Review: "The Nature of Small Birds" by Susie Finkbeiner

Most of the books I read are romances, and sometimes it's hard for me to break out of my comfort zone. But taking a chance on something different can be rewarding, and that's certainly the case with The Nature of Small Birds.

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In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adoptive family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival into their lives.

Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional roller coaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.

Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.

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There's nothing earth shattering about this novel. No unexpected twists, no secrets revealed, no villains. But it's a beautifully written novel about a family, and I found myself completely swept into the story.

The novel is told from the perspectives of three family members in three time periods: Linda in 1975, her daughter Sonny in 1988, and her husband Bruce in 2013. All time periods center, at least partially, around their daughter/sister Mindy, who was adopted from Vietnam in 1975. Linda's portion is the time leading up to and directly after Mindy's placement with the family. Sonny's focuses on her senior year of high school and the summer after graduation - especially her relationships with both Mindy and Linda through that time. And Bruce's portion deals with his parents' declining health, his youngest daughter's wedding, and Mindy's search for information about her past.

It's really just a snapshot of a few months during three different periods in the life of a family, and it's so beautifully satisfying. This type of setup means that I closed the last page with a few unanswered questions about each time period, but as I thought about it, I realized that those questions didn't really matter -- what mattered was the sense of calm and satisfaction I felt the entire time I was reading. This is definitely a book worth reading. 4-1/2 stars.

Buy the book (Amazon ad).

Read my review of Finkbeiner's Stories that Bind Us (4-1/2 stars).

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Susie Finkbeiner is the author of All Manner of Things as well as the CBA bestselling Pearl Spence series. When she’s not writing or traveling to speak at retreats or conferences, Susie enjoys lunch dates with her husband, reading with her kids, and drinking coffee with good friends.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."