Rating: 
Summary: Ecological tragedy, family secrets and a wonderful story
Review: This first novel is more than just a good story. It's about a recent ecological tragedy at the Salton Sea in southern California where more than 14,000 endangered brown pelicans died. The heroine of the book, 25-year old Ava, volunteers to help out and while there goes through her kind of maturation. She's half black, half Korean, and has been brought up by her rather quirky Korean single mother who was once a prostitute in Korea catering to black soldiers. Her mother has always kept birds, and Ava has always had the misfortune to accidentally kill them. Her mother keeps the bird feathers in a large scrapbook and documents all of Ava's bird-killing misdeeds. It is only when Ava takes the step to drive the few hours to Salton Sea, that she finally gets to understand her mother, her background, and the fascinating and sorrow-filled world of the dying birds. It's all captured well, in well-crafted words, and there's even a bit of Korean folklore. Ava is a sympathetic character who was easy to identify with. And, as the mother's story gradually unfolded, I was filled with horror as well as a new kind of understanding for the world of young women who are lured into the nightmare world of servicing men. I was heartened to see Ava finally emerge from the shadow world of her history and find meaning in her life as well as love. Mostly, though, I was glad to see her working side by side with her mother to help rescue birds. In just 245 pages, the author has managed to do a lot. No wonder this book has won the 2003 Bellwether prize for fiction has been lauded by such notables as Toni Morrison and Barbara Kingsolver. I found the book wonderful. And definitely recommend it. I'm also looking forward to whatever Ms. Brandeis writes next. She is clearly at the beginning of a long a distinguished career.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 . A poetic and ambitious first novel.
Review: What a beautiful and complex book. Gayle Brandeis' poetic background comes through in the lyrical writing, especially when she's describing the birds in their natural world and when she's delving into the push-pull relationship between mother and daughter.
Book of Dead Birds deals with many issues: gender, race, culture differences, environmental concerns, immigration, guilt, survival, redemption - and love.
Ava Sing Lo is the daughter of Helen, a Korean woman who was forced to work as a prostitute on a military base; Ava's father was one of her mother's `clients.' Brought to America by a white husband, Helen found herself quickly abandoned after she gave birth to a black baby (Ava) who grew into a child and young woman who never felt full acceptance from her immigrant mother. The birds of the title are her mother's, and they carry heavy symbolism in the story. And Ava has been killing them. To atone, she finishes graduate school and volunteers to work with birds that are being poisoned by agricultural run-off.
Very moving and lyrical first novel. 4 ½ stars.
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