From Powells.com
Our booksellers' favorite books of the year!
Discover the books that made our 2022 list.
The Best Books of 2022 (So Far)
Staff Pick
The writing is whimsical but transcends whimsy. The story is magical but transcends magic. Laura Stanfill's Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is deceptively delightful, exploring real-world themes of connection, loss, feminism, death, and identity, all wrapped up in lyrical language, bountiful cleverness, and endless wit. Resplendent and transcendent. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com
This lovely, whimsical, humorous, smart, and fantastical book brightened up my winter reading (lucky enough to read an advanced copy). Take yourself out of this wearisome world and into Laura Stanfill's magic. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
As a firstborn son of a master craftsman, Henri Blanchard is expected to inherit the family barrel organ workshop, but he would prefer to make bobbin lace like his best friend Aimée. In an effort to put his misgivings aside and prove himself a worthy heir, he attempts dramatic feats that draw derision from the townsfolk and finally land him in jail, accused of murder. Threatened with the hangman's noose, he is forced to flee the cozy village of Mireville — and discover a world beyond that may be big enough for even the rarest bird to find a nest.
Suspenseful and heartwarming by turns, Laura Stanfill's debut is a whimsical journey full of friendship, adventure, and self-discovery.
Review
“Charming….This gentle story is flavored only lightly with magic, instead relying on families of vivid characters, carefully detailed scene setting, and delicately gilded writing to create a cozy and enjoyable environment.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Evocative details….each setting is enrapturing….Henri's tale remains captivating throughout. Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is a moving debut about the worlds that open when a parent dares to love their child without reserve.” Foreword Reviews
Review
“Laura Stanfill’s Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is a rollicking and tender family story of strong-hearted women, misguided fathers, and rebellious youth that leaps joyfully through generations. In a small village in France in 1838, Henri Blanchard is born into a family of music box makers, but his father hears him as a flat note. Henri and his best friend and partner-in-shenanigans Aimée are charming guides through a world of miracles and music and earthy humor, every sentence a burst of storytelling tremolo. I was entranced from the book’s overture right through to the final coda.” Joanna Rose, author of A Small Crowd of Strangers
Review
"With delicacy, precision, and a luscious sense of place, Stanfill captures the once-upon-a-time moment at the end of an era, and an unforgettable family. I can't wait to read what Stanfill writes next!" Michelle Ruiz Keil, author of Summer in the City of Roses
Review
"Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, embellished with subtle echoes of folktales, and written in the voice of a born storyteller, Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is an utter delight." Stevan Allred, author of The Alehouse at the End of the World
Review
"A virtuosic, richly layered saga, Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary is a remarkable achievement. With prose dipping effortlessly into deeply drawn characters, Stanfill strikes the notes of the human condition so deftly that outrage and empathy harmonize in an intoxicating rhapsody. Every turn of this intricate music box produces heartache and wonder." Eli Brown, author of Cinnamon and Gunpowder
About the Author
Once upon a time, Laura Stanfill lived in a New Jersey house filled with music boxes, street organs, and books. She grew up to become the publisher of Forest Avenue Press. Her work has appeared in Shondaland, The Rumpus, The Vincent Brothers Review, Santa Fe Writers Project, and several print anthologies. She believes in indie bookstores and wishes on them like stars from her home in Portland, Oregon, where she resides with her family and a dog named Waffles. Learn more at laurastanfill.com.
Laura Stanfill on PowellsBooks.Blog
![](http://www.powells.com/PowellsImages/MER_AUTHOR_IMAGES/041320221429332.jpeg)
Henri Blanchard is the son of a serinette maker (just wait; you’ll find out) in the town of Mireville, France, where it used to rain all the time—that is until Henri’s father, the man who became known as the Sun-Bringer, was born...
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