Why did you choose this book?
It was the intriguing blurb which caught my eye, a boy searching for his mother, longing to find the truth about why she went missing. This resonated with me, especially after releasing my novel MISSING, Past and Present. What drives someone to leave their home and family without trace, especially their child?
Also I do like to try new to me authors. The blurb said that it was set in New York City, a place I have enjoyed visiting and will do so again shortly. The novel was clearly set in different time zones and so, all in all looked, my kind of book.
Did I feel empathy to any particular character?
You couldn’t help but be drawn to Bird Gardner, the boy, and his impossible quest. Margaret, his mother was more difficult to relate to, being wary of her motives, but by the end I felt compassion for this creative lady who was misunderstood and misrepresented by the world.
Is there a lasting thought or memory from the book which remains with you long after the novel is finished?
Wow, yes. How easy it is for a society to turn its backs on a community, as happened to the Jews in WW2. (see my next review in July) ~ How a chance poem could have such devastating and damaging consequences. ~ How a boy’s love for his mother can overcome as he continues to believe.
Prejudice, to the extreme. Human nature shown in its ugliness, but compassion and love too. All were represented in this novel. Occasionally tears flowed with an overwhelming sadness and even anger.
I can recommended this well written and gripping novel, but it is not a gentle read.
Diana Jackson 