WINTER BIRDS by Jamie Langston Turner

Sophia Hess has lived to be 80 and now has found a place to settle for her last days.  She isn’t expecting happiness, as she has known so little of it in her life.  She carefully selected a relative’s home to reside in after petitioning and then visiting several relatives; her nephew, Patrick, and his wife, Rachel, offered the best prospects.  

Sophia has endured great heartbreaks over the course of her life, as have Patrick and Rachel.  She carefully watches and relates each aspect of their household as she sees them coping and dealing with the blows life has thrown at them.  She also notices their faith, as Patrick and Rachel never waver in their faith no matter the circumstances. 

WINTER BIRDS starts off achingly slow, as Sophia reveals details in an often meandering way.  As the story progresses, one becomes drawn into the lives of the characters as their personalities and idiosyncrasies begin to emerge through the eyes of Sophia.  WINTER BIRDS is definitely a character driven tale as the plot is a relatively slow developing one, with numerous looks back on the past as Sophia ponders over the events of her life.     

Jamie Langston Turner makes good use of metaphors in WINTER BIRDS.  The mention of the various birds, both at the introduction to each chapter and liberally sprinkled throughout the tale, provides a good point of reference to Aunt Sophia’s perspective as it changes and grows.  In some ways, the descriptions of the birds are Sophia as she gradually begins to see her value as a member of her family.  The inclusion of quotes from various works of literature, focusing specifically on Shakespeare, only adds to the overall atmosphere of WINTER BIRDS.  This is a tale that develops from a very melancholy and almost depressing story to one in which a glimmer of hope begins to emerge.  The transition of focus from the older generation to the younger generation finalizes the shift.     

Jamie Langston Turner tackles some sensitive issues in WINTER BIRDS.  Not only is aging addressed, but racial issues play a large part in the storyline.  Ms. Turner provides a careful and thoughtful balance, pointing out that everyone has faults but no one is beyond the hope of change.     

A note of caution is in store, however, as WINTER BIRDS isn’t a happily-ever-after tale.  The characters deal with both trauma and the daily struggles of everyday living and there is no quick or easy answer for any of them.  Perhaps that is the message the author wishes to convey, that faith can and does survive the reality of daily living. 

Rating: 4

The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge