REVIEW: “The Nature of Small Birds” by Susie Finkbeiner

 

About the Book:

✦ Title: The Nature of Small Birds

✦ Author: Susie Finkbeiner

✦ Genre: Triple timeline fiction w/ light faith threads (1975, 1988, 2013-2014)

✦ Series: Currently a standalone novel

✦ Recommend for: Ages 16/17+ {not for those very sensitive to war and adoption}

My Personal Rating

3.5 ⭐️

📖 Synopsis

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 adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in 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 rollercoaster 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.

💭 My thoughts

“It’s the nature of small birds to sing their little hearts out. And it’s the nature of God to hear them.”

This was an emotional story with many sweet and impactful moments, however there were things here and there that I didn’t care for, and I think I enjoyed the author's other two books that I read a bit more.

Set against the backdrop of the ending of the Vietnam War, the first time period explores a very unique slice of history that was both fascinating to learn about and research as well as sad and a little difficult to read at times. I had never heard of Operation Babylift, so again, it was interesting to research that moment in history more and all the nuances and dilemmas that came with it, but I can see why this might not be the best read for very sensitive people. I also thought Linda's perspective as she takes the steps to adopt Minh in the first timeline and POV--my very favorite element of this story--was well-done and realistic, and the emotions and struggles of choosing to adopt a little girl from war-torn Vietnam were portrayed with depth and honesty. 

The 1988 timeline shows us more of the relationship Mindy and her sister had when they were teens.  I was okay with all three timelines/POVs eventually, but if I had to choose a least favorite, it would probably be this one--partly because I dislike the time period of the 1980s in general, and partly because the way Sonny treated Mindy and (albeit often unintentionally) hurt her at times was sad, and certain conversations between them just bothered me. I confess that I'm likely being too harsh, but I know I would never say some of the things Sonny did to an adopted sister.

The third and final timeline is 2013. At first, I had a hard time following along with this narrative as it is written in present tense and first person, but eventually I warmed up to it, and I enjoyed reading about the events in this time through the eyes of Bruce, dad to Mindy and Sonny and grandpa to Sonny's children. There were a lot of sweet moments in this timeline, but also some hard ones as he does deal with some family conflict, loss, grief, and watching his daughters as they journey through their own ups and downs. As a side-note, I know many readers dislike this, but I actually tend to enjoy stories without a perfect, tied-with-a-bow ending, and this book as well as the other books I've read by this author follow that style, which I really love. Her books just feel so real. 

I was definitely confused at first because of the 3 timelines and the different POVs, and had trouble keeping track of who everyone was and what was happening, but I finally got the hang of the style 50 or so pages in.

I will say that there were three little things that left me slightly dissatisfied in this story; one, we never get the full story behind Eric and Mindy's separation, and almost no details about their relationship at all. Two, *SLIGHT SPOILER* the whole thing with the man coming to investigate the legality of Mindy's adoption and get Mindy's fingerprints was very brief and bever really wrapped up to my satisfaction, and I almost wonder why it was included in the story at all. *END OF SLIGHT SPOILER* And then three, Mindy is arguably the main character, yet she has no POV...whereas her sister Sonny has a POV that almost feels unnecessary.

Those non-major things aside, I have to say I so admire this author for her ability to craft touching stories without romance being a prominent element at all. It was so refreshing and makes me wish she had more books out!  

So yes, while I didn't love this one quite as much as The All-American and All Manner of Things, it was still a good story and I would recommend it to certain readers.

⚠️ Content

Trigger warnings- Adoption trauma/struggles, many references to Vietnam War and Operation Babylift, death and grief, themes of abandonment (parental separation and loss), identity struggles (cultural displacement, racial identity, adoption identity) and subtle racism (being a Vietnamese adoptee in a white family/community)

Other- No language stronger than "Man alive", "doggone it", "darn", "gosh", "shoot", and the phrase "War is hell"; a reference to a plane crash that occurred in Vietnam and killed the children aboard who were going to be adopted; mentions of adoptive parents who were horrible; a mention of someone who was killed in war and thinking "it was a waste"; family conflict; mentions of hippies and war protests; not-detailed kisses & mentions of kisses; a mention of an affair; nearness, butterflies, and dancing; someone is called "hot"; inability to conceive; divorce; PTSD-like symptoms are seen from a side character.

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Bookishly yours, 

Lottie M