The Book of Dead Birds: Amazon.ca: Gayle Brandeis: Books

Product Description

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Ava Sing Lo is the daughter of Helen, a Korean woman forced into prostitution on a segregated American army base, and one of the clients she serviced. All of her life, Ava has sensed that her mother, often depressed and withdrawn, is ashamed of her past and her daughter's dark skin. Helen is fascinated with birds, which seem to encompass for her some vital message about fragility and survival, but Ava has been accidentally killing her mother's pets since she was a little girl. Now Ava wants to head to the Salton Sea, the site of the worst bird die-off in American history, where she also hopes to repair her fragile relationship with her mother. This first novel is the winner of Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for a work of socially and politically engaged fiction; however, Brandeis' novel suffers, at times, from overly fraught symbolism and an awkwardly tacked-on subplot. The author is at her best in her lyrical descriptions of nature and in the finely detailed portrait of the emotional tug-of-war between mother and child. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“A moving and perceptive first novel.” -- O magazine

“A uniquely inventive novel.” -- Rocky Mountain News

“Brandies’s writing is sensitive, lyrical and diverse.” -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Lyrical, imaginative, beautifully crafted, and deeply intelligent. Before anything else, its characters take you by the heart.” -- Barbara Kingsolver

“THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS is a story of healing--a skillful, textured weaving of dark and light.” -- Donna M. Gershten, author of KISSING THE VIRGIN'S MOUTH

“The plight of the mother and daughter is … heartbreaking.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“[It] has an edgy beauty that enhances perfectly the seriousness of its contents.” -- Toni Morrison

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
I remember the first time I flew. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Subject may not be pretty, but the book is beautiful., April 20 2004

By

Michelaneous "www.michelecozzens.com" (Sandy Point Resort, Northwoods Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Dead Birds (Hardcover)

I believe the characters illustrated in this lyrical novel will stay with me for some time. It's a beautiful, well-written story. Gayle Brandeis has a true gift. Her main characters are quiet and introspective, and yet we hear their voices very clearly. We see everything they see, feel everything they feel, and smell everything they smell.

The plot is built around a series of dead birds--birds inadvertently killed by the main character, a young woman of mixed heritage (Korean and African American) named Ava Sing Lo. Information about each bird--its life and cause of death--are recorded in her mother's scrap book, The Book of Dead Birds. As Ava attempts to break the spell of the dying birds and her shame and sorrow of being a disappointment to her mother we come face to face with her fragility, pain, and insecurity. We, and all those within the story, root for her to soar.

Brandeis weaves together two stories--the daughter, Ava, and the mother, Hye-yang (Helen). She takes us from San Diego to the Saltan Sea and back to Korea in the 1960s, where through Ava's retelling of her mother's song, we learn of Hye-yang's slide into prostitution, Ava's conception and their ultimate flight path to freedom.

I highly, highly recommend this book. It's one of the best I've read so far this year.

Respectfully submitted by the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book by a wonderful author, Mar 20 2004

By

Cindy (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Dead Birds (Hardcover)

I wasnt quite sure what to expect because of the title. A book about dead birds..huh? But you know what? I enjoyed this. A lot.

I learned about the Salton Sea and the bird situation. Ava Sing Lo is impacted by her mothers past and Gayle Brandeis draws you into the world of a Korean prostitute trying for a better life before Ava was born.

The writer of this book is so talented. Her writing voice is lyrical and sometimes almost poetic. I love the way she uses all five senses to really pull you into the book.

I also recommend her other book, Fruitflesh. I look forward to more books that Ms. Brandeis may write.

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5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 . A poetic and ambitious first novel., Feb 11 2004

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Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Book of Dead Birds (Hardcover)

What a beautiful and complex book. Gayle Brandeis' poetic background comes through in the lyrical writing, especially when she's describing the birds in their natural world and when she's delving into the push-pull relationship between mother and daughter.
Book of Dead Birds deals with many issues: gender, race, culture differences, environmental concerns, immigration, guilt, survival, redemption - and love.
Ava Sing Lo is the daughter of Helen, a Korean woman who was forced to work as a prostitute on a military base; Ava's father was one of her mother's 'clients.' Brought to America by a white husband, Helen found herself quickly abandoned after she gave birth to a black baby (Ava) who grew into a child and young woman who never felt full acceptance from her immigrant mother. The birds of the title are her mother's, and they carry heavy symbolism in the story. And Ava has been killing them. To atone, she finishes graduate school and volunteers to work with birds that are being poisoned by agricultural run-off.
Very moving and lyrical first novel. 4 stars.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars ...
...
I finished the book very quickly and enjoyed every minute of it. The writing is seamless and thoroughly enjoyable. Read more

Published on Nov 3 2003 by DNA

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicate "Dead Birds"
Gayle Brandeis's debut novel, winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, is a mistily vivid story that unfolds like a flower. Read more

Published on Oct 2 2003 by E. A Solinas