Book Review: Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book from ECW Press via EdelweissPlus, free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own




A charming, deeply felt novel about human connection and finding music between the notes

why birds song cover


Synopsis:

When opera singer Dawn Woodward has an onstage flameout, all she wants is to be left alone. She’s soon faced with other complications the day her husband announces her estranged brother-in-law, Tariq, is undergoing cancer treatment and moving in, his temperamental parrot in tow. To make matters worse, though she can’t whistle herself, she has been tasked with teaching arias to an outspoken group of devoted siffleurs who call themselves the Warblers. Eventually, Tariq and his bird join the class, and Dawn forms unexpected friendships with her new companions. But when her marriage shows signs of trouble and Tariq’s health declines, she begins questioning her foundations, including the career that she has worked so hard to build and the true nature of love and song

Review:

This utterly novel about what it means to be loved and to love, will stay with you LONG afetr you finish reading it! More than just a novel about second chances, it's about assumptions, deceit, and what happens when we don't follow what our heart really wants. Dawn thinks she is going thru the ultimate punishment by having a damaged voice and having to teach a whistling class, of all things. But what she soon finds out is the assumptions can be very deceiving, and that the class will come to mean everything to her, and to her brother-in-law. It's a love story told in reverse, and it's haunting truths will make this book a forerunner for Book fo the Year! Do NOT miss this book!


About the Author:

Nina Berkhout is the author of two previous novels: The Mosaic, which was nominated for the White Pine Award and the Ottawa Book Awards and named an Indigo Best Teen Book, and The Gallery of Lost Species, an Indigo and Kobo Best Book and a Harper’s Bazaar Hottest Breakout Novel. Berkhout is also the author of five poetry collections, including Elseworlds, which won the Archibald Lampman Award. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, she now lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

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