There are several other characters, including a famous author, some who bond with Zoey over time, and some stories from the past, as well. There’s the grief of loss, but there is also the magic of healing, and families created from love, sprinkled with a touch of magical realism. Whimsical, charming, magical, who can't use a little magic in their lives? A feel good book, one that explores real life problems and features some terrific characters who are trying to work their way through them. The location of Mallow Island, an island off the coast of Georgia, and is noted for their mallow plant, reminded me of St.Simons island a place I love. Just gorgeous. A lonely, isolated young woman looking for remnants of her mother’s life, a place to belong, moves to a quiet island off the coast of South Carolina . On Mallow Island she connects with several other residents of the condo she has inherited. All of them are looking for something more in their lives. If you are not willing to accept a little bit of the imaginary, you might want to skip this book, but you’d be missing out on a sweet story of friendship and hope, a feel good story. It’s not that this is a totally light read, but it does provide some respite from the full reality of some of distressing things happening around us.

Other Birds: A Novel - Sarah Addison Allen - Google Books

The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. She was here in his office with him and he sensed her impatience, like she was wondering where something was.The ability to sense the dead was handed down. His grandfather had not fared well with it and took to drink to drown out the spirits. They have served Frasier in some positive ways. Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Despite including certain magic elements, it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality, while fantasy stories are often separated from reality. (Wikipedia) I loved this cast of characters who resided in this building… they are all lonely souls, some with secrets from the past..This book is about the grief, the ghosts of the people who shaped and reformed the main characters’ lives and power of learning how to let go and believe in yourself to start over! When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on a tiny South Carolina island, 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. Languid and peaceful, gentle and comforting, Allen’s newest showcases her talent for tender stories of near magic. Her fans will be lining up for this.”—Library Journal Allen has won numerous awards for her work including; 2008 SIBA Book Award for fiction for her novel Garden Spells, Best Women's Fiction of 2007 by the American Library Association's Reading List, 2008 RT Reviewers Choice Award for Women's Fiction for her novel The Sugar Queen, [7] and the Department of Literature at UNC Asheville named Addison the 2015 Goodman Endowed Artist. [6] Bibliography [ edit ] There are birds, and then there are other birds. 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."

Sarah Addison Allen Author — Sarah Addison Allen

The story opens with Zoey arriving at a remote tiny island off the coast of South Carolina named Mallow Island. Zoey’s mother, Paloma, owns a condo there secreted in the middle of town where Zoey intends to stay. She came for the summer to attempt to find information about her mother, who died years ago. Zoey brings an empty bird cage which holds her imaginary bird, Pigeon. The condo building is horseshoe-shaped, and maintained by an elderly man named Frasier who is written like Saint Francis because of the turquoise dellawisp birds that follow him. Allen stirs up a bewitching brew". Greensboro News & Record. September 23, 2007 . Retrieved 3 November 2013. I loved the ghosts most of all! Lizbeth - that mean, unlovable curmudgeon! - was off the charts: a hoarder with a huge grudge against the world - and most especially against her sister, Lucy. Frasier, the old man knows everyone in the building, getting used to connect with the birds and ghosts, hiding his own skeletons in the closet. 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.

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.

Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia

Barnes & Noble - #PouredOver: Sarah Addison Allen on OTHER BIRDS by Allison Gavilets – Video – 46:06 WADDELL, EALISH (2008-06-11). "The Sugar Queen (review)". Florida Weekly . Retrieved 3 November 2013. This was an enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won't let you go." 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.

If you don’t like magical realism, give this one a pass. Sarah Addison Allen’s ghosts captivated me. One of the residents, Mac, is a celebrated chef at a nearby hotel. Every morning he wakes up with cornmeal dusted over him and his bedcovers. Mac lost the most important person in his life heretofore and she specialized in cornmeal recipes. I found that the magical realism added a special touch. This is such a sweet story, as these people come together and learn to give and learn to love. So much more makes a family than blood ties. There is so much more to belonging than having the same last name as others. And just because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't real. This story brought such a smile to my face and I loved all the birds, including the invisible pigeon named Pigeon.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen | Goodreads

Allen breathes life into her characters, those living and those in between, and fashions a narrative that imparts a powerful belief in everlasting memory. Well,” he said, drawing the word out like a tune. “Don’t hear of too many people moving to Mallow Island. It’s mostly a tourist place because of that book by Roscoe Avanger. You know it?” It’s a story of community, forgiveness, and the myriad ways the past haunts the present. Absolutely luscious. 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.

Addison transported me to Mallow Island. I not only felt like I was in a