Other Birds
A Novel
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Other Birds
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Narrated by:
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Siiri Scott
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Written by:
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Sarah Addison Allen
About this listen
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.You may also enjoy...
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Garden Spells
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- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers.
Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.
Together again in the house they grew up in, the Waverley sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Nice series of magic and drama/mysteries
- By Isabelle L on 2018-01-02
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The Light Pirate
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- Narrated by: Rosemary Benson
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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5 out of 5 stars
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Lyrical
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Lost Lake
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future. That was half a lifetime ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband, George, is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone.
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very much enjoyed
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another Excellent Story
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The Girl Who Chased the Moon
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- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
In her latest enchanting novel, New York Times best-selling author Sarah Addison Allen invites you to a quirky little Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon. Here two very different women discover how to find their place in the world - no matter how out of place they feel. Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. Such as, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? And why did she vow never to return?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Book
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Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
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Garden Spells
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- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers.
Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.
Together again in the house they grew up in, the Waverley sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom - or with each other.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Nice series of magic and drama/mysteries
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Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
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The Light Pirate
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- Narrated by: Rosemary Benson
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on the state’s infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Lyrical
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Lost Lake
- Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
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- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 4
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future. That was half a lifetime ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband, George, is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone.
Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
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At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities
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- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very much enjoyed
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Another Excellent Story
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- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Book
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Natural-born healer Emma Starling once had big plans for her life, but she’s lost her way. A medical school dropout, she’s come back to small-town Everton, New Hampshire, to care for her father, who is dying from a mysterious brain disease. Clive Starling has been hallucinating small animals, as well as having visions of the ghost of a long-dead naturalist, Ernest Harold Baynes, once known for letting wild animals live in his house. This ghost has been giving Clive some ideas on how to spend his final days.
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fox is certainly smarter than given credit for.
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Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café. It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.
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It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow.
Written by: Sarah Addison Allen
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
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ames
- 2022-09-15
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susan Rialp
- 2022-12-06
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Macy GF
- 2023-01-30
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- CKH
- 2023-12-03
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jessica
- 2023-01-23
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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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erin
- 2023-02-05
Loved this book.
Great story. Awesome character building and surprises built in. My fave so far this year.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Choo C Rosenbloom
- 2023-04-12
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roxanna B.
- 2023-03-19
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Britney Fuhrer
- 2024-04-10
Lovely storytelling, lovable characters (even the unlikeable ones)! I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars!
Writing: gorgeous
Plot: heartwarming
Rating: 5⭐️
// TLDR //
Friendly ghosties
found family
ensemble cast of characters
sweet and wholesome
good storytelling
If you liked The Hotel Nantucket, you will like this!
// QUOTES //
“Birds are supposed to be messengers between heaven and earth.” 🕊️
“We got wings we can’t see […] We were made to fly away.” 🪽
“We all want to think we’re worth the trouble.” 🥺
“Children, don’t hold on to old love so hard you forget to live. Old love isn’t the only love you’ll ever have. And I can tell you from this side that it never really goes away, anyway. So let go. Whatever you’re holding on to, let go.” 🙏🏼
“Just to be clear: I’m going to kiss you later.” 😍
“It is love, even if you’re not loved back.
It is.” 💔
“My soul still needs to fly.” 💫
// REVIEW //
I have just finished the delightful book "Other Birds" by Sarah Addison Allen, and let me tell you, it's a place I'm already longing to revisit.
One of the most captivating aspects of this novel is its embrace of the found-family, weaving together the lives of a diverse ensemble cast residing at the charming Dellawisp apartments.
We follow Zoey Charlotte, Mac, Lizbeth, Lucy, Frasier, and a host of others, each character brings their own unique past to the story. Despite all of the different characters, Sarah Addison Allen masterfully guides the reader through these characters’ intertwining stories, making it effortless to follow along and become emotionally invested in each individual's journey.
What sets Other Birds apart is the infusion of fun ghostie elements, adding an extra layer of intrigue and whimsy to the narrative. The ghosts have their own tie to the living characters we follow in the book. The ghosts tell their stories through their own chapters called “Ghost Stories”. The author’s skillful storytelling allows the ghosties to feel just as real and relatable as their mortal counterparts, further enriching the tapestry of the novel.
Throughout the book, I found myself enchanted by Allen's exquisite prose, which is sprinkled with bird wordplay and allusions that add depth and charm to the story. It's clear that the author has a profound love for language, and her clever use of imagery and symbolism elevates the reading experience to new heights.
Other Birds also offers a delightful blend of mystery and intrigue, with teeny little mysteries scattered throughout to keep readers on their toes. Yet, despite these mysteries, the novel never veers into spooky vibes which I particularly appreciated.
As if the book itself wasn't enchanting enough, I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook while I followed along on my Kindle. The audiobook presenter's accents and voices really brought the characters to life.
I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars!
I loved it so much!
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Brandy
- 2024-01-05
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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