Songbirds
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- Create Date：2021-07-11 08:40:57
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Christy Lefteri
- ISBN：B08CZX1J6Y
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Summary
Author of THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO Christy Lefteri's SONGBIRDS， about a Nepali domestic worker living on the island of Cyprus who goes missing and her employer who tries to unravel her disappearance， finding herself embroiled in the deeper truths of modern slavery and colliding with a former park rancher caught up in the illegal poaching of migratory songbirds from Africa， bringing together timely themes of flight and entrapment， to Andra Miller at Ballantine。
Reviews
Megan Jones
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Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future。 By day she cares for Petra’s daughter， Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone。 Nisha’s lover is Yiannis， a poacher， who hunts the tiny songbirds as they migrate to Cyprus on their way to Africa each winter。 He dreams of finding a new way of life， of marrying Nisha。 When Nisha disappears， little Aliki insists she wouldn’t simply run away; they must find her。 As Petra learns to take care of Aliki herself， she co Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future。 By day she cares for Petra’s daughter， Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone。 Nisha’s lover is Yiannis， a poacher， who hunts the tiny songbirds as they migrate to Cyprus on their way to Africa each winter。 He dreams of finding a new way of life， of marrying Nisha。 When Nisha disappears， little Aliki insists she wouldn’t simply run away; they must find her。 As Petra learns to take care of Aliki herself， she comes to understand the woman she barely knew， and realises only she and Yiannis will bother to look for her。 What they uncover will change them all。Lefteri has really important stories to tell， stories that are firmly based in reality。 I absolutely adored ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ and I was so disappointed with this read。 It is always hard having to follow such a phenomenal success so I did feel for Lefteri but I really did not connect to this book and struggled to feel the pain and torment the characters go through。 It pains me to say it but I really did not like this。As I have said， Lefteri has based this on a true situation and it is an emotional and difficult situation。 On paper I thought this would be a struggle to read but I found myself disconnected to the plot and not that interested in what was happening。 I did want to finish the read so I knew what happened to Nisha but I was not gripped by the read and could have put it down。A book such as thrives on its characters and getting the reader to feel everything they go through。 Sadly， I did not connect to the characters， it was not that I did not care about what they were going through， I just did not connect with the emotions and I anticipated feeling a lot more as I read this。‘Songbirds’ was a disappointing read for me and it pains me that I have to say that。 The events portrayed are horrendous but the emotions did not carry over into this read。Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for an advance copy。 。。。more
Beth
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DNF @ 20%。 I LOVED The Beekeeper of Aleppo， but this one was a real struggle to get into。 We will still be ordering a few copies for the library， as I think our more literary fiction readers will just gobble this one up。 For me， I just couldn't get into it， despite picking the book up every day for two weeks。 The description of hunting and killing the songbirds really turned me off， and while I'm sure a character redemption ark is coming， I just couldn't sit through it any longer and read more。 DNF @ 20%。 I LOVED The Beekeeper of Aleppo， but this one was a real struggle to get into。 We will still be ordering a few copies for the library， as I think our more literary fiction readers will just gobble this one up。 For me， I just couldn't get into it， despite picking the book up every day for two weeks。 The description of hunting and killing the songbirds really turned me off， and while I'm sure a character redemption ark is coming， I just couldn't sit through it any longer and read more。 I might pick it back up again after release and give it another try。 。。。more
Liz
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As a fan of The Beekeeper of Aleppo， I was anxious to see what Lefteri would write next。 Songbirds explores the disappearance of a Sri Lankan maid/nanny from her employer’s home on the island of Cyprus。 Nisha had worked for Petra for nine years and was more of a mother to Aliki than Petra。 But the police just blow off her disappearance， assuming she had left for better employment possibilities。 SoPetra undertakes to investigate on her own。 Yiannis is Petra’s upstairs tenant and is in love with N As a fan of The Beekeeper of Aleppo， I was anxious to see what Lefteri would write next。 Songbirds explores the disappearance of a Sri Lankan maid/nanny from her employer’s home on the island of Cyprus。 Nisha had worked for Petra for nine years and was more of a mother to Aliki than Petra。 But the police just blow off her disappearance， assuming she had left for better employment possibilities。 SoPetra undertakes to investigate on her own。 Yiannis is Petra’s upstairs tenant and is in love with Nisha。 It took me a while to warm to Yiannis as he is a poacher of songbirds。 The book is an interesting treatise on the relationship between employers and servants。 The servant takes care of everything for the family， but the employer knows so little about the servant。 “Who was this woman who I had previously seen only as a shadow of myself？” It’s so sad to think of the number of women forced to leave their own families in order to provide them with financial support。 And how taken advantage of they are - the agent fees， the hours required。 It’s one step up from slavery。 The book is beautifully written and filled with symbolism。 We never hear from Nisha herself， she is always seen through the eyes of others。 The book has an added poignancy as it’s based on the true life disappearances of domestic workers in Cyprus。 In the author’s note， Lefteri makes an interesting point about what constitutes “a choice” when it comes to leaving your country of origin。 I recommend this for those looking for a book club selection that would lead to some meaningful discussions。 My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Jesika
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Centred around a missing foreign domestic worker， Nisha， this book explores the way in which her employer only truly appreciates everything Nisha did to keep her home and child happy once she disappears。The book is told from the perspective of Petra， Nisha's employer， and Yiannis， the man she is in a relationship with。 It reflects on the painful decision Nisha has made to leave her child and life in Sri Lanka to hopefully provide more for her by working abroad than she can with the work she coul Centred around a missing foreign domestic worker， Nisha， this book explores the way in which her employer only truly appreciates everything Nisha did to keep her home and child happy once she disappears。The book is told from the perspective of Petra， Nisha's employer， and Yiannis， the man she is in a relationship with。 It reflects on the painful decision Nisha has made to leave her child and life in Sri Lanka to hopefully provide more for her by working abroad than she can with the work she could find at home。 It becomes increasingly clear how hard this was for Nisha and how thoroughly Petra had just never thought about it whilst leaving her 'maid's to raise her child。The plot line about Songbirds reflected the conversations about foreign workers very well。 The illegal poaching scenes turned my stomach and over the course of the novel Yiannis has to face up to what he is really doing whilst being involve in this underground market。This was a surprisingly quick read that heavily reflects on the attitudes to， the experiences of and the lack of support for foreign domestic workers in Cyprus。 It is very well done。 We never actually hear from Nisha， though we hear her through others， and overall her presence in this book is a palpable absence of agency in her own life。 。。。more
Natalie
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Songbirds， written by the amazing author Christy Lefteri， is truly a great and inspiring read！ The beautifully and powerfully written story about Nisha， an immigrant from Sri Lanka who works in Cyprus as a nanny， is told from the perspective of her lover Yiannis and her employer， Petra。 Nisha goes missing one day with no notice， and no one cares apart from Yiannis and Petra， who are greatly impacted and confused by her sudden disappearance。 As they set out to search for Nisha， the two come to re Songbirds， written by the amazing author Christy Lefteri， is truly a great and inspiring read！ The beautifully and powerfully written story about Nisha， an immigrant from Sri Lanka who works in Cyprus as a nanny， is told from the perspective of her lover Yiannis and her employer， Petra。 Nisha goes missing one day with no notice， and no one cares apart from Yiannis and Petra， who are greatly impacted and confused by her sudden disappearance。 As they set out to search for Nisha， the two come to realise how little they actually know about their friend。 Through the tragic and heartbreaking relationship of Nisha and Yiannis， their secrets are revealed and we also discover the brutal and horrific trapping of migrating songbirds relating to Yiannis's story。 This book really dives into an important issue that needs to be talked about more， and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Rachel Colclough
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I have not read the successful novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo which received so many good reviews so was looking forward to reading a book by the same author and I can say that now that I finished this I am going to add The Beekeeper of Aleppo to my To Be Read list。The story centres around the domestic worker Nisha who after the death of her husband has left her daughter behind in Sri Lanka and travelled to Cyprus for work。 She becomes a maid to a newly widowed pregnant woman Petra and has remain I have not read the successful novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo which received so many good reviews so was looking forward to reading a book by the same author and I can say that now that I finished this I am going to add The Beekeeper of Aleppo to my To Be Read list。The story centres around the domestic worker Nisha who after the death of her husband has left her daughter behind in Sri Lanka and travelled to Cyprus for work。 She becomes a maid to a newly widowed pregnant woman Petra and has remained at her side as her young daughter Aliki grows up。 Nisha meets and falls in love with a Songbirds poacher Yiannis who rents rooms at the top of Petras house， and worries that her job could be threatened if Petra discovers her relationship One night after putting Aliki to bed， Nisha leaves the house and subsequently disappears。 Petra visits the police to report her maid missing but receives little support leading her to approach other migrant domestic workers to see if anyone can help her to discover what has happened to Nisha and after discovering the relationship Nisha had with Yiannis they work together to find out the truth。 The book changes points of view from Petras character to Yiannis character as the story unravels and you begin to empathise with the migrant domestic workers realising how hard they work， what they are forced to give up， the lack of support from agencies when they need it and how badly they are exploited。 Through the eyes of Petra you see a woman who as an employer has no knowledge of the life that her maid has only what she does for her and as she searches for Nisha she begins to understand more what these workers have gone through and respects what Nisha has done for her。 Through the eyes of Yiannis you see a man who is torn between the love of Nisha and the job he does which he knows is illegal and she does not approve of。 The story was heartbreaking， moving and full of description and definitely a page turner。 I loved it。 。。。more
Rachael
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I was looking forward to reading this so much， after enjoying The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 I love how Christy writes， she puts so much emotion into the story and tackles some important issues that occur in our world。I liked how the book was written from two perspectives， Yiannis and Petra， with the story changing from both of them easily and not causing confusing。 I enjoyed the story line and knew how it would end but was still shocked when it did and how it did。 This was a beautiful story and anybo I was looking forward to reading this so much， after enjoying The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 I love how Christy writes， she puts so much emotion into the story and tackles some important issues that occur in our world。I liked how the book was written from two perspectives， Yiannis and Petra， with the story changing from both of them easily and not causing confusing。 I enjoyed the story line and knew how it would end but was still shocked when it did and how it did。 This was a beautiful story and anybody who enjoyed her other book would really enjoy this。 。。。more
Juliet Bookliterati
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Last year I listened to the audiobook of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo， narrated by the amazing Art Malik， and fell in love with Christy Lefter’s writing， so I jumped at the chance to read her new book。 Songbirds， like her previous novel， looks at migrants， but in a different way。 Nisha came to Cyprus from Sri Lanka to work as a maid in order to support her mother and daughter after the death of her husband in Sri Lanka。 Petra is Nisha’s employer， she hires Nisha to look after the ho Last year I listened to the audiobook of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo， narrated by the amazing Art Malik， and fell in love with Christy Lefter’s writing， so I jumped at the chance to read her new book。 Songbirds， like her previous novel， looks at migrants， but in a different way。 Nisha came to Cyprus from Sri Lanka to work as a maid in order to support her mother and daughter after the death of her husband in Sri Lanka。 Petra is Nisha’s employer， she hires Nisha to look after the house and her own daughter Aliki， who she raises from birth。 Yannis is Nisha’s lover， he dreams of marrying her and helping her family in Sri Lanka。 But one night Nisha just disappears， leaving all she loves behind， but no one cares about a missing migrant worker， so Petra and Yannis start their own investigation which opens their eyes to the。 plight of these domestic workers。 Inspired by events is Cyprus this is an intriguing and emotional read。The first thing that comes to mind in reading and reviewing this book is just how beautiful Christy Lefteri’s writing is。 She has a style that is poetic， detailed， enthralling and detailed。 I was almost hypnotised by her writing， she manages to paint a picture in full technicolour with her words both in the physical landscape of the book and also in her characters。 When I think about Cyprus， I think of the sun， the beaches and it’s classical history。 Christy Lefteri shows another side， the forests， the poaching of beautiful songbirds for sale on the black market， and the systematic use of migrant workers， many of whom are mistreated。Nisha’s story is one that represents the plight of many migrant workers around the world。 Widowed and with little income she joins an agency to get work in Cyprus to help her mother and young daughter， who is two years older that Aliki。 Nisha is more of a mother to Aliki than Petra， looking after from birth， taking her to and from school， doing homework with her and putting her to bed， all things she could be doing with her own daughter if circumstances were different。 It is through Nisha’s story that the shocking reality of the lives of migrant workers are revealed。 These women work long hours six or seven days a week with no holidays。 Many are mentally， physically and sexually abused but the police do nothing as they are not bothered about the plight of these women。 At first glance Petra and Nisha seem worlds apart。 Petra has a good job， a stable life and a good income， but there are many similarities in their situation。 Both women are widowed， Petra just before Aliki’s birth， both come from war torn and colonised countries， and both are distanced from their daughters: Nisha geographically and Petra emotionally。 Petra and Yannis， Nisha’s lover realise hey have to find out where she has gone as the police aren’t interested。 During the investigation they both learn a lot about Nisha， who she really was and Petra realises how little she knows about this woman who has lived with her for nine years。 Yannis， Nisha’s lover is a complex character and one I didn’t like much at first， due to his illegal poaching of songbirds。 However， he did redeem himself as the plot progresses as I understood that he was caught up in an agreement he couldn’t get out off。 I thought the metaphor of the songbirds， trapped and unable to escape， was a brilliant and emotional mirror to the plight of the female migrants。 Christy Lefteri draws you in to the life of these characters， her indepth portrayal exposes the flaws of these characters， the mistakes of the past and their determination in their investigation。Songbirds is a beautiful and haunting read that I will remember for a long time。 Christy Lefteri’s writing is simply stunning， the prose is lyrical and this has to be one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time。 Like in her previous book The Beekeeper of Aleppo， the important subject of immigration is at the books centre， and Christy Lefteri shines a light on the reality of the migrants， the terrible working conditions that break their human rights， they are invisible and no one cares about them and they can’t even have relationships whilst working。 This book is a stunning， sublime and in parts shocking， and can’t recommend it highly enough。 。。。more
Kara Duchart
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After reading the beekeeper of Aleppo I couldn’t wait to read Christy Lefteri’s lastet book， and it did not disappoint。 We are told the story of Nisha， but from the perspectives of Yannis and Petra， who both have very different perspectives on Nisha’s life。 The character development in this book is brilliant and Petra in particular becomes much more likeable as the story progresses and she begins to understand the lives of the women that many people （including herself） have ignored and not thou After reading the beekeeper of Aleppo I couldn’t wait to read Christy Lefteri’s lastet book， and it did not disappoint。 We are told the story of Nisha， but from the perspectives of Yannis and Petra， who both have very different perspectives on Nisha’s life。 The character development in this book is brilliant and Petra in particular becomes much more likeable as the story progresses and she begins to understand the lives of the women that many people （including herself） have ignored and not thought worth getting to know。 I found this book very moving， and I think we can learn a lot from it。 It teaches us that it doesn’t matter where a person comes from。 They have made their own sacrifices， probably more than most of us could ever imagine。 The book is beautifully written， you can see and hear the songbirds and scenery as if you were there！I will definitely read any more work by Christy Lefteri！ 。。。more
Sîvan Sardar
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I literally cant stop crying， the pain in my chest is unbelievable
Joan
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This wonderful， poignant and absorbing story is set in Cyprus near the partition that was meant to settle the wars of ownership of Cyprus between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots。 Sadly there are still tensions， despite the partitioning being around 50 years ago。 This is the setting where Sri Lankan Nisha found a home as a maid and Nanny-to-be。 Nisha’s husband had passed away with real plans for their firstborn and she dearly wanted to honour her husband’s wishes。 She needed to meet all the b This wonderful， poignant and absorbing story is set in Cyprus near the partition that was meant to settle the wars of ownership of Cyprus between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots。 Sadly there are still tensions， despite the partitioning being around 50 years ago。 This is the setting where Sri Lankan Nisha found a home as a maid and Nanny-to-be。 Nisha’s husband had passed away with real plans for their firstborn and she dearly wanted to honour her husband’s wishes。 She needed to meet all the bills for her daughter Kumari and her mother， so her meagre wages were sent back to her native home。 She left her two year old daughter in the care of her grandmother but was in regular contact with her family using an iPad to exchange their news。Nisha found herself billeted by her work agency in Petra’s home in the Greek zone。 Petra was also a widow and needed help so that she could go back to her Optician business after her baby was born。 Soon Nisha had lived happily in the Greek Cypriot quarter for nine years when one night she disappeared。 None of the neighbours or their maids could believe Nisha would desert Petra and so they waited for her return。Petra’s daughter Aliki loved Nisha dearly。 She was so upset when her nanny disappeared。 Petra knew very little about Nisha， but she liked her hard working and joyous maid。 She was sure Nisha would return but when she didn’t she reported her maid missing。 The police officers refused to help， claiming maids just ran away on a whim。 So it was left to Petra to run her own investigations amongst her neighbourhood。 Petra’s tenant upstairs Yiannis was also worried about Nisha。 The night she went missing he had proposed to her。 Immigrant maids were not allowed to have relationships。 Their owners forbade it。 But they had courted and had fallen in love。 Yiannis came downstairs to enquire about Nisha。 He was also very worried about her。 He offered to help Petra with her investigations。 He kept their romance secret because he didn’t want Nisha to be sacked when she came back to her home。 Yiannis kept another secret from Petra。 His main source of income was moonlighting by illegally trapping migrant songbirds in mist nets on their migration from Africa to Europe。 They were frozen and delivered to the taverna with no questions asked。 He was not a bad man but had been tempted by the offer of a job helping a lifelong friend after he was made redundant。 This was not a job you could quit。 One man had his home burnt out when he wanted to leave the job。 As soon as Nisha found out about his work she begged him to stop。 He would do anything for Nisha， he was gentle and kind。 This is Nisha’s sensitive and alluring story， told with empathy and understanding。 Nisha’s story is based on real life events。 Effectively she was sold into slavery with no chance to pay back her debts to her work agency。 I loved the two parallel stories of Nisha and Yiannis， and also of Nisha and the Songbirds。 The storytelling is superb， the imagery bringing the story to life。 The author also crafted her characters to twine together their pasts with their presents thereby inviting the reader into their world。 I was totally absorbed in this story of a fight for justice and the truth of what happened to Nisha。 I hated the attitude of the Cypriot Police。 Nisha was not trash and deserved to be treated with humanity and kindness， not with prejudices and discrimination。 Although this story is very sad， parts of it were uplifting。 Nisha made a journal for her daughter to delight in。 She made sacrifices and hard decisions so that she could ensure her own mother and her daughter could manage to support themselves with her help。 It was ironic that her placement was with an expectant mother who gave birth to a daughter。 She treated Petra’s daughter as her own child， feeding her， chaperoning her to school， playing with her， telling her stories， yet she could not do the same for her own daughter back in Sri Lanka。 I received a complimentary copy of this riveting novel from publisher Manilla Press through my membership of NetGalley and I would like to thank them for my copy， sent out to me in return for an honest review。 I will never forget this story。 I loved every bit of it。 I recommend it as an unmissable 5* read， a real page turner and a Gem of a story。 It is both thought provoking and heart breaking。 。。。more
Flying Snow
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"Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future。 By day she cares for Petra's daughter， Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone。" I think I'm still recovering。 This book alternated between breathtaking beauty and horrible， painful metaphorical punches in the gut。The characterisation is amongst the best I have read in a considerable while。 The story is told in alternating viewpoints - as seems to be the case in the majority of recent novels - but in this case "Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future。 By day she cares for Petra's daughter， Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone。" I think I'm still recovering。 This book alternated between breathtaking beauty and horrible， painful metaphorical punches in the gut。The characterisation is amongst the best I have read in a considerable while。 The story is told in alternating viewpoints - as seems to be the case in the majority of recent novels - but in this case it clearly contributes to the book's power: I felt as though I was living through the pain， grief， anxiety and love experienced by Nisha， Yiannnis， Petra and their families。The plot is well-paced and engaging， and I interrupted my reading only reluctantly when commitments called。The portrayal of the appalling treatment of foreign domestic workers was all the more poignant because deep down we know it is their reality - indeed perhaps just the tip of the iceberg。I suspect this book will stay with me for a long time， and I highly recommend it。Many thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the arc。 。。。more
Claire Berry
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Wow。 I’m not sure a review can do justice to the beauty of Lefteri’s writing。Songbirds was such a beautiful and moving book， telling Nisha’s story through her employer Petra and lover Yiannis。 You must read it！ Thank you very much to Netgalley for the ARC。 A strong 5 stars。
Ana
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In Songbirds， Christy Lefteri tells us the story of the women that we don't often get to hear from。 This is the story of Nisha， a woman from Sri Lanka that migrates to Cyprus to work as a maid so she can support her parents and daughter。 When she suddenly disappears， the people who knew her （her employer， Petra， and her lover/boyfriend， Yiannis） know that something is wrong， but the police won't listen。We hear about Nisha from both Petra and Yiannis's voices and， in the process， we discover the In Songbirds， Christy Lefteri tells us the story of the women that we don't often get to hear from。 This is the story of Nisha， a woman from Sri Lanka that migrates to Cyprus to work as a maid so she can support her parents and daughter。 When she suddenly disappears， the people who knew her （her employer， Petra， and her lover/boyfriend， Yiannis） know that something is wrong， but the police won't listen。We hear about Nisha from both Petra and Yiannis's voices and， in the process， we discover the stories of many other women like Nisha who left home in search for opportunities for themselves and the ones they had to leave behind。The story is beautifully written （although it did feel a touch slow at the beginning -- I realise that this is my issue: I had to slow down myself and enjoy the read）， the characters feel deep and well-defined and I really liked seeing Petra's progression through the book from an entitled employer to someone who starts to appreciate all that Nisha did for her and how little she appreciated it。I really recommend picking up this book if you liked Lefteri's previous book （The Beekeper of Aleppo） and want to read another story from a marginalised group。 It is an eye-opening book that tells you the reality that many people nowadays live （not that far from us） and it will leave you wondering what can you do to help。Thank you to NetGalley and Manilla Press for a free ARC of this book。 。。。more
Rachel Binks
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I received this book in exchange for a review。Having loved The Beekeeper of Aleppo I was really looking forward to reading Christy Lefteri's new book， Songbirds。 I was not disappointed。 I found that the book was beautifully written and the descriptions were fantastic。 There was a good balance of description and action so that the book didn't move at too slow a pace。 The tension in the search to find Nisha left me wanting to know more and find out more about her life。 I thought that this book was I received this book in exchange for a review。Having loved The Beekeeper of Aleppo I was really looking forward to reading Christy Lefteri's new book， Songbirds。 I was not disappointed。 I found that the book was beautifully written and the descriptions were fantastic。 There was a good balance of description and action so that the book didn't move at too slow a pace。 The tension in the search to find Nisha left me wanting to know more and find out more about her life。 I thought that this book was a great way of highlighting the plight of domestic workers in Cyprus and the way that they are treated by both their employers and the country。 I enjoyed the way we gradually found out more about Nisha's life and the way she was viewed through the eyes of others。 I would thoroughly recommend this book as it is both a breath taking story and an insight into the lives of foreign maids in Cyprus。 Whilst the book was a gentle， slow paced book I enjoyed every chapter。 。。。more
Nicola
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Songbirds is the second book by Christy Lefteri， author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo， and her latest offering is another beautifully written tale。 The powerful story of Nisha， an immigrant from Sri Lanka who works as a nanny in Cyprus is told through the eyes of her lover， Yiannis， and her employer， Petra。 The narrative pace is quite slow for the first half of the book， as Nisha goes missing and those around her are left confused by her disappearance。 The parts of the story relating to Yiannis's t Songbirds is the second book by Christy Lefteri， author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo， and her latest offering is another beautifully written tale。 The powerful story of Nisha， an immigrant from Sri Lanka who works as a nanny in Cyprus is told through the eyes of her lover， Yiannis， and her employer， Petra。 The narrative pace is quite slow for the first half of the book， as Nisha goes missing and those around her are left confused by her disappearance。 The parts of the story relating to Yiannis's trapping of migrating songbirds are brutal and horrific while the parts recounting his relationship with Nisha are tender and heartwrenching。 The book highlights a very real issue with the way some immigrants are treated by their employers and society in general， it's a really thought-provoking and and emotional read， I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Franko Figueiredo-stow
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Based in real life events， Songbirds tells the story of Nisha， who migrated from Sri Lanka to Cyprus to afford her child a future。 In Cyprus she becomes a ‘maid comes nanny’ to Petra and Petra’s daughter Aliki， and a lover to Yannis。Petra lives in a three-storey Venetian property ‘in the old part Nicosia leading to the Green Line that has divided the island since 1974。 There is no violence with their Turkish Cypriot neighbours in the north， but it is an uneasy peace’When her husband Stephanos di Based in real life events， Songbirds tells the story of Nisha， who migrated from Sri Lanka to Cyprus to afford her child a future。 In Cyprus she becomes a ‘maid comes nanny’ to Petra and Petra’s daughter Aliki， and a lover to Yannis。Petra lives in a three-storey Venetian property ‘in the old part Nicosia leading to the Green Line that has divided the island since 1974。 There is no violence with their Turkish Cypriot neighbours in the north， but it is an uneasy peace’When her husband Stephanos dies， Petra becomes completely lost in grief。 Petra ‘sees no harm in having a maid’ and hires Nisha for extra help。 Nisha is there for the birth of Aliki and every family event thereafter。 Yannis has a banking career and a wife， and when the global financial crisis hit， he loses his job， his savings and his wife。 Yannis becomes a lodger at Petra’s Venetian house and poacher hunting precious songbirds。When Nisha mysteriously disappears， Petra and Yannis are left in turmoil。 The story is told from the point of view of Petra and Yannis， as they recount their current struggles and reminisce about their time spent with Nisha。Both Petra and Yannis seek help from the police， except the authorities will not take any action， Officer Kyprianou explains: ‘I can’t concern myself with these foreign women。 I have more important matters to attend to。 If she doesn’t return， my guess would be that she’s ran away to the north。 That’s what they do。 She’s gone to the Turkish side to find better employment。 These women are animals， they follow their instincts’ There is nothing left but to Petra and Yannis investigate Nisha’s disappearance themselves。 Nisha is， sadly， one of many economic migrants who make up a silent and invisible workforce in Cyprus。In Lefteri's words， Songbirds is ‘a story about learning to see each and every human being in the same way as we see ourselves。’ Songbirds is also a story of motherhood and survival， the sacrifices you are forced to make， and the battles you need to fight in search for freedom and a better life。Lefteri is a dexterous storyteller and manages to create deeply interesting characters whilst exposing systemic racism and the injustice many migrants， particularly domestic workers， face in today’s society。 Songbird is a story inspired in real life events stunningly told。 。。。more
Linda Hepworth
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Christy Lefteri’s inspiration for this novel had its roots in a real life case in Cyprus， where five foreign domestic workers and two children had gone missing。 When the women were reported missing， because they were foreign， the police did nothing to investigate their disappearance， the assumption being that they had simply moved on。 However， it was later discovered that all had been murdered。 The author says she ‘felt so saddened by the inhumanity and injustice of this。 I felt compelled to shi Christy Lefteri’s inspiration for this novel had its roots in a real life case in Cyprus， where five foreign domestic workers and two children had gone missing。 When the women were reported missing， because they were foreign， the police did nothing to investigate their disappearance， the assumption being that they had simply moved on。 However， it was later discovered that all had been murdered。 The author says she ‘felt so saddened by the inhumanity and injustice of this。 I felt compelled to shine a light on this situation and the deeply rooted institutionalised racism that prevented the police from launching a search party。’ I think she has succeeded in her aim because she has reminded me of how shocked and angry I felt in 2019 as I followed the unfolding story in the newspapers。 Although her novel isn’t directly about that real-life case， reading it not only reignited those original feelings of outrage but has made me think much more deeply about the attitudes and practices which enable such casual disregard for our fellow human beings， just as it reminded me of the disgust I feel about the abhorrent practice of netting migratory birds。 Christy Lefteri’s rather lyrical narrative style and her highly evocative descriptions of the flora， fauna and landscape of Cyprus， could have belied the dark seriousness of the subject matter。 However， this was far from the case because I truly can’t recall ever having read a novel which has kept me in an almost perpetual state of anger， outrage and disgust at the injustices being described。 As these feelings had already been triggered by the end of page three， it’s clear that the author has an admirable capacity for making her words pack a powerful punch。 Not only did she create convincing main characters to convey her impassioned themes， but her portrayals of the more minor ones were equally impressive。 It is through the eyes of each of these characters that the reader gradually gets to ‘see’ Nisha but it isn’t until the final couple of pages of the story that she’s given her own voice。 Although this could have felt frustrating， I think it was a masterly decision on the part of the author because it’s Nisha’s words which pull so many of the story’s thought-provoking themes together。 Although so many of these are disturbing， frequently making the story feel hauntingly sad， it is also a story of forgiveness， redemption and the power of love。 It would make an excellent choice for reading groups。 With thanks to the publisher and Readers First for a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jenny Patterson
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Stunning。 This book was incredible - very different to The Beekeeper of Aleppo but a beautiful novel and one that I will be recommending to friends and family。Nisha， a domestic worker， has disappeared。 Her fellow local housemaids care， but are powerless。 Her secret boyfriend cares， but is scared to make himself known for fear of her losing her position when she returns。 Her employer and the young girl she looks after think she will come back initially， but as time moves on and they realise that Stunning。 This book was incredible - very different to The Beekeeper of Aleppo but a beautiful novel and one that I will be recommending to friends and family。Nisha， a domestic worker， has disappeared。 Her fellow local housemaids care， but are powerless。 Her secret boyfriend cares， but is scared to make himself known for fear of her losing her position when she returns。 Her employer and the young girl she looks after think she will come back initially， but as time moves on and they realise that the police won't help them， they get more and more concerned。 Nisha's young daughter， who she had to leave abroad to come and work in Cyprus， also cares， but are completely powerless， dependent on the money that Nisha sends to them every month。With Nisha's disappearance pretty much on the first page， we see the people she left behind and the impact that an 'unimportant' immigrant housemaid can have on so many lives。 Also set in Lefteri's native Cyprus， the novel vividly sets out the culture， including the illegal hunting and trade of songbirds。 。。。more
Gemma
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This story hooked me from the opening pages and quickly became a book I did not want to put down。 Set in Cyprus the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Petra and Yiannis who are both searching for a woman named Nisha who has gone missing。 Nisha is employed by Petra to care for her daughter and her home and Yiannis is in a loving relationship with Nisha which they have kept a secret。 Taking inspiration from real events and people， Lefteri draws attention to the plight of women like This story hooked me from the opening pages and quickly became a book I did not want to put down。 Set in Cyprus the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Petra and Yiannis who are both searching for a woman named Nisha who has gone missing。 Nisha is employed by Petra to care for her daughter and her home and Yiannis is in a loving relationship with Nisha which they have kept a secret。 Taking inspiration from real events and people， Lefteri draws attention to the plight of women like Nisha， originally from Sri Lanka who moved to Cyprus leaving her daughter behind， to earn a living to support her family back home and the lack of protection and welfare support from the country。 The authorities lack of interest or action when Nisha and other foreign workers go missing is shocking。 I liked getting to know Nisha through the eyes of two characters who viewed her very differently and Petra's growth over the course of the story from a woman who took Nisha for granted and viewed her as an employee rather than a person， to realising the importance and impact Nisha had on her and her daughter's lives was brilliantly portrayed。 The storyline about the poaching of Songbirds made for difficult reading but the symbolism of these tiny precious birds was beautiful and really added to the emotional power of the novel。 Thank you to Readers First for the copy of this book。 。。。more
Fiona
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I loved The Beekeeper of Aleppo and so I had high hopes for this new novel from Christy Lefteri。 Songbirds is set in Cyprus and tells the story of Nisha through the characters of Petra and Yiannis; Nisha disappears and the novel focuses on their search for her。 I thought this novel was really well written; themes of class， loss， love and motherhood are all intertwined with lots of imagery to create a powerful read。 I had to keep reading on as I wanted to know how it would end。 The chapters alter I loved The Beekeeper of Aleppo and so I had high hopes for this new novel from Christy Lefteri。 Songbirds is set in Cyprus and tells the story of Nisha through the characters of Petra and Yiannis; Nisha disappears and the novel focuses on their search for her。 I thought this novel was really well written; themes of class， loss， love and motherhood are all intertwined with lots of imagery to create a powerful read。 I had to keep reading on as I wanted to know how it would end。 The chapters alternate between Petra and Yiannis; this was really effective as the reader was able to get to know Nisha through different perspectives。 I enjoyed this novel and it left me thinking about the characters and their lives afterwards。 Upon reflection， the note from the author was really insightful too。 I’ll be eager to read the next book from Christy Lefteri！Many thanks to Readers First for an ARC。 。。。more
Hazel Tyson
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I really enjoyed the Beekeeper of Aleppo， so was hoping for something similar with Songbirds and I was not disappointed。Based in Cyprus， Nisha， a maid from Sri Lanka， mysteriously goes missing。 Her mistress Petra decides to take it upon herself to try and find her。 Petra's journey takes her to places she never knew existed， opened up her eyes to Nisha as a person， a mother， and not just the live in maid。This was a beautifully written story， with an underlying darkness。The topics covered in this I really enjoyed the Beekeeper of Aleppo， so was hoping for something similar with Songbirds and I was not disappointed。Based in Cyprus， Nisha， a maid from Sri Lanka， mysteriously goes missing。 Her mistress Petra decides to take it upon herself to try and find her。 Petra's journey takes her to places she never knew existed， opened up her eyes to Nisha as a person， a mother， and not just the live in maid。This was a beautifully written story， with an underlying darkness。The topics covered in this book are things that are happening on a daily basis all around the world and not just in Cypress/Greece。Sometimes we only see people for what they do for us and not for who they are。 We should take the time more often to really discover who these people are around us， and remember that everyone has a history， a past and is striving for a better future。 。。。more
Kelly Hollingworth
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I have only recently read The Beekeeper of Aleppo which I enjoyed immensely。 This new book by Christy Lefteri was no different。 It is a must read。Songbirds tells the story of Nisha who， following the death of her husband， leaves her native Sri Lanka and her daughter to ‘keep house’ and care for Petra’s daughter in Cyprus。 She loves both girls， one in person and one over the internet。 Nisha falls in love with songbird poacher Yiannis and he， and everyone who know her， is heartbroken when she sudd I have only recently read The Beekeeper of Aleppo which I enjoyed immensely。 This new book by Christy Lefteri was no different。 It is a must read。Songbirds tells the story of Nisha who， following the death of her husband， leaves her native Sri Lanka and her daughter to ‘keep house’ and care for Petra’s daughter in Cyprus。 She loves both girls， one in person and one over the internet。 Nisha falls in love with songbird poacher Yiannis and he， and everyone who know her， is heartbroken when she suddenly disappears。 Set in beautiful Cyprus this is a story of love， discovery and sacrifice。 There are wonderful moments but there are dark elements too。 I loved the cover， the colours used， the songbird， the back drop of Cyprus。 It will stand out in any bookshop。 If you see it pick it up and buy it。 You will not be disappointed。It would appeal to any followers of Victoria Hislop’s work。 。。。more
Karen
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4。5 StarsSongbirds is a beautiful and emotional novel inspired by a recent tragedy in Cyprus in which five migrant workers and two children disappeared。 Female migrant workers travel to Cyprus in the hope of making a better life for themselves and for their families and there is a strong analogy in the book of these women to the songbirds who also flock to Cyprus。 It’s a beautifully crafted and compelling story which will immediately captivate you and draw you in。 The writing is exquisite， it’s 4。5 StarsSongbirds is a beautiful and emotional novel inspired by a recent tragedy in Cyprus in which five migrant workers and two children disappeared。 Female migrant workers travel to Cyprus in the hope of making a better life for themselves and for their families and there is a strong analogy in the book of these women to the songbirds who also flock to Cyprus。 It’s a beautifully crafted and compelling story which will immediately captivate you and draw you in。 The writing is exquisite， it’s richly descriptive and I enjoyed reading about Cyprus， the landscape， culture and food， so evocative I could smell the Jasmine， spices and hear the bird song。The storyline is brilliant being taken up mostly by the mysterious disappearance of Nisha and piecing together what has happened to her。 Although the pacing felt slow the plot is so compelling it took no time at all to read。 The story is told from the alternating points of view of Petra， Nisha’s employer， and Yiannis， her friend and lover。 The characters are faultless， they have personality， depth and are beautifully drawn。There is some unbelievably haunting imagery， one of which is the gradual decomposition of the hare marking time and I imagined these sections were in some way linked to Nisha。 The songbird poaching is a real eye opener and the mistreatment of these birds was quite graphic and heartbreaking， however the atmosphere created in these scenes was absolutely breathtaking。 These beautiful creatures are being captured and killed to sell to restaurants as forbidden delicacies， still singing their little hearts out until they take their last breath。Songbirds is a powerful， beautifully written and incredibly well researched book portraying the difficulties and suffering migrant workers faced。 A thought-provoking and eye-opening novel which has deeply touched me and I will be thinking about it for years to come。Thank you to the publisher for the beautiful gifted copy to review。 TWISTED IN PAGES BLOG 。。。more
Claire
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Songbirds is beautifully written， the descriptions of the place， the people and their stories brings everything vividly to life for the reader。 It will stay with me for a very long time， I found it deepy sad but yet a story that needs to be told。The novel is told from a dual perspective of Petra the young widow who employs a live in help， Nisha， to run her life， home and mother her daughter and Yiannis who rents the flat above who earns his living from poaching the songbirds as they migate from Songbirds is beautifully written， the descriptions of the place， the people and their stories brings everything vividly to life for the reader。 It will stay with me for a very long time， I found it deepy sad but yet a story that needs to be told。The novel is told from a dual perspective of Petra the young widow who employs a live in help， Nisha， to run her life， home and mother her daughter and Yiannis who rents the flat above who earns his living from poaching the songbirds as they migate from Africa and Europe and selling them on the black market。One day Nisha leaves late at night to run and errand and never returns。 The police arent interested at all in trying to find her， they are incredibly prejudiced about the migrant women that come to work in Cyprus。 Petra realises that she needs to find out what has hapened to Nisha herself。 In her seach Petra realises that she has spent the last ten years living with a woman she knows nothing about， she took fo grated her presence and servitude。 Her eyes are opened to the darker side of migrant life for the women around her， their limited options and vulnerability。 Christy Lefteri bring these women's stories to life in a deeply empathetic way。 。。。more
Tammy Tudor
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Beautiful but not my kind of read！ From seeing the cover and title I knew this book was going to be a good read。 It has the most beautiful writing and the story is unqiue written from differenct perspectives。 This flickering perspective between the two main characters really added to the story and you got to feel the emotions and analyse the actions of thoughts which I loved。This is a very compelling book with life lessons and quotes throughout that do move you however， it may be just me persona Beautiful but not my kind of read！ From seeing the cover and title I knew this book was going to be a good read。 It has the most beautiful writing and the story is unqiue written from differenct perspectives。 This flickering perspective between the two main characters really added to the story and you got to feel the emotions and analyse the actions of thoughts which I loved。This is a very compelling book with life lessons and quotes throughout that do move you however， it may be just me personally， the book has a real heavy sense of melancholy throughout which I don't personally usually read。 At times it is emotional and extremely sad。 But， saying this I did enjoy the educatuon I learnt from the tales told through the story in reflection of what it must be like in real life。 I do love books that make you reflect and ponder on real life which this book certainly does。I would recommend this book despite some of its sad moments。 。。。more
EL
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Nisha has left her daughter and mum back in Galle， Sri Lanka， to go and work for Petra and her daughter Aliki in Cyprus。 She’s been there 9 years but one day she disappears。 The police aren’t interested so Petra and Yiannis， Petra’s lodger， have to piece together Nisha’s last known movements and try and work out where she went。 This is another beautifully told story from the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 Don’t make the mistake of comparing the two books， the only similarity is that Lefteri Nisha has left her daughter and mum back in Galle， Sri Lanka， to go and work for Petra and her daughter Aliki in Cyprus。 She’s been there 9 years but one day she disappears。 The police aren’t interested so Petra and Yiannis， Petra’s lodger， have to piece together Nisha’s last known movements and try and work out where she went。 This is another beautifully told story from the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 Don’t make the mistake of comparing the two books， the only similarity is that Lefteri is highlighting the voices of those who aren’t usually highlighted in the best light。 It’s a slow burn， full of detail and leads you through a range of emotions。 Full of compassion， it shows opposing perspectives of people who emigrate to make a better life for themselves and really shows a side of humanity that people don’t consider。 You can judge but you may never really know the full story; you can see someone every day and not really know them; there’s always another side you haven’t seen or thought about。 I especially loved the parallel storyline of Yiannis and his poaching， the story of the hare and the songbirds， showing that some lives are disregarded as not as important as others。 。。。more
Maureen
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Having read "The Beekeeper of Aleppo" and having enjoyed it so very much I was delighted to see that Christy Lefteri had brought out another book for my library。This one with the title of "Songbirds" is a book that will not fail to please the reader。Lets begin with the cover:A delight in itself with a picture of the small songbird in all its glorious colours。 The island of Cyprus behind a hand that looks as though it wants to catch this delicate and beautiful creature， it signals to me a love fo Having read "The Beekeeper of Aleppo" and having enjoyed it so very much I was delighted to see that Christy Lefteri had brought out another book for my library。This one with the title of "Songbirds" is a book that will not fail to please the reader。Lets begin with the cover:A delight in itself with a picture of the small songbird in all its glorious colours。 The island of Cyprus behind a hand that looks as though it wants to catch this delicate and beautiful creature， it signals to me a love for the bird。The colour yellow and the embossed title is so very eye catching too。。。 perfect in fact。This cover draws your eye and says pick me up and look through my pages。。。。if you do you will not be disappointed。This story is written in a beautiful and sensitive way， almost like poetry。It is one that the reader will be unable to put down。It really is thought - provoking with love， loss and redemption running thoughout its pages。。。Do read it you will be glad you did 。。。more
Ashrafi Sultan
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Wow what a great story！ Thank you net galley for an advanced copy of this wonderful book。 The story is about a Sri Lankan woman called Nisha whose husband was killed working in the mines 。 Nisha leaves behind her young daughter and mother to work in Cyprus as a maid for Petra who is pregnant and expecting her first baby。 Petra recently lost her husband too so relies on Nisha for a lot of support。 Over time we learn that Nisha suddenly disappears。 The authorities do not want to help as there is a Wow what a great story！ Thank you net galley for an advanced copy of this wonderful book。 The story is about a Sri Lankan woman called Nisha whose husband was killed working in the mines 。 Nisha leaves behind her young daughter and mother to work in Cyprus as a maid for Petra who is pregnant and expecting her first baby。 Petra recently lost her husband too so relies on Nisha for a lot of support。 Over time we learn that Nisha suddenly disappears。 The authorities do not want to help as there is a lot of prejudice against maids who come from other countries。 The story then focuses on the mystery of Nishas disappearance。 Petra and Yiannis （who is a tenant in Petras House and also Nisha's Lover） unravel the mystery to Nishas disappearance。 Petra starts to learn a lot about Nishas life that she never knew about。 Petra realises that she never spent time to get to know Nisha properly and just treated her like she owned her。 Petras daughter Aliki loves Nisha like a mother and is devastated when Nisha goes missing。There is always a story behind each person we meet and they should be treated as an individual。 Credit to Christy Lefteri who has written another masterpiece！ 。。。more
Sally
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My reaction to finishing Songbirds was overwhelming 。。physical and emotional。 I wanted to shout at the beauty and tragedy of the world it portrayed。 Songbirds is the story of Nisha who came to Cyprus from Sri Lanka to be a maid/nanny for Petra and her daughter。 She is a widow， desperate to provide for her family back home， forced overseas for work。 Petra， her employer， is also a widow， depending on Nisha for everything。 Nisha has found love with Yiannis， but unbeknownst to her he has been huntin My reaction to finishing Songbirds was overwhelming 。。physical and emotional。 I wanted to shout at the beauty and tragedy of the world it portrayed。 Songbirds is the story of Nisha who came to Cyprus from Sri Lanka to be a maid/nanny for Petra and her daughter。 She is a widow， desperate to provide for her family back home， forced overseas for work。 Petra， her employer， is also a widow， depending on Nisha for everything。 Nisha has found love with Yiannis， but unbeknownst to her he has been hunting for songbirds， caught up in an illegal trade from which he cannot extricate himself。 At the start of the story Nisha disappears and Yiannis and Petra embark on their separate searches to find out where she has gone， reflecting on the difference she has made to their lives。 And then another woman disappears…Lefteri brings the same lyrical touch as The Beekeeper to this incredible story， writing again about the experiences of migrants who have been forced to leave home simply to survive。 When Yiannis goes again and again to the police to report Nisha’s disappearance he hits a wall of indifference， racism， discrimination。 It is clear that in this world these women’s lives count for nothing。This book tore me apart。。reading about the terrible slaying of the beautiful songbirds was utterly heartbreaking and graphic but part of a dialogue about exploitation， corruption， feeding the desires and appetites of the wealthy。 The hunters caught up in a net as deadly and impenetrable as that which catches the songbirds。 The characters wove themselves into my heart and I was searching for Nisha， desperate to find her， railing against a system where she doesn’t matter。 I wanted to shout out at a world where the lives of the songbirds and the women are so dispensable。 And again in the midst of all this sadness there is beauty: in blossoming love; in the fluttering of a rescued songbird who has escaped the net; in the courage and determination of the men and women who will search out the truth。 An absolutely beautiful and unforgettable read。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Songbirds
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Songbirds&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Songbirds&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0