Very interesting read. I love historical fiction like this that gives you a lens jnto a prominent figures like - in this case WB Yeats wife. While the story itself was slow to build their bohemian lifestyle was very interesting to learn about.

I was really interested in this audiobook book because it was about a famous couple. However, the story was pretty slow, and nothing really happened. I do love the narrator. It was very well-performed.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for my copy of More Miracle Than Bird by Alice Miller Narrated by Polly Lee in exchange for an honest review. It published June 2, 2020.
I will start off by saying that what I listened to, the writing was well-done, as was the narration. I was interested and looking forward to immersing myself in this story and learning about the history. However, I didn't realize it would get so heavy in the occultist stuff. That is a huge trigger for me, and I am unable to be comfortable while listening to that. So this is my trigger warning to those who are sensitive to those topics.

2.5

I wanted to like this book, but I found the plot somewhat scattered and the characters not very likeable. I know this book is based on real historical characters during WWI England, but found it hard to follow.

DNF @32%
2020; Tin House Books/Recorded Books

THIS cover! Yes, I chose this book solely based on the cover...and it didn't work out this time. I tried reading the novel, and it felt like I wasn't even reading it. Nothing was sticking in my brain, so when I saw the audiobook available for request, I had to try one more time. Ugh, the same thing happened again. No matter how much I tried, this story would not stick.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook and audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I had the pleasure of reading and listening to this story. I found the audio much better. The narrator (Polly Lee) did an excellent job of telling the story. She kept me engaged and it made the story that much better. As always, I am so thankful to Netgalley & Alice Miller for my copy of More Miracle than Bird.
The subject matter review is the same:
I really didn’t know what to expect from this story and was surprised of how it went. Georgie Hyde-Lees, is in London, right before the start of WWI. During a party she meets the poet W.B. Yeats & although he is much older and eccentric, Georgie falls for him. She is enamored by him, almost obsessed. He invited her to join a secret society and changes everything for her. Her job, as a nurse, becomes a distraction. She can’t concentrate and makes mistakes. The only person that holds her interest, other than Yates is a soldier she takes care. He is heartbroken and relies on Georgie while recouping. The story is a wonderful mix of her work life, day to day and her night life and the secret world Years brings her into. Georgie and Yates’ relationship becomes intense and the world war was becoming intense. Can they make a relationship during these hard times? Can she find peace with Yates. Can she continue to work and take care of soldiers? Her whole world is spinning out of control, during one the worst wars in history. The author did a great making me feel I could be in the early 1920’s. This Historical fiction novel blends to the two worlds together and I really enjoyed it. This was a four star read for me. I really was invested in how things would work out. I have recommended this to friends and family and on my Instagram page. I am glad I was able to read a copy and I hope you like it as much as I did.

A story with so much potential but poorly executed. More Miracle than Bird is about Georgie Hyde-Lees and her relationship with the poet W.B. Yeats, who was more than 20 years her senior but managed to capture her heart as they eventually married. To be honest, I thought this was going to be a historical fiction with a mind blowing romance. Because, aren’t poets and artists to lead more extraordinary lives and feel more passionately? Though it might be cliché to think this way, in truth, when I read about an artist, I expect to find something outstanding, relevant, and passionate about their lives. Something that takes me away from real life and allows me to get to know another world.

And this book unfortunately did not deliver.

Now, was I familiar with Yeats and his work? No.

Did I know much from the United Kingdom during World War I? No.

But I started reading this novel thinking I could find some answers and learn of it through the characters.

Was able to obtain this? No.

After finishing this book, if you ask me what I think of Yeats, I would say he was a nasty man, selfish and grumpy, probably disliked by many and mediocre. Of Georgie, I’d say she was a bit dull and not very notable, with a very plain personality. Is this close to how they were in real life? I doubt it, but I do not know because I could really not see their personalities through this novel.

I think the author missed a great opportunity in developing a strong story which showcased the complexities of the UK during the war as well as the artistic and cultural expressions that boiled within a changing society. Miller also failed to portray characters that were memorable, passionate and dealt with personal situations. Instead, her writing got lost in describing a girl who did not know what she wanted and whose love for the poet was very weak and uncomprehensive. There was not once where I could see why she had fallen in love with Yeats.

Another aspect that bothered me was how the author failed to make an attractive portrait of a famous artist. For example, I am aware that Yeats is considered among the greatest poets of the English language but the book did not manage to reflect that – I have no idea why he is famous or celebrated because I do not think the story truly mentioned his work. And I think that is the worst think a book can do when they are based on real characters.

I also failed to understand why the author dedicated so much time to the séances. While it seems that this is how both Georgie and Yeats bonded (or at least that is how I understood it) this part also felt completely random and weak and it added nothing to the story of their relationship.

It’s a shame because I think the writing was ok. That is, the author knows how to write, but I think this book diverged by putting up many ideas and not focusing or truly developing one –that is, the relationship between the main characters. I could never understand how Yeats and Georgie fell in love and there were even other relationships that seemed to be even more interesting. For example, while Georgie works as a nurse at a hospital tending to injured soldiers, she meets a man, Pike who feels attracted to her. I thought that relationship had more potential and we even get glimpses of what could have been. Why not focus or develop that relationship more? Even the few references we get from Yeats’ love for Maude Gonne were more interesting to me than the main relationship.

Overall, this is a book that does not deliver as I did not get any relevant perspective from an historical fiction and there was no passion, no drama, because characters were flat and at times, very unlikable.

I listened to this one a while ago, but somehow I found it hard to express my feeling towards it. Maybe I've gotten into it with very high expectations and I didn't even realise it or maybe the plot was a little flat, but I love historical Fiction and I decided to continue and listen to it even if it wasn't what I expected it at first

Georgi Lees is a 21 years old when she falls incredibly in love with the writer W.B. Yeats even if he is so much older than her and everyone advises her that this relationship will not lead to anything, she is eager to continue loving him. He introduces her in a world of secret societies and occultism called The Order where lately she find herself a part of.
In the meantime, war is threatening to come upon them while she is trying to achive higher in becoming a nurse while she is treating wounded army soldiers at the hospital.

This book focuses more on the romance between the writer and Georgi, and her unmesurable love for him while true love might be around the corner, but Georgi never even take it as a "what if I will be happy then?" kind of a question.
To be fair, a more detailed description of W.B. Yeats would have helped, since I was intrigued to read about a famous writer, the book only started from the perspective " I am who I am and my life goes on like this" but I would have loved an amplified description of how he got famous.
I am still questioning why and what Goergi saw in him, or chased him that much, since the writer was so disrespectful to her (but this is more of a personal opinion)

One of the character I found very pleasing was Lieutenant Pike and I can say that I was engrossed in the story for the love of this amazing character

Even though the book was a little slow in the beginning, I had my fun while listening to it. My love for historical fiction and Georgi's life made me listen to it until the very end. It's a book about romance, decisions, life changing advises, a little bit of World War 1 and life in the high society in that era.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advance readers copy of this audiobookmin exchange of an honest review

It was such a great book and loved everything about this book. Historical Fiction is my weakness and this book was not different. It took me a while to get into the book but loved it nonetheless. I loved the MC and her growth by the end of the book. Narration of the book is so great, I am looking forward to read more books by this Author. I am so glad I got the chance to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the early arc.

This is a book about Georgie Hyde-Lees (later Yeats, after she married twice-her-age-ew W.B. Yeats) in which nothing really happens. I don't know enough about her to know how much is fictionalised re: her work, and she's not super well-developed until close to the end. It feels like the author couldn't decide if she wanted to make a commentary on Georgie herself, what things were like during and after World War I, or if she was using Georgie to talk about W.B. Yeats and weird occult stuff, so it's all just in there.

The writing is beautiful, don't get me wrong. It's descriptive to the point of being a movie in my head, it's just that the movie wasn't that interesting. I enjoy historical fiction though, which is why I picked this up.

The last line of the book is actually SO APT that I have faith that the author had a clear idea of what she wanted to say, but either she didn't know how to say it, or someone interrupted the storytelling during the editing process.

The narrator, Polly Lee, was excellent; her accents were great and she personified all the characters really clearly. I would definitely listen to her read a book again.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and RB Media in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

This had so much potential but sadly didn't live up to it. I found that the story didn't go anywhere and the the audiobook wasn't grabbing me even though I really enjoyed the narration.
So it was fine but kind of flat and I wish there was more. More of what I can't really say but just more. The main charterer was so nothing and I just wanted more in so many ways.

"More Like a Bird" has a beautiful cover and an interesting premise. I don't know much about WB Yeats as a poet, and therefore nothing about his personal life. As much as I enjoy historical fiction, historical fiction needs to make someone from the past come alive. It needs to be interesting. "More Like a Bird" fell flat- it comes from the perspective of Georgie Hyde-Lees and her obsession to marry the already famous poet. I found that a quick read of the Wiki pages of these two characters were as interesting as the book that I struggled to finish. The story only got worse as Georgie (and to some degree, the whole cast of characters) became increasingly unlikable.

The narration of the audio book was nicely done and Polly Lee's voice is calming and fits the style of the book. Had I read a paperback version of this book, I don't think I would have finished it.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

More Miracle Than Birds was an amazing read. Or should I say an AMAZING audio book. The narrator had a very soothing voice, the speed of the narrator was also very while done. The story had everything I liked, Georgie was a very interesting head strong character and all the facts of World War I were very interesting and the description made me feel as if I am there myself.

I adore historic fiction. This romance was to the point and I loved that about it. Their chemistry was something to be cherished for a long time. Would have appreciated if the book was bit short.

I could not get into this audiobook. I found that I kept getting distracted and having to backtrack all the time. I suspect it was not the right book for me to listen to and I should have read it vs. listening.

3 stars. And one of the stars is for the excellent audio book narrator.

I don’t even have a quote picked out for this book. Only the voice of the narrator kept me going.

The book is a biographical fiction account of the wife of WB Yeats. Much in the lines of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Other Einstein. And it is described as a sweeping historical drama. It is historical and has drama. But sweeping? Meh. And the drama? All in Georgie’s head.

She’s silly and tiresome and shallow. As are most of the people around her. Willie too. Dorothy especially. Didn’t feel like rooting for Georgie really. Or Willie too. I guess I should just stick to his poems. Never mind his personal life.

The only person who was likeable in the whole story was Pike. Who Georgie never deserved at all. So when it got to the point in the book when she was thinking for him, it was hard to muster any sympathy for her. Georgie made her bed, and very well too. Don’t know what she had to what-ifs about.

But honestly, compared to other biographical fiction books, the story felt like it was going in all directions and no direction, like the author tried to put in all aspects of Georgie (who isn’t the best heroine) and make it seem more. It doesn’t help too that the poet Yeats isn’t as interesting as Einstein or Churchill or even the Tudors. To me anyway. Sylvia Plath is more interesting to me. Or Hemingway. Whoops. Not a poet. Oh well, you guys know what I mean.

Thank you Tim House Books and NetGalley for this copy.Hope you get the narrator again. She was great!

I struggled to connect to More Miracle Than Bird by Alice Miller.

The idea for the story grabbed me. I was so excited to listen. I struggled to connect with any of the characters, which made listening to the story rather difficult.


The narration by Polly Lee was decent. I found her voice easy to listen to, but I did not find all of her voices super distinct. She had good emotion throughout most of the book.

Overall, I am glad I gave this book a try. I am surprised and disappointed that I did not love it more.

I received an advanced audiobook copy from RB Media through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

<i> Alice Miller's sweeping debut novel charts the love story of two of literature's most fascinating characters: Georgie Hyde-Lees and her husband, W. B. Yeats. </i>

This is a very different book to what I am used to reading. Historical fiction isn't my favourite genre, let's just say that.
But this-
This was gorgeous.
I was fortunate enough to be granted access to this through netgalley as an audiobook. Polly Lee does an amazing job, and her voice is perfect for the setting and era of the book.
What drew me to this book, is that its a true story, about heartache, and complicated relationships, and the war in London, and high society. It really captured the destruction and devastation that Georgie would have witnessed as a nurse during wartime, with the juxtaposition of high society soirees and glossy magazines.

Thank you Alice MIller and RB Media for this review copy.

Thank you to RB Media for the copy.
The story takes place in London during the Great War. A fictionalize account of the life of Georgie Hyde-Lees the wife of W. B. Yates during WWI and what leads to their marriage. While the romance between Georgie and Yates is the main focus of the novel, the author places the action among a group of artists, poets, and a group of believers in the occult. I wish some characters could have been developed further. Nevertheless, the author really gets into the mind of Georgie. A good historical fiction read.

More Miracle Than Bird is an intriguing novel surrounding a secret society in during WWI. Georgie Hyde-Lees is only twenty-one years old when she meets W. B. Yeats, who introduces her to a whole underworld of mysteries.

The author has a brilliant writing style, that’s engaging and enjoyable. It’s evident a significant amount of research went into refining the book’s details. And I really appreciate how factual it feels, especially for a work of fiction. I really like the deep dive into Georgie’s history, which adds another atmospheric layer to the story. Learning more about her family and past would have been an even greater addition, as this element entertained me the most.

Sadly, my biggest struggle with More Miracle Than Bird is the characters. There wasn’t a single personality I liked, or wanted to like! They felt distant, making it difficult to connect or invest in their adventures. Georgie frustrated more than interested me, and I found W. B. Yeats to be exasperating. I think this talented poet’s personality could have been much more exciting.

I did find myself getting a little tangled with the book’s plot and overall message. It seemed to switch between historical fiction to a whimsical adventure to a mysterious romance. And while the pace didn’t suffer, my interest did. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook’s narrator, which brought life into a story I struggled to really get into.