BookBrowse Reviews A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne

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These interconnected stories, some prose and some poetry, explore the lives of young people in New York at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Set predominantly in 2020, during the onset of COVID and resulting lockdowns, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe brings together a chorus of different voices, most of them young New Yorkers, as they experience the pandemic. Some are trying to process the grief of losing loved ones; some are trying to navigate work or study under new lockdown rules; some are trying to maintain relationships at a distance; and others are simply trying to cope with the boredom, loneliness, and isolation of being confined to their homes.

The majority of these characters' stories are told in straightforward prose, but some take the form of letters or poems. And while each story could arguably stand alone, they become stronger and more poignant when brought together. Characters who lead one chapter appear briefly or are referenced in another; sometimes these connections are direct, as when two characters are friends or family members, and in other instances they are more subtle, like teens who cross paths in the foster care system, linked by the same social worker. Through these interconnected characters, we learn additional context about stories that we've already read and deepen our understanding of everyone's lives. For example, one character, Tariq, lives with their grandmother rather than their parents; later, in their best friend's chapter, we learn that this is because they were rejected by their father for being queer.

In A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe, author Mahogany L. Browne has built an intricate web of disparate yet interconnected lives, a structure that mirrors the book's central idea: that even during a time of great isolation, we remained connected to the people around us in small yet important ways. Although the chapters vary in subject, style, and form, the final narrative does not feel disjointed—rather, it feels like an accurate reflection of a fractured yet whole society, in which people can have largely different responses to disaster.

As is often the case with multiple perspectives, some characters make greater impressions than others. The first standout section for me follows two sisters whose parents have lost their lives to COVID. At just 20 and 15 years old, the sisters, now living alone, must grapple with grief, fear, responsibility, and loneliness. While the eldest assumes the role of breadwinner, the younger sister is left at home, painfully aware of the risk and sacrifice her sister is making on her behalf: "I lost my mom, dad, and sister in the pandemic. When my sister became our caretaker, I guess she lost herself too," she thinks. This shift in the sisters' dynamic is a cause of both strain and bonding. "Being upset at the person who saves your life daily is difficult," she reflects. "But it turns out—we can't stop feeling our feelings no matter how much we love someone. And I love my sister; she's the only real thing I have left in this world."

The other highlight for me was the story of Tariq, the queer teen in lockdown with their vulnerable grandmother, who is suffering from dementia. Tariq becomes increasingly afraid to leave home at all for fear of bringing the virus back: "They can't pretend this is all a game of hide-and-seek. Not when the only person they had in the world is Grandma Marigold," Browne writes. "They can't get her sick. They can't lose her too."

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe is a very socially conscious book: The diverse cast of characters allows Browne to touch on topics as varied as wealth and race inequality, mental health struggles, family dynamics, sexuality and gender identity, and the failings of the care and prison systems. With so many ideas at play, there are some that are not mined to any great depth, but their inclusion does help to enhance the sense of many different lives running in tandem. The themes here are heavy, but Browne ultimately leaves the reader with the hope that today's younger generations, having experienced so much societal isolation and division, can usher in an era of acceptance and equality.

Some readers may not feel ready to revisit the early days of the pandemic. But for those who are, and for those who may want to use fiction as a tool to process and make sense of the past few years, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe offers a hauntingly realistic snapshot of the anxiety, loss, resilience, and hope that many young people knew all too well.

This review first ran in the March 12, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.