Beautiful! 'The Nature of Small Birds' - by Susie Finkbeiner

 

About the book:

In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When 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.

Mindy's father grapples with the tension between holding on tightly and letting his daughter spread her wings. Her 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 and her sister struggle to find the strength to accept each other as they both discover who they truly are.

Told through three distinct 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 review:

This was a wonderful adoption story with a family overflowing with love but who'd also had their fair share of grief.  It was fascinating to follow this family in three different timelines as they remember how they came to adopt Mindy and the months following, then how Mindy and the older sister grapple with being teenagers and so different from each other in the late '80s to 2013 where Mindy decides she wants to find her birth family.  I had never heard of Operation Babylift so I found it fascinating to learn about it and some of the issues surrounding it.  I also loved how books and music were mentioned throughout the story and I'm going to look into those, too, as they sound wonderful.  I especially loved the dad as he had such a gentle way about him and a tender heart for his daughters.  He also had a strong faith.  Sonny, the oldest, made me laugh and there were moments that made me cry.  All of the characters were wonderful and so was the writing.  I highly recommend this book!

I received a free copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

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   Bree Rose Photos

   Susie Finkbeiner

   Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, and Stories That Bind Us, as well as A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She...

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