Synopses & Reviews
Brilliant writinglively and heartbreaking at every turn.”Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life
In this debut novel, 33-year-old Addie Lockwood bears and surrenders for adoption a son, her only child, without telling his father, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives. Through letters and spare, precisely observed vignettes, Byrd explores a birth mothers coming to make and live with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices.
Kim Churchs stories have appeared in Shenandoah, Painted Bride Quarterly, Flash Fiction Forward, and elsewhere. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she has received fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Millay Colony, and Vermont Studio Center . She lives in Raleigh , North Carolina with her husband, artist Anthony Ulinski. Byrd is her first novel.
Review
"Kim Church has created an unforgettable and gripping tale about a young womans passage to adulthood in a small town in North Carolina in her excellent debut novel,
Byrd. There are books we like to read because they provide a window to a world wholly unfamiliar, but there are others like
Byrd that give insight into our own lives"—
BookPage,"Brilliant writing lively and heartbreaking at every turn." Jill McCorkle, New York Times bestselling author of Life After Life
A riveting debut. Kim Church is a very talented writer.” Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena and Nothing Gold Can Stay
"This protagonist is so appealing, with her unflinching moral candor, her mistakes based on generous instincts. The prose is lilting, joyous. This novelabout young lives that start out full of promise, falter, then recoveris a hard luck story that will make you feel good." Debra Monroe, author of On the Outskirts of Normal: Forging a Family Against the Grain
Addie is a particular womana character that will linger and grow belovedbut she could also be your sister, your roommate from college, a friend in the neighborhood. Shes still struggling in her thirties to make sense of old loves and loss that keeps cycling back into her life. A successful woman in the world, her heart remains in flux until love that cant be budged finally takes root in her. Kim Church has imagined a world of good people missing the mark as good people sometimes do. Theyre familiar, a comfort. I will never forget the impact of the final pages." Patricia Henley, National Book Award finalist and author of Other Heartbreaks
Fresh, riveting, and brilliantly written. The richly layered story explores motherhood and its attendant relationships in ways that break new ground, both stylistically and thematically. Already recognized for her work in the short story form, Kim Church should gain national attention with this original and important novel.” Angela Davis-Gardner, author of Butterfly's Child and Plum Wine
"Beautiful, dream-like language
connects us directly with the experience of all the characters. It goes right to the heart, without being filtered through the brain, the way a smell connects you to a memory." Nancy Peacock, New York Times notable author of Life Without Water and The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson
Synopsis
The fragmented family history of a child given up for adoption, told through his birth parents and others.