Other Birds

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Allen continues to serve heaping helpings of the fantastic and the familiar in fiction she describes as "Southern-fried magic realism." Clearly, it's a recipe readers are happy to eat up as fast as she can dish it out. Zoey’s neighbors are a quirky bunch, but they soon become her chosen family. Which character do you most identify with? Is that character also your favorite? Why or why not? I received an ARE of Other Birds from St. Martin’s Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen: Book Review Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen: Book Review

An excellent buddy read with Mary Beth. And can't wait to read the thoughts of Jayme and Marilyn too. the premise of this one had me so excited/had so much potential, but the execution let me down 😭 i am a BIG fan of magical realism tropes and needed more of that in this book.

Sarah Addison Allen

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! 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. Oh,” she said. “Yes.” The birdcage rattled in disagreement, but she ignored it this time. It was her first trip. The first trip she could remember, anyway. 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.

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

The fictional location of Mallow Island, near Charleston, SC, is a delight. Ms. Allen shines when she describes the healing powers of food and she has done it again in Other Birds. I can practically smell the marshmallows and confections. I can almost taste Mac’s cornmeal-based, love-infused dishes. The Dellawisp condos are a charming haven out of time. The dellawisp birds themselves are adorable little scolds and thieves. Add this to the list of fictional places I wish I could visit. The magical realism and surrealism matched with angsty dramatic stories of the people who find themselves at the Dellawisp sits- a stunning cobblestone building shaped like horseshoe : a place located in Mallow Island/ South Carolina. This is a charming story. I recommend it for those who are in need of a cozy mystery or just an enchanting story that leaves you happy. The magical realism is written well.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. Between the real and the imaginary there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways." I'm always on the lookout for Southern authors, and while I'd heard of Sarah Addison Allen, I hadn't read any of her books. The premise of Other Birds intrigued me and happily I've found a new-to-me Southern author to catch up with. I really enjoyed this book, full of quirky characters who live on the margins of life for different reasons, and who are all living (or have lived) at the small 5-unit Dellawisp apartment building. At the heart is the story of Zoey, who has come to South Carolina to live in her deceased mother's apartment on a charming little island while she starts attending a college nearby. Gradually we learn the stories of her new neighbors, and the invisible strings that connect them. There's some magical realism here and a touch of the supernatural, but not in a scary or off-putting sense (at least not for me - YMMV!). I found myself looking up some of places and birds in the story to see if they were real or borne of Allen's imagination. It's a lovely book, tragic and hopeful and atmospheric and full of colorful characters that kept me interested in learning more about each of them. An enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go sums up the book!

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen | Goodreads

There are birds, and 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.’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!

Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia Sarah Addison Allen - Wikipedia

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. Stories aren’t fiction. Stories are fabric. They’re the white sheets we drape over our ghosts so we can see them.’ - ROSE AVANGER, Sweet Mallow Food is inextricably linked to the people and places in our lives, and by recreating a memorable meal we can feel reconnected to our past. Mac expresses love through food, as Camille once did for him. For example, he invites Charlotte and Zoey to his restaurantThere is a beautiful cobblestone apartment building called the Dellawisp.(named after the tiny turquoise birds that inhabit the area alongside the tenants). How did you feel after you found out that Pigeon was Paloma’s spirit guarding Zoey? What role does Pigeon play in the story before learning she is Paloma’s spirit? In your opinion, did the revelation change Pigeon’s importance in the story? Why or why not?