The Nature of Small Birds
A Novel
About
"Fiction at its finest."--Christina Suzann Nelson, award-winning author of More Than We Remember and The Way It Should Be
In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When 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.
Mindy's father grapples with the tension between holding on tightly and letting his daughter spread her wings. Her mother undergoes the emotional roller coaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy and her sister struggle to find the strength to accept each other as they both discover who they truly are.
Told through three distinct voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.
"A beautiful story about the intricacies of family and the power of love. Most definitely a must-read novel."--Heidi Chiavaroli, Carol Award-winning author of Freedom's Ring and The Orchard House
"To open a book by Susie Finkbeiner is to accept an invitation to become part of a family you'll never forget."--Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Shadows of the White City
"Susie Finkbeiner has such an inviting and distinctive voice as a writer that you'll gladly follow it--and follow her--to any setting."--Valerie Fraser Luesse, Christy Award-winning author of Under the Bayou Moon
Endorsements
"The Nature of Small Birds is fiction at its finest. Susie Finkbeiner created another story that will stay with me for years to come. Tough subjects are handled with gentle truth, allowing readers to experience the lives of the Matthews family as if they were members themselves. I highly recommend this exceptional novel."
Christina Suzann Nelson, award-winning author of More Than We Remember and The Way It Should Be
"The Nature of Small Birds is a beautiful story about the intricacies of family and the power of love. With a masterful pen, Susie Finkbeiner peels back layers of everyday life to give readers a glimpse of the human heart and what is of ultimate importance. Her authentic characters offer the sacred gift of empathy, compassion, and hope. I didn't want to leave their company! Most definitely a must-read novel."
Heidi Chiavaroli, Carol Award-winning author of Freedom's Ring and The Orchard House
"To open a book by Susie Finkbeiner is to accept an invitation to become part of a family you'll never forget, a family you'll miss once the last chapter ends. In The Nature of Small Birds, the characters are so well-drawn you'll forget you're reading fiction and feel as though you're watching real life unfold with all of its wonder and heartache, its grasping and letting go. With subtlety and elegance, Finkbeiner has wrapped this story in layers of meaning. At its core is a tale of belonging, growth, and of love that gives wings to fly."
Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Shadows of the White City
"Susie Finkbeiner has such an inviting and distinctive voice as a writer that you'll gladly follow it--and follow her--to any setting, be it Dust Bowl Oklahoma or modern-day Michigan. In The Nature of Small Birds, Finkbeiner gives us a Michigan family dealing with their shared past and with troubling ghosts from the Vietnam War. We share in their struggle as they work hard to forgive what they can't forget and embrace the complications that come from unconditional love. Susie Finkbeiner draws such a layered, fully realized family that you'll think about them long after their story ends."
Valerie Fraser Luesse, Christy Award-winning author
The Author
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Bree Rose Photos Susie Finkbeiner
Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, as well as Stories That Bind Us, The Nature of Small Birds, and other novels. Susie and her husband have three...
Continue reading about Susie Finkbeiner
Reviews
"Finkbeiner has deftly written this narrative of ordinary people finding their way, set against a backdrop of global upheaval and war; the characters are realistic and vibrant. Readers looking for realist family stories with a subtle thread of faith . . .will want to read Finkbeiner's latest."
Library Journal starred review
"A balanced story that's rich with nuance and gentle emotions."
Foreword Reviews
"Readers who enjoy the work of Karen Kingsbury will want to take a look."
Publishers Weekly