I am always keen on supporting Canadian authors when I can, and I was looking forward to reading Giangrande's latest novel. See my review and scroll down to enter the giveaway to win a copy.
Book Details:
Book Title: The Tender Birds by Carole Giangrande
Category: Adult Fiction, 305 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Inanna Publications
Release date: October 2019
Tour dates: Nov 11 to Nov 22, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 + M
(References to mature themes. The f-word and s**t are used about six times each. There are two non-explicit sex scenes (one is a reverie) and there is no physical violence.)
Book Description:
Matthew Reilly is a busy academic, a lonely priest haunted by secrets. Young Alison is the shy and devoted keeper of Daisy, a falcon which suffered an accident and can no longer fly. The three of them meet in a Boston parish, but Matt has forgotten a momentary but disturbing meetup with Alison, homeless eight years earlier in Toronto. Close to exhaustion, he's forced to reflect on what's become of his life, including the loss of a son that no one knew he'd fathered. Alison and Matt had a fateful encounter during her homeless period, but Matt doesn't connect that frail teenager with the healthy young woman she'd become. It's left to Alison to uncover Matt's past and for Matt to come to terms with it.
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
I am always keen on supporting Canadian authors when I can, and I was looking forward to reading Giangrande's latest novel. The Tender Birds is a literary novel that explores the themes of regret, forgiveness, redemption, mid-life crisis, loneliness, ornithological symbolism and the Catholic Church.
Although I read a variety of genre, I don't usually read this writing style that consists of poetic verse, nonlinear timeline and bird symbolism with a touch of surrealism, I think. It took me awhile to adjust to this style and to the sombre atmosphere of this book. Matthew Reilly is a pastoral psychologist, detached and lost, who contemplates how he came to the life he has chosen. He essentially hides behind the safe feeling of the Catholic Church afraid to admit the serious mistakes he has made along the way both toward a woman he loved in his youth and a desperate woman he failed to help in her greatest need.
I struggled through this novel, principally because I did not care much for Matthew. Alison's story was heartbreaking. She was a strong character, however, and she trumped Matthew's character when it came to strength, determination and facing adversity. The novel does have a hopeful thread throughout which kept me reading. However, the portrayal of theology versus Bible truth in offering an explanation to life's big questions and issues had a tendency to sound philosophical and spiritually mystical rather than clear and forthright as the Bible brings out. But that is my personal opinion according to my own personal beliefs.
This is a contemplative slow-paced novel that deals with several deep and heavy themes that are best suited to readers who thrive on drama based on the search for redemption within a religious setting.
Disclosure: Thanks to iRead Book Tours for providing a copy for review. I was not told how to rate or review this book.
To read more reviews, please visit Carole Giangrande's page on iRead Book Tours.
Praise for Carole Giangrande's novels:
“…prose that absolutely shimmers. What’s more, her recapitulation of what is was like to watch 9/11 unfold on television is engrossing in its verisimilitude. DeLillo, Amis and Foer could learn a thing or two from her.” — Quill and Quire
Praise for Carole Giangrande's novels:
“…prose that absolutely shimmers. What’s more, her recapitulation of what is was like to watch 9/11 unfold on television is engrossing in its verisimilitude. DeLillo, Amis and Foer could learn a thing or two from her.” — Quill and Quire
“This is a softly unsettling book, effective in showcasing the confusion that follows such a personal yet public crisis.” — Publishers’ Weekly
“…a deftly crafted meditation on what happens in the aftermath of tragedies both public and private, calling into question the idea that time heals all wounds.” — Room Magazine
“Giangrande has written a thought-provoking story that will have your heart racing, bursting, and breaking. The story is thoughtful, slow-going, and emotional. The prose is beautiful. The characters are interesting, flawed, and realistic. And the ways in which this book explores life and death through the pain of waiting and not knowing is superb. I just loved this book so hard. It was terrific!” — A Bookish Way of Life
“The wording is both elegant and poetic… the author, accomplished painting vivid images within my mind’s eye that will never be forgotten. Overall this book is unique, being unlike anything I have read before. Go get a copy! You will not be disappointed.” —Readaholic Zone
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About the Author:
Carole Giangrande is the award-winning author of ten books, including the novella A Gardener on the Moon (winner of the 2010 Ken Klonsky Award) and the novel All That Is Solid Melts Into Air (2018 Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Literary Fiction). The Tender Birds is her fourth novel. She’s worked as a broadcast journalist for CBC Radio (Canada's public broadcaster), and her fiction, poetry, articles and reviews have appeared in literary journals and in Canada’s major newspapers. In her spare time, she loves exploring nature with her partner Brian, photographing birds and studying French.
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Nov 29, 2019
Thank you for sharing this deep, introspective, thought-provoking novel.
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