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Patricia W. (Homewood, AL)
Excellent writing!!
This is a wonderful book. Although the main characters are working through grief, their healing is phenomenal. The story reminds us to look at the small things in our days for joy, such as watching a bird take a bath in a makeshift birdbath or a baby seal napping on the shore until the tide returns him to his mother. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and it is not through any of their fault. Life can change in an instant. It's not what happens to us, but how we live through it and how it affects our lives and those who know us. From feeling alone and hopeless, we can learn that we are not the only ones
…more who have suffered loss and with time, things do change and hopefully it is better..
June is trying to survive a drinking problem and divorce when she returns to her home after the death of her grandparents. When she hires Jameson to help her to restore their home, the story begins to build. Between the two of them there is a world of heartache, but as they begin to open up to each other they begin to see a hope and healing take place. While there is an attraction, too, Jameson is married and still in love with his wife. He is just not sure he can be what Sarah Anne desires from him.
I would recommend this book to book clubs. It has a lot of discussions ready for review. (less)This book surprised me in many ways. First, I read the book without looking at the synopsis on the back cover so had no clue what it was about or what to expect. There were times I thought one of the characters might turn into a very dark, crazy, evil person. The next minute I would be enthralled by the empathy and compassion of the same character. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to keep reading until everything would be revealed. I liked the way the chapters went back and forth between the two main character's lives . Each chapter gave small hints that there was much more to learn about their past with
…more possible hidden secrets. I loved her descriptions of the Oregon coast and wildlife intermingled in the chapters.
This book is about rebuilding and reshaping a life after the unthinkable happens. It is heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking. I highly recommend for adults and book clubs. I know I will be checking out this author's other novels. (less)What an interesting story! Deborah Reed beautifully describes the Oregon coast. I loved the character development of June and Jameson. Their personal tragedies and their individual difficulties in dealing with these tragedies were so elegantly imagined by the author. The story felt very real; you as the reader could almost feel their pain. I am interested in the other three books this author has written.
Mary H. (Ocala, FL)
A Jewel of a Novel
This is a beautifully written book--exquisite in its sense of place and understanding of the flaws in human nature. Both the title and initial poetry reference refer to Emily Dickinson's poem "Indian Summer" which speaks of the birds coming back to "take a backward look." Indeed, this is exactly what the two main characters do to try to understand how they came to places of such sorrow and dysfunction in their present lives.
The author unfolds the novel by moving back and forth in time. As we get to know June and Jameson in the present, their backstories are released bit by bit until the reader is shown the
…more entire picture. This is a tale about how people become broken and how they get through the arduous process of healing. It is one of the most beautifully crafted novels I have read in a long time. (less)We all handle grief differently and we all get beyond it differently - although some of us may take longer or may never get beyond our grief. Thus Emily Dickinson's opening epigraph in this lovely new book by Deborah Reed: These are the days when birds come back, A very few, a bird or two. To take a look.....
Even though this book is so filled with the sorrow of the characters it is also filled with so much life. The vivid detailing in the landscape surroundings is as soulful and beautiful as the main characters - June and Jameson. I only wished for more development on June's father to better understand what
…more occurred and why - but considering June was only seven when she lost him, it was apparently as foggy for her as for the reader. I could not put this book down and relished every page.
A wonderful read! (less)This book is filled with pain and mistakes and examples of how to live honestly and well, as well as badly and without truth. The characters are flawed and fascinating and frustrating. There are no wasted words, not on the part of the characters, nor by the author. It was a fast and easy read, which was slightly disappointing because I wanted more. That's a great thing from a marketing perspective, because I will definitely look for her previous and subsequent works. All in all, smart, cool, current writing, with a satisfying ending.
Sue P. (Albuquerque, NM)
The Days When Birds Come Back
A lovely, emotional book by he author of THINGS WE SET ON FIRE. Deborah Reed writes beautifully, taking one into the characters' lives, minds and more importantly, their hearts. June is dealing with many life crises and struggling with each when she returns to her childhood home where she lived with her grandparents. Jameson will renovate the house and is a man whose
life is also in turmoil. Their relationship is tentative, but will they find a way to come home again?
Cassandra E. (Bonita Springs, FL)
The Days when Birds Come Back
I enjoyed the book. The interaction of 2 broken adults that have unresolved problems is interesting. Unfortunately I don't real a lot of these type of books. I find that each person - main ones- June and Jameson are both dealing with issues that could have been taken care if they had had counseling, maybe in the town, Which by the way is where a tragic loss had occurred for both families. I think they thought that by facing it - it would have healed. But the story of the slow disintegration is painful. I am not sure of a different ending but it was different. I thought the writing was good and it carried from
…more one theme to another. (less)
