Friday, November 18, 2022

Beginning ~ with an empty birdcage

Beginning

The empty wicker birdcage beside her began to rattle impatiently.  Zoey gave it a sharp look as if to say they were almost there.  It stopped.  She glanced at the cabdriver to see if he had noticed.

Other Birds ~ by Sarah Addison Allen, 2022, magical realism (South Carolina), 304 pages

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.

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 has a story, whose ending isn’t yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is 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.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

2 comments:

Breana M. said...

I know I've seen this book cover before. I haven't read it. That being said, the story actually seems intriguing. Thanks for mentioning it!

Mark Baker said...

That opening certainly has me intrigued.