Maddy is mute. Since the Incident she has barely spoken. And now she and her mother and brother are staying in a farmhouse on an old apricot orchard not far from town. It’s a chance to rest and recuperate – or a way to hide further away from the world.
Alice is waiting. Since Birdy, her darling daughter, disappeared forty-five years ago, she has sat in her house waiting for her to come home. Alice says Maddy reminds her of Birdy, and Maddy feels a strange connection to the long-lost girl. In the quiet not-speaking and waiting, amid the clutter of the old woman’s house, Maddy and Alice slowly become friends. Until Maddy takes something that’s not hers.
Review
The story of Birdy unfolds through Maddy’s poetry. The prose results in the novel being highly introspective, giving us an intimate window into Maddy’s thoughts and emotions as she adjusts to life with her family in a new town. However, as a result, Birdy is also minimalistic in many ways. It is a quick read, though at the expense of secondary character growth or B-plot. (Note: the prose is very accessibly written, so if you’re not a poetry fan you may still enjoy this read).
The novel centres around Maddy’s anxiety, rumination, and subsequent challenges with speaking to those outside of her family. This is one of the very few novels I’ve read which has touched on selective mutism (or, as it is increasingly referred to: situational mutism). Overall, I felt that this was handled accurately and empathetically. It was also nice to see Maddy’s rather positive relationship with her therapist, and their telehealth sessions woven into the prose.
Over time, the reader learns more about the catalysing incident which led Maddy to retreat into herself, and her strong, subsequent feelings of shame. This reminded me of a conversation I had with another psychologist a few years prior, where we discussed how unlike most emotions, shame is not particularly useful; it bogs us down rather than propelling us to make positive changes. I enjoyed seeing Maddy’s growth as she began to address the negative interpretations of the incident which were driving her shame.
We also see Maddy’s life intertwine with the mystery of teenager Birdy’s disappearance nearly fifty years prior. Due to the minimalistic writing style, readers don’t get a huge amount of detail of past events, though there is enough information to result in some degree of closure for both characters and readers. Despite the novel’s name, the story is much more about Maddy’s inner turmoil than it is about Birdy’s disappearance.
Overall, Birdy is a compelling novel about how we cope with the past versus how we move forward. I recommend this novel for readers who are looking for an introspective novel that is a little different.
Thank you to Text Publishing for providing us a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
Review by Elise
Novel Feelings 