Winter Birds

For many years, Jamie Langston Turner's novels stood squarely in a class by themselves --- "in" the CBA market but in some ways not "of" it. Turner's writing is often so elegant, so detailed and so richly textured that her books have distinguished themselves in a category all their own. Recently, though, the quality of evangelical fiction has risen to a remarkable degree, and the field of high-caliber writers has likewise widened. With WINTER BIRDS, however, Turner proves she still has what it takes to stay one step ahead of the CBA pack. The novel's opening premise sets the tone for what is to come. Accepting the fact that she has entered the winter of her life, Sophia Hess, a no-nonsense, relatively healthy but embittered octogenarian, has "auditioned" a number of extended-family members for the responsibility of caring for her for the rest of her life. In return, the selected candidate will be her sole heir. She settles on her nephew Patrick and his wife Rachel, who hold the greatest promise for providing her with the care, accommodations and independence she demands. She settles into their spare room, content to observe the birds that visit the feeder outside her window, watch reruns of vintage television shows on the one channel she can tolerate, and check out the obituaries of notables in issues of Time magazines, both current and past. Oh, and eavesdrop on conversations that take place elsewhere in the house. We learn all this, and everything else in the book, from Sophia's perspective. And that makes for a languid pace --- exactly what you would expect from an elderly woman. Even so, the story never lags; it's told by someone who has no regard for time, but that someone is both so ordinary and so fascinating that we're easily lured into the running account of her daily routine in the present and the memories of her marriage to a literature professor in the distant past. That late-in-life marriage accounts for the bitterness that has poisoned Sophia's thinking and robbed her of every last shred of hope; the good Professor Hess, as it turned out, harbored a deep, dark and dirty secret throughout their 13-year marriage, prompting the dutiful Mrs. Hess to whisper curses in his ear as he lay in a coma shortly before his death. Eventually, though, Sophia's world, until now pretty much confined to the four walls of her room, begins to expand as the well-intentioned but bombastic Patrick and the reticent and long-suffering Rachel open up their lives to a motley assortment of friends, co-workers and neighbors --- something they had been hesitant to do since the kidnapping and murder of their two young children years before. Among the newcomers is the rebellious teenager Mindy, whose overly protective parents have withdrawn her from public school and enlisted the help of Sophia, a former college instructor, to assist them in homeschooling their daughter. In telling Sophia's story, Turner sidesteps the landmines that so many other Christian writ

Sophia is a elderly woman who is living in the home of her nephew Patrick and his wife Rachel. She has chosen them as the place where she will live until she dies. She then proceeds to tell us about here life and what goes on inside this household. She reveals that her marriage wasn't what she had expected it to be. Her stepchildren hated her from the beginning, her husband treated her as just a mere companion, and denied her of any little happiness she had hoped would come from her marriage that she did not experience in her childhood. Plus she also found a devastating secret about her husband that he had kept hidden throughout their entire marriage until his death. Living with Patrick and Rachel has allowed her to view this small family and their lives as a quiet observer. They have lost their two children and may not have the greatest marriage but since they are Christians they still find the strength to get through any hardships that come their way. This puzzles Sophia as she struggles to understand the meaning of her life and how not to take everyone for granted. This book was a very relaxing read for me. Have you ever seen the movie Junebug? This book reminded me of that movie, being down in the south where everything is just slow paced. You think it will be a long time before the story gets exciting, but before you know it you've already been drawn into this world. I felt that the characters were very real and the reader feels very connected to Sophia. Being still a young adult, it was fascinating for me to read the story through the eyes of an eighty year old. I never realize how really we treat the elderly, until I read about how Patrick treated his aunt IE talking to her loudly because he think she can't her or doing things because HE feels that it's best for her. I did like very much how Sophia changed throughout the course of the book as she starts to realize that she doesn't want to look forward to dying anymore. I also found the scene where she's caught eavesdropping by Rachel and to cover it up she pulls off the button from her dress on purpose very amusing. I love how all of Jamie Turner's books bring in characters from her other novels and while this story took place in a different setting from the others, we still have appearances from two memorable characters. This book is touching, hopeful, funny, sad, and manages draws you right into the story all at the same time. I highly recommend this book.

Winter Birds differed a fair bit from the description offered on the back of the book. The story begins with Aung Sophie living in a somewhat private apartment within her nephew Patrick and his wife's modest home. The story is written in the first person, by the plodding, bitter, very introspective but also sharply insightful Aunt Sophia. On one hand I despaired that that the story would never get moving - but on the other hand I gained much insight and sympathy towards not just elderly Aunt Sophia, but to the plight of the lonely aged everywhere. Though slow moving, this is a beautiful in - depth study of several all too human characters. I came to love and appreciate both the strength and weakness of each person portrayed in the novel. The very gradual change and softening of Aunt Sophie's heart happens as she observes the lives of others who are also shattered, but still trust and love Jesus. This change is very belivably and lightly done. In summary, a slow beautiful read that warmed my heart. I loved this book - and plan to read all of Jamie Langston Taylor's books.

As I finished the last page of WINTER BIRDS yesterday, I softly exclaimed "oh...wow!" I have loved all of Jamie Langston Turner's rich and insightful books. All of her books have been jewels, but this one is the most beautiful. It is a well crafted, poignant tale of God's love and compassion shown thru the lives of everyday, imperfect people. Its message inspires me to be faithful in loving those around me through the seemingly insignificant things of a life filled with service. Who knows when a simple act will touch a life sorely in need of love. May my life be an instrument of God's grace and mercy inspired anew by the very real story of WINTER BIRDS.

Jamie Langston Turner's latest book isn't for those who like their fiction easy to chew. Turner's book starts off slowly with a character who isn't easy to like, even after you find out the source of her bitterness. Through her jaundiced eyes, the other characters appear less than appealing, as well -- one talks too much; the other almost never at all -- despite the great tragedy in their lives. But flawed though they are and broken by life, Patrick and Rachel still love God, and when Patrick's Aunt Sophia chooses to live out her last days with them, they see it as the beginning of the answer to a prayer. As the novel unfolds, the impact of their prayer begins to be felt not only in the lives of Patrick and Rachel and the friends and neighbors drawn into their orbit, but in the bitter life of Aunt Sophie herself. Writing with a literary style reminiscent of Brett Lott, Turner shows what the power of God can do in flawed human lives that, nevertheless, still bear his image. Hang in there until the end; you'll be richly rewarded.