ABOUT THE BOOKIn 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.
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.
MY THOUGHTS.....
I've read many books this year, and this is certainly one of my favorites. The Nature of Small Birds captivated me from the very beginning! It is the story of a family that adopts a little girl from Vietnam during the Operation Babylift campaign of 1975, and I feel like I am a family friend who witnessed it all. Author Susie Finkbeiner tells this adoption story through the thoughts of Bruce, Linda, and Sonny Matthews, and each perspective is told during a different time period. Minh is the little four-year-old who joins the family in 1975, and Linda's perspective relates the tremendous adjustment that awaits all of them. I loved seeing Minh (Mindy) blossom from the love and attention given to her by her parents and her sister Sonny, and then watching how that sister bond deepens in the 1988 storyline. Bruce's voice is told during the 2013-14 time frame, and he has to be one of the best fictional fathers ever! Bruce is a decent, loyal man of deep faith, but he still grieves for a brother who died while serving in Vietnam, and he is deeply hurt by his mother's initial reluctance to accept Mindy into the family. Bruce is the one who compares children to small birds, and points out that parents must allow their children to fly. He also strongly supports Mindy when she decides that she wants to try to find her birth family. I absolutely loved Bruce Matthews!
The Nature of Small Birds reminds us of the hurts and losses caused by the Vietnam War, but it also affirms the blessings that came out of it. It is a story of love, family, learning to accept, and being willing to let go. I absolutely loved this book and I applaud Susie Finkbeiner's unique writing talent! I recommend The Nature of Small Birds to all who enjoy contemporary Christian fiction.
I received a copy of this book from Revell but there was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Nature of Small Birds reminds us of the hurts and losses caused by the Vietnam War, but it also affirms the blessings that came out of it. It is a story of love, family, learning to accept, and being willing to let go. I absolutely loved this book and I applaud Susie Finkbeiner's unique writing talent! I recommend The Nature of Small Birds to all who enjoy contemporary Christian fiction.
I received a copy of this book from Revell but there was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susie Finkbeiner is a novelist from West Michigan. She is the award winning, bestselling author of All Manner of Things, a 2020 Michigan Notable Book.
She is also the author of Stories That Bind Us, All Manner of Things, and The Pearl Spence Series.
Susie is a wife, mother of three, and avid reader. She enjoys time with her family, coffee dates with her good friends, and quiet moments to read and write.
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