosen by different characters at different times.

Suprisingly lovely novel with mostly characters you can warm to, and written about an area of South Carolina that the author clearly loves.

Beautifully narrated, however this audio version does not have the story story "Benedict's Calling Card"

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I loved this book!

I wasn’t sure that I was going to enjoy this book because of the mention of ghosts but the ghosts in this story were not scary and they were actually fun! This story was enchanting and took me to a whole other world. I loved it. I’ll be reading this author’s two other books.

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A nice surprise

Wasn’t sure if I could get into this story when it first started but It surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this book.

Great story. Awesome character building and surprises built in. My fave so far this year.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

This was the first time I listened to anything written by Sarah Addison Allen and it was a great story. I dont usually listen to stand alone novels I like series especially when I fall in love with charaters, I dont want to part with them.

I fell in love with this book right away, it had everything. Great charaters, perfect story and ghosts! Perfect!

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