Bird in Hand

A philosophical journey through temptation, betrayal, and, finally, divorce. The positive message is that it can be lived through and life will go on. The negative message is how selfish some people are.

True to the saying "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush," Charlie finds himself attracted to an engaged woman. Realizing he can't imagine not being a part of Claire's and Ben's lives, he develops a relationship with Claire's lifelong best friend, Alison. Charlie marries Alison and they build a life in the suburbs with two children--a life Ben longs for and a life Charlie never seems comfortable with. After a minor disagreement with Claire, Alison wonders why the rift in her relationship with Claire is so deep. When Alison finds herself in an accident that kills a toddler after downing two martinis at Claire's book release party, she needs the emotional support of her husband, but he is distant and unavailable. Bird in Hand explores marriage, friendship, discontent and deception. Although it sounds like a soap opera at first glance, it isn't. Kline writes a poignant story of two couples and their discoveries, sacrifices and heartbreak.

Christina Baker Kline has a wonderful ability to express the possibilities that go thru one's mind. This novel focuses on two couples, long time friends, interwoven lives. Close to one another they truly go along in the path comfortably carved out for them. Two are accepting, trusting and expecting their lives to progress comfortably, amiably and with trust. Two are revisiting and discovering what might be a new path for them. A car accident that ultimately kills a young child begins the branching of the paths for all of them. Kline wonderfully expresses each of their thought processes as they go along; and somehow makes not only peace with them, but understanding and new direction. It is not a fairy tale ending, but a true revelation of those who act upon their strongest drive, justify it, despite the consequences. It also points to the ultimate consequence and realization that we are so much stronger, so much more self-reliant than we would believe.

bird in hand by Christina Baker Kline tells the story of intertwined couples Charlie and Allison and Ben and Claire. Pretty early on in the book an accident happens that brings the characters to a point of no return. They are forced to deal with the feelings, desires and doubts that they know will completely redefine their lives. The story centers on Allison, the woman with the perfect life. With a pretty successful career under her belt Allison is the quintessential housewife with a loving husband, daughter and son all neatly tucking into their suburban home. However, bet you knew that was coming, the more we start to gaze into her life the more we see the inattentive husband, the almost desperate 'part-time' job and the constant comparison/contrast with her best friend Claire. In addressing Charlie and Allison's farce of a marriage Kline speaks with an honest voice about the delicate dance partners play in these unfortunate scenarios. It's this honesty that really endeared the characters to me, even the ones I didn't want to like. So much of adult life is made up of the things we don't say, the feelings we don't acknowledge and these things turn into sleeping babies we tiptoe around and avoid every day. We know they're going to wake up but we go through the motions anyway to save those last few moments of quiet. Those last few moments of how things use to be. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I whole-heartedly recommend it. (I received this book through a [...] giveaway. All remarks are my honest opinion.)

The thing about Bird in Hand is it's so darn page-turning GOOD! It rises far beyond a story of four people and two marriages to explore how our stories, our pasts, and our smallest gestures reveal who we are and what we need --without ever sermonizing. And it reveals how each loss -- no matter how searing -- always carries within it the the possibility of a new life. Christina Baker Kline (how have I not read her before? That's going to be rectified!) focuses on four individuals: Alison, a suburban mother of two who is losing her bearings after a tragic accident that was not her fault and her husband Charlie, who has gradually absented himself from the marriage because of his obsession with her best friend. That friend is Claire, a flighty femme fatale and a debut author who's married to Ben, a kind and meticulous Harvard-educated architect. It could be the stuff of melodrama...but in Kline's capable hands, it is not. In one telling passage, Kline writes about Claire, "It wasn't like Claire had fallen out of love with Ben...it as more like she had drifted, the way you do on a plastic float in a pool with your eyes closed, moving away from the edge without realizing it..." All of these characters in their own way are drifting. They are all living false lives -- some without even realizing it -- and going through the motions. Each of these characters are flesh and blood people, complete with back story that reveals how they came to be who they are and why they make the choices they do. Whether it's Alison breathing in the aloe-scented baby wipes and antibacterial ointment she puts on her young toddler's finger or Ben doing his crossword puzzles to avoid the anxiety of building emotional chaos...whether it's Charlie who wakes up flooded with relief that Alison's parents have arrived, temporarily absolving him from dealing with his wife's mounting guilt and grief or Claire who is dredging up the well of her past in her "fictionalized" book debut, these are people who could be our neighbors...or could be you and me. Ultimately, the characters realizing that "in the fear of losing what you had, you are left with something startling: a depth of empathy, a quivering sensitity to the world around you, and the unexpected blessing of gratitude for what remains." It would be easy to turn this book into a story of "good guys and bad guys." But this is an adult book about a world that is often complex. How well it works!

I just received my copy of Christina Baker Kline's beautiful and compelling novel Bird in Hand this morning, and I haven't been able to do anything today but read straight through from beginning to end. The first few pages grab you by the throat and from there I was completely absorbed. I found myself involved equally with each of the four characters and I loved hearing the story from every angle. I was riveted as the action unfolded by both the events of the story and the internal drama of all the characters and their relationships. It's such a pleasure to read a smart, involving book like this that makes me remember why I love reading so much. I'm recommending this one to my book group and all my friends.