TITLE/AUTHOR: Songbirds; Christy Lefteri
PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021
GENRE: Fiction / Migrant workers / Mystery
FORMAT: Hardcover
SOURCE: (print - publisher)
SETTING(s): Cyprus
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A young woman leaves her native country, Sri Lanka hoping to provide for a better future for the daughter she leaves behind.
BRIEF REVIEW: Nisha works as a housekeeper and a nanny for a wealthy widow and her daughter in Cyprus. She left her own two year old daughter, Kumari with her mother in Sri Lanka in hopes that someday she could return home and give her daughter a better life. By day Nisha works as a domestic worker for Petra and cares for Petra's nine year old daughter Aliki. Although Nisha chats with her daughter via an iPad in the evenings, she is, for the most part, treated like nothing more than a servant by Petra.
Yiannis is a poacher who makes a lot of money by trapping tiny songbirds and sells them on the black market where they are considered a delicacy. He lives on Petra's property and is also Nisha's secret lover. He longs to marry her and give her a better life but, poaching is a tough job to get out of once you are part of the illegal operation. Nisha hates what he must do to the tiny birds.
When Nisha goes missing one evening, after preparing dinner, early in the story, it's Petra who begins her own investigation with the help of Yiannis. She begins talking with other migrant workers as when a migrant, especially a woman, goes missing in Cyprus, the police are not helpful.
I don't want to say too much more about the story except to say it is beautifully written, full of symbolism and imagery and just unforgettable, yet heartbreaking as well. The story in part was based on the true disappearances of other migrant women in Cyprus. There were some upsetting details involving how the poachers trap the tiny songbirds and what they do to them afterward. Despite this, I'm so happy I had a chance to read this book. I now want to read the author's previous book: The Beekeeper of Aleppo which is supposed to be excellent as well.
Thanks go to Ballantine Books for sending me a finished copy of this thought-provoking book in exchange for my unbiased review.
RATING: 4.5/5
Memorable Quotes:
“You see, when you clump people together and don’t understand their personal stories, you can make up any bullshit and convince yourself it’s the truth.”
“Now that I could hear this woman’s song—a melody that told a story I couldn’t understand—I hoped with all of my heart that it wasn’t too late.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. She holds a Ph.D. in creative writing from Brunel University, where she is now a lecturer. Her previous novel, the international bestseller The Beekeeper of Aleppo, won the Aspen Words Literary Prize and was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She is also the author of A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible, which was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
I've added this one to the "wish for it" list at NetGalley. Your remarks about the writing marked this as a must read, and I won't mind waiting for (hopefully) an approval!
ReplyDeleteThe writing is very good Jen. I hope you will like it.
DeleteOh my gosh, this sounds brilliant! I am definitely taking a look. Lovely review Diane!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, it's a bit sad but so well-written.
DeletePS: Just remembered that this book is one of our new Book Club ones! Yea!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Surprise!
DeleteI've had this one on my reading radar. I hesitated to add it because I do know about songbird poaching on Cyprus and what happens to the birds and that would be very hard for me to read. But what happens to human migrants there is an important story, too, and your review makes clear that the book tells this story well.
ReplyDeleteIt is an important story so it was important to read despite the darker scenes.
DeleteThat sounds so good, but sad just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteSo many people have so much torment they must endure - so sad.
DeleteI'm putting this one on my TBR list! I think I'm almost in the mood to read something more serious like this one. (In the summer I mostly like light fluff.)
ReplyDeleteIt's darker but an important story as well.
DeleteYeah I meant to read The Beekeeper of Aleppo but didn't get to it. It seems this author has some heartbreaking tales!
ReplyDeleteI do want to try squeeze Beekeeper in soon, I actually think I own it.
DeleteI hadn't heard about this one before, but it sounds like one of the more literary mysteries out there right now. I'm going to see if my library has it...or any plans to get a copy or two. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTo look at that lovely cover, it's hard tobelieve it's a darker sort of story. I hope you will like it.
DeleteWhat an interesting premise for a book. I like the combination of the migrants' stories and problems coupled with her romance.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of migrant stories but, I think it's important to get the message out there of how difficult life can be for them.
DeleteI know Vicki yet, such an important story.
ReplyDeleteThe writing sounds absolutely beautiful but the part about the song birds just breaks my heart. I would like to read more migrant stories so maybe I can skim those parts.
ReplyDeleteYes, the songbird part is rough but, I understand that it was important to describe the hunting.
DeleteThis looks really good.
ReplyDeleteVery good and well-written.
DeleteOh I remember the book The Beekeeper of Aleppo which I haven't read but heard a lot of good things about. I definitely want to read this one as I think stories like these need to be heard even if this is a work of fiction. There are so many people across the world who have to leave their countries and families looking for a better life and I think a lot of people just don't understand their struggle. Great review!
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