Fly Like a Bird

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy to review.

This is a coming to age story about a girl, Ivy, who is left orphaned after the mysterious deaths of her parents. Her grandmother raises her and she is close to her extended family (which they will not go into detail about certain things about her parents).

There are actually quite a few characters in this which can get a little confusing but I liked that most of them grow in different way. I loved the character development.

Overall I thought it was a good read. Brings up issues with sexuality, race, domestic violence and family secrets/conflicts.

4/5 stars

The main character Ivy Taylor has been raised all her life by her grandmother, Violet. As Ivy grows up we learn about her extended family (2 Uncles and 2 cousins) her friends and the relationship she has with her grandmother.

They live in a small town in Iowa called Coffey. The timeline of the book covers 1959 – 1986.

As Ivy grows she learns her grandmother might be keeping some secrets about what happened to her parents.

The author does not dwell on the every day ins and outs of life in a small town. The author also ties up all story lines of the many characters, which I liked.

I would say this book is a coming of age tale as well as a mystery. There are some scenes of domestic violence and discussion of murder. It was all within context of the story so it wasn’t much of an issue.

I also think this book could have had a little more romance in it.

All in all a good read and I give it 4/5 stars.

A small-town family drama stretching from the 1950s through the 1980s, with all kinds of secrets. Wonderful description of Iowa country living and the racial realities of that time and place. An example: "The early evening arrived sullen and moist, ushering in the period of the day when time slows down, and the earth relaxes."
Not only does the protagonist grow through the course of the novel, so do most of the supporting characters, creating thick layers of story that make it an engaging read. While this is strong women's fiction throughout, focusing on the development of the female protagonist, the last few paragraphs offer a deux ex machina happily-ever-after ending. That could have been handled much better, but the book is still a good read.

This was a good coming of age story. There were a lot of characters which made it a little hard to follow initially, but overall it was good. I liked the plot and the small town setting along with the era of time.
Many thanks to BQB Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great read! The author really dived deep into topics of racism, domestic violence, sexuality and the impact of family secrets via a young girl that loses her parents. This was well written and an enjoyable read.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Jana Zinser, and BQB Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this noir-style Iowa historical to friends and family. It is an interesting read, telling tales of what it takes to make -or break- a family.

Time moves on from a brief stop in 1959 on to 1966 through 1986 in the town of Coffey, Iowa, a wide spot in the road. We watch as Ivy is orphaned while still a babe-in-arms and is raised by her paternal grandmother. Violet Taylor is the mother of three sons - Walter is a postman and single, Tommy is married to Hattie with two children, Angela who left Coffey at 17 and never returned, and Russell, who is undiagnosed autistic. Tommy works at the Coffey Sewage plant, drinks a bit too much and bowls and does mischief with his best friend Ruben Smith. Ruben Smith is a farmer, childless, married to Patty, who eats away her angst and won't leave her house. Violet's youngest son Bobby was killed in a car wreck in 1959 when his new blood-red Pontiac lost grip on black ice and was creamed by a semi. With the absence of Bobby and his wife Barbara, their daughter Ivy was raised in the white Victorian at 4120 Meadowlark Lane by Violet.

Charlie Carter is the local law, bought and paid for by Coffey's only bank manager and Mayor, Conrad Thrasher. The mayor's son Weston is 'that kid' who shoots cats and acts without conscious most of the time. The diner is peopled by some sweet ladies, the librarian in legally blind, and the black barber and beauty shop is open only on Saturday in Pinky's living room. The white barber left town years ago as did the beauty shop lady. The black community is confined to Mulberry Street, which parallels the train track, by hook and by crook - a black person can only get a bank loan on Mulberry Street houses. Ivy's best friend Maggie Norton, daughter of Otis and Pinky lives on Mulberry Street. Otis works maintenance at the local college, and Pinky does the hair of the back community and makes awesome pieced quilts. This may seem like too much cast for our story, but they are each very much necessary. This is an excellent picture of growth by generation, a lesson we must all learn.

Fly Like a Bird is a coming of age tale, following not only Ivy but also Shirley's sons Ben and Justin, Weston Thrasher, the lawyer's son Nick Jerome, Jesse Marshal, son of the new white beauty shop owner, and Ivy's best friend Maggie Norton.

We tend to think of blatant racism as a strictly southern problem during these turbulent years of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Not so - all of us Americans are slow learners, I have found. Fly Like a Bird is a message of hope that racism will end - hopefully in our lifetime but certainly in that of our children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters were people I wanted to know, or smack as the case may be. It started a bit slow for me, and the narration took me a bit to gel with... but once I did it was off and running and I really connected with this book. I found it hard to put down. It resolved too quickly and perfectly in my opinion, and that felt rushed... I would have liked a cliff hanger and a follow up book... it was THAT enjoyable. I will definitely read more from this author and would recommend this book highly.