A well written novel. A beautiful story of family and what love is within a family.



Thanks for the ARC

I found myself a bit disappointed with this book. I mean, it was a nice story, but it was a story in which nothing really happened. There were some nice, heartfelt moments woven between briefly mentioned struggles, but they are never expounded upon so you don't really get more than a passing glace at them.

Between the war, struggles to have more children, family issues, Mindy growing up and trying to fit in, her search for her birth family, etc., I felt there were a lot of missed opportunities to go deeper. For instance, I was really hoping for some sort of redemption with the relationship between Linda and her mother-in-law. There is just a very brief little moment between them towards the end.

Also, I had hoped that Mindy's search for her birth family would have played more of a role in the story. The resolution just has a brief mention at the end and it just felt like it needed something more to really give the reader closure on the subject.

It took me a long time to get the characters straight. And not just that, you are dealing with 3 characters across 3 different timelines. I really enjoyed this author's previous book, All Manner of Things, where we follow one character, Annie. I really felt like I got to know her. This book had so much jumping around with POV it made it hard for me to connect with the characters. At first, they all seemed to have similar voices which made it harder for me to differentiate.

That said, once I got into the book I enjoyed the characters. It just took me longer than it should have to figure everyone out. Bruce's reflections on raising a family, Linda's recollections on early motherhood, and Sonny's relationship and growing up with Mindy during the 80's all give the reader a beautiful glimpse of a middle-class American family.

Overall it was just an okay book. I liked it, but I just don't think it's one that will stay with me quite like All Manner of Things did.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The Nature of Small Birds releases July 6, 2021.

When I saw the author of this book I knew I was in for a treat, and I was not disappointed!

This is a families story, from the beginning, and hanging. We flash from one decade to another and back again, but you won't be lost, and extended family is included.

Bruce and Linda are the Dad and Mom, we learn how they met, a few times! We are along as their first daughter is born, Sondra aka Sonny, and then Mindy or Minh, and your going to love the heart warming response this family has to this little girl.

Mindy came on the baby airlift from Vietnam, a hard time in this country, and some people are not very kind to anyone associated with that War.

This is a story that will linger with you long after the last page is turned, and in the end I wanted a longer journey!

I received this book through LibraryThing and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for a fair review.
Mindy (born Minh) is a child of the Vietnam war raised by a war protestor and his wife, in an era when there were deep wounds surrounding the war, and adoptions out of race were rare. The story unfolds in multiple timelines from the adoption to the girls being teenagers to a more present time when their grandmother is ill and Mindy wants to find out more about her past, now that the internet can make it possible.
What unfolds is not unlike what you would expect: a child struggling to find her place, parents hiding from their own demons about the war and struggles to have more children, a grandmother and who could be more accepting if it weren’t for their own loss in Vietnam and her husband who overcompensates for her, and teenage girls being teenage girls.
This is a family drama that is clear and comprehensible. The imagery found throughout matching the title is clear. It’s not a difficult read bogged down with a lot of detail, but I craved more of the end of the story, without letting too much on, I wished the book kept going for about 50 pages. I felt a little robbed we were gearing up for the whole book for it to end this way. I liked the book well enough, but I longed for more and wished the book didn’t end before the part I was looking forward to, 3.5 stars rounded to 4 for the writing and the importance of the story.

The Nature of Small Birds

The story in this novel carries you along with a family as they navigate a life that doesn't lead you where you thought it would. Each of the characters are fully developed and grow through out the novel. Slowly, weaving their stories together, you grow to know each of the characters from steady Bruce who loves his family well, to feisty Sonny - whose love is fierce, and continued in Minh/Mindy - the adopted daughter from Vietnam; and "Grumpy" who still loves his wife fully - even though she has been battered by life and turned out a little cross. The depth & development of the characters is probably my favourite part of this story, although I would say that I also found the story of how one family was touched by the Vietnam war piqued my interest. I will be looking for more to read from this author and this subject matter.

I received a free electronic copy of this book from #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a surprise for me. I had an idea what I expected it to be, but it was so much more. Full of true and wonderful relationship dynamics from three viewpoints I became a part of the Matthews family.
Bruce is a man who loves his family unconditionally, a man of character and conviction. His care for his family shines through every word of his perspective.
Linda is a mom with a great capacity to give her full heart to each member of her family, and still have more to give.
Sonny literally jumps off the pages with her energy and just a little bit of snark. She is sometimes abrasive, but loves fiercely. You just can’t help but to love her in return.
The poetic bird references brought a cohesion to the story, adding to the overall emotional feel to the book.
The characters came alive on the pages, each with their own unique personality, yet bound together by a thread of love so strong nothing could break it.
Though not overtly religious, the lives of the characters showed a deep abiding faith as they walked through triumphs and difficulties.
I loved this book and look forward to more from this author.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed living in this book with this family. The author made them seem very real, warts and all. Especially loved the relationship between Bruce and Linda.

The adoption of a daughter from Vietnam was handled very realistically. Minh tugged on your heartstrings for sure!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I definitely want to read more by her.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been anxious to read The Nature of Small Birds since I read a promo about it as I grew up in Michigan with friends who were Asian adoptees, one of which went to find her birth family. I loved the story told through three different perspectives in two timelines. Bruce is the father telling the story of present day as his adopted daughter Mindy is considering looking for her birth mother. Linda is his wife moderates how the storyline of Mindy coming to live with them and the family dynamics of it concerning her harsh mother-in-law. Finally, we have Sunny the sister telling of the teenage years with her sister Mindy and the love she had for her.
It's the perfect story of how families are made, biological and adopting, and how that looks through three decades. I strongly recommend this book, especially for those of us who remember and loved the Asian adoptees from the 70's.

The year 1975, over 3,000 Vietnamese babies and children were brought to America. Some had been left at orphanages because their family was unable to care for them; many of the parents never approved their removal.

Mihn, who later came to be known as Mindy was one of these children. Her story is unfolded in three voices and time periods: 1975, 1988 and 2013.

Now practically grown up Mindy, one day announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother. This news causes her loving adopted family to suddenly be thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional entrance into her new family.

Her father understands her need and supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin. Yet, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother experiences the emotional rollercoaster of feelings brought on by the adoption of a child from a war-torn country. Mindy's slightly older sister Sonny, helps her sort through her mixed feelings.

This beautiful story is unveiled through three strong voices in three timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that portrays the meaning of family far beyond bloodlines.

“It's the nature of small birds to sing their little hearts out. And it's the nature of God to hear them.”

Thank you Netgally for the opportunity to read this quietly beautiful story.

The story captured my attention and ended much sooner than I was ready for. I'm hoping this book will become part of a series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

You read this book, and you will have made new friends.
I absolutely loved the characters in this story....
and, my only complaint about this book was that it ended.
(that ending really sneaked up on me because I was reading on my kindle, and didn't even notice I was nearing the final pages of the book!)
This is the story of Mindy and her family. Susie Finkbeiner has brought to life in an amazing way the story of the Babylift episode...which I had never even heard of before reading about this book.
Mindy was adopted from Vietnam as a young girl, and has never really felt like she belonged.
This book goes between three time periods, 1975, the year of Mindy's adoption, 1988, Mindy as a young teen, and 2013, Mindy as an adult when she decides to look for her birth family.
The characters are what really makes this book outstanding. As you read, you are treated to various viewpoints, and get to peek into the minds of each one of Mindy's family members.
Dealing with adoption issues, family, belonging, and some racial discrimination, this book truly is one that will tug on your heart-strings and linger in your mind for quite awhile.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Turns out that the nature of small birds is to fly. It’s no different for our kids. And, whether I’m aware of it or not, it’s the nature of God to see every dip and dive and lift, to glory at the triumphs and grieve when they fall.

I went into The Nature of Small Birds knowing nothing about the novel, other than that it came from the heart of Susie Finkbeiner and that’s enough. I was introduced to Susie through her 2020 novel, Stories that Bind Us, and fell in love with her storytelling style, her well-written characters, and the way in which her stories simply portrayed their lives as stories. Nothing sensational. Nothing stretched to an extreme. Real life is dramatic enough. And so it is here.

The story is about Bruce, or maybe Linda, or Sonny, or it’s really about Minh. The lack of a clear protagonist is usually a mark against a novel, but in The Nature of Small Birds it simply highlights that the entire family and their relationship throughout the ages is to be the focus. Their stories are interrelated, none more important than the other. Trauma and pain, joy and healing all look differently and are dealt with differently in different people. A multi-generational story of heartbreak, forgiveness, and letting go, The Nature of Small Birds is Susie Finkbeiner at her absolute best.

The novel is told in three interlacing perspectives that show the Matthews family at various points along their journey. Through Linda’s eyes, we glimpse the story from the vantage point of a young woman in the 1970s, recently married and dealing with integrating into the Matthews family. As time moves on, this storyline becomes the adoption storyline, as Linda and Bruce choose to adopt a young girl from Vietnam. Finkbeiner’s portrayal of the 1970s is gripping and—at least to me, who only knows of the 70s from history books and my parents—an apt portrayal. The specter of the Vietnam War hangs over everything, setting the tone for many of the relationships in this time period.

The second storyline comes from a teenage Sonny, the oldest daughter of Linda and Bruce, and younger sister to Minh, or Mindy. At first, her story seems to be a bit more separated from the other two perspectives—a bit more lighthearted, a bit of a different focus, a more traditional coming-of-age tale, full of 1980s cultural easter eggs. But it too soon becomes saturated with the themes of growing up, moving into a new phase of life, and understanding your relationships with those around you.

The third storyline comes from Bruce in 2013. This is a markedly different storyline than the others. The first two are female perspectives in their twenties and teens. Bruce is a man in his sixties, dealing with elderly parents, adult children, and his own mortality. And because of the other storylines, we have perspective on his past and what has led to this stage of his life.

Embedded through these storylines in the story of Minh. The Matthews family adopts her at the end of the Vietnam War as a part of Operation Babylift, a desperate attempt to evacuate children from South Vietnam before the fall of Saigon. The Matthews family must deal with the complexities of interracial adoption, the racism and ignorance of family and friends, the traumatic background of their daughter, and the sudden integration of a new person into their family. As Minh grows up, it becomes a story of comparison and fitting in among the predominantly white culture she’s placed in. It all culminates in the last storyline when, as an adult, she begins seeking out information about her birth family and culture.

Each of these storylines could be entire novels in themselves and, if I had one criticism to make, it would be that I loved each of these storylines so much I wish they had been. I wanted more time, more depth, more nuance. But as is, Finkbeiner handles each element superbly, neither ignoring or perseverating on any one theme but drawing out each thread in equal measure to carefully weave them together in well-balanced symmetry.

The Nature of Small Birds could have been so many things: a novel of adoption, a novel of child loss, a coming-of-age novel, a novel about transitioning to an empty nest, a novel of war, a novel of discovering one’s heritage and identity, and more. Instead, it’s all those and much more, teaching us that life isn’t just a story. Life is stories, plural. It’s all these things going on at once, flitting from here to there, facing triumph and grief sometime concurrently. And it’s the nature of God to see every dip and dive and lift, to glory at our triumphs and grieve when we fall.