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The Vanished Birds
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Shayna Small
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Plain Bad Heroines
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- Written by: Emily M. Danforth
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The award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post makes her adult debut with this highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered around a cursed New England boarding school for girls - a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love, and the rebellious female spirit.
Publisher's Summary
A "highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating” (Thrillist) debut that is “the best of what science fiction can be: a thought-provoking, heartrending story about the choices that define our lives" (Kirkus Reviews, Best Debut Fiction and Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year).
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Kirkus Reviews.
A mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever.
I expected many things from this trip. I did not expect a family. A ship captain, unfettered from time. A mute child, burdened with unimaginable power. A millennia-old woman, haunted by lifetimes of mistakes. In this captivating debut of connection across space and time, these outsiders will find in each other the things they lack: a place of love and belonging. A safe haven. A new beginning. But the past hungers for them, and when it catches up, it threatens to tear this makeshift family apart.
Praise for The Vanished Birds:
“This is the most impressive debut of 2020.” (Locus)
“This extraordinary science fiction epic, which delves deep into the perils of failing to learn from one’s mistakes, is perfect for fans of big ideas and intimate reflections." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“A lyrical and moving narrative of space travel, found families, and lost loves set against an evocative space-opera background.” (Booklist, starred review)
“The Vanished Birds finds an intimate heartbeat of longing in a saga of galactic progress and its crushing fallout.... A novel of vast scope that yet makes time for compassion, wonder, and poetry.” (Indra Das, author of The Devourers)
What the critics say
"This extraordinary science fiction epic, which delves deep into the perils of failing to learn from one’s mistakes, is perfect for fans of big ideas and intimate reflections." (Publishers Weekly starred review)
"A lyrical and moving narrative of space travel, found families, and lost loves set against an evocative space-opera background." (Booklist starred review)
"The Vanished Birds finds an intimate heartbeat of longing in a saga of galactic progress and its crushing fallout.... A novel of vast scope that yet makes time for compassion, wonder, and poetry." (Indra Das, author of The Devourers)
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What listeners say about The Vanished Birds
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- David
- 2020-02-08
Character driven, tech minimum space opera
Unusual book about chosen families and memory (and colonialism, too) in a space opera setting. Some beautiful writing. Will look forward to author’s next book. Narrator conveys story well.
5 people found this helpful
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- Brenda
- 2020-02-15
Incredible Deeply moving
I love science fiction for its exploration of big themes like what does it mean to be human and what is our place in the universe. This story delivers one that is much more personal and specific. It destroyed me. Reduced to tears so that I had to pull over to the side of the road more than once. Deeply moving on many levels. Also delivers the space tech and world building if that is your thing. This is an immediate favorite , an incredible debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what Jimenez comes up with next.
3 people found this helpful
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- Grace
- 2020-03-16
Didn't live up to potential
The concepts, character development, and description of the ways in which the characters experience time was phenomenal. However, the overall story felt lacking. After the climax (at least, I think it was the climax because it took almost the entire book to get there), the story faded away a bit and I was close to losing interest. By the ending, I wasn't really invested anymore. Interesting, but I feel like it had so much more potential.
2 people found this helpful
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- Aydelette
- 2020-02-18
Human story
I love this novel. I wish I were better at writing down why.
It's perfect for listening, intricate but with an overall clarity which makes all the rich detail a dark foliage. (I want to start listening again.)
It's about transport, in a way, and it does that, describing places and times and following a few strong, imperfect characters. These are the kind of characters who unknowingly and secretly shape the world beneath the notice of large powers, or knowingly and secretly despite the notice of large powers. But only in fine strands between the giant impersonal idiot waves of those large powers. (You know the ones.)
The performance is excellent mostly. There are a very few false shifts and accents in the thirteen hours.
2 people found this helpful
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- CJC
- 2020-02-13
Unique and lovely
Poetic and probing. I loved that there were same sex partnerships and strong women characters. Eventually stopped what I was doing and just listened to the last few hours.
2 people found this helpful