The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 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 adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in 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 rollercoaster 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.

BOOK REVIEW

I couldn't wait to read "The Nature of Small Birds" by Susie Finkbeiner. This is the second book I read by Susie Finkbeiner. I read her book "All Manner of Things" which was really good. She does such an amazing job of bringing stories to life. I love how the story takes place in Michigan. 

The story is told in three characters: Linda (1975) the mom, Sonny (1988) the big sister, and Bruce (2013-2014) about their family and the adoption of Pham Quyen Minh (Mindy) from Vietnam.  The characters and backdrops were well done. Linda is married with one daughter, Sonny. She longs to have more children. The family adopted Mindy. The second part of the book is told from Sonny's viewpoint. She is getting ready to head off to college. Mindy is a teenager. We see Bruce's, the dad, perspective. In 2013 Mindy is an adult and looking for her birth family.  Susie did a fantastic job creating these characters. I felt like I was reading a biography. This book would make a wonderful Hallmark film. There are so many different topics such as adoption, racial discrimination, family, and belonging.  She painted the eras really well. I highly recommend "The Nature of Small Birds."  My favorite quote in the book:

"It's the nature of small birds to sing their hearts out. And it's the nature of God to hear them."

*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susie Finkbeiner is a stay-at-home mom, speaker, and author from West Michigan. Her previous books include Paint Chips (2013) and My Mother's Chamomile (2014). She has served as fiction editor and regular contributor to the Burnside Writers Guild and Unbound magazine. Finkbeiner is an avid blogger is on the planning committee of the Breathe Christian Writers Conference and has presented or led groups of other writers at several conferences. She serves on the Fiction Readers Summit planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women’s events across the country. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

Her Website: Click Here