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There are currently 32 member reviews
for The Yellow Bird Sings
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Florence K. (Northridge, CA)
The Yellow Bird Sings
This is a beautiful but brutal book about a Jewish mother and young daughter caught in Poland during the horror of World War II. The author some fresh and unhackneyed themes into play: keeping a five-year-old child completely quiet while mother and daughter are hiding in a hayloft; the musical genius of the child; the imaginary yellow bird whose "singing" stands for the music in the little girl's head; the long and painful separation of the parent and child. it's happening today
as well!
The writing is crisp, clear, wonderfully descriptive, and heart rending. The plot delves into both the best and worst of humanity under perilous conditions. A thought-provoking read indeed.
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Nancy G. (Naples, FL)
Pros and Cons
I had high hopes for this book but found that the development of important plot elements just didn't seem plausible to me. Some components of the novel were successful however, so I will touch on those first. This author was very good atmospherically. She was able to create an environment that balanced an almost mystical sense of the ordinary within a situation fraught with stress and danger. Her two main characters were capably delineated and their close relationship to each other was explored very realistically without being reduced to sentimentality. The main concept behind the narrative was based on a solid idea. What didn't work for me was the implausibility of some of the plot lines and the personal behavior of the characters driving the narrative. I also found the historical references a little cursory. While they were all accurate, they were very basic and reflected only limited research.
This was an easy read but I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone when there are other books on the same topic out there that are so much better. Sophie's Choice for one.The Yellow Bird Sings never fully engaged me emotionally.
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Maribeth R. (Indianapolis, IN)
Good Start; Disappointing Finish
This book was hard for me to assess. I began with positive feelings as the story of the mother and daughter unfolded. Their stay in the barn will vividly remain with me. However, the remainder of the book left me feeling disjointed and perplexed. Even though I continue to tell myself that this feeling actually shows that the writer has conveyed the plight of the mother and child and their difficult and disjointed story to me, it was not the type of book that kept me on edge to the end. The simplistic sentence structure left me wishing for more, and I felt total disappointment to have the story jump to its conclusion with so many missing parts. I will just say that this writer and I were not on the same track, and as much as I wanted to love the book, I couldn't get there.
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Constance C. (Bristol, RI)
Very difficult book to read
This book is based on the plight of Jewish children hidden during World War 2 in Poland. A mother and daughter are hidden in a barn, the day comes when the mother must make the sacrifice of letting her go, because the child can be hidden in a convent. The book is about the triumph of hope during dark times. The daughter's music is her hope of finding mother. The book is beautifully written, but it is bleak to read. I really did not enjoy it because it is constant danger and pain. I can't recommend, one must decide for oneself.
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