Birds of a Lesser Paradise

Stories

De: Megan Mayhew Bergman

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

An “astonishing debut collection, by a writer reminiscent of such greats as Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and even Chekhov” (Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants), focusing on women navigating relationships with humans, animals, and the natural world.

Exploring the way our choices and relationships are shaped by the menace and beauty of the natural world, Megan Mayhew Bergman’s powerful and heartwarming collection captures the surprising moments when the pull of our biology becomes evident, when love or fear collides with good sense, or when our attachment to an animal or wild place can’t be denied.

In “Housewifely Arts,” a single mother and her son drive hours to track down an African gray parrot that can mimic her deceased mother’s voice. A population-control activist faces the conflict between her loyalty to the environment and her maternal desire in “Yesterday’s Whales.” And in the title story, a lonely naturalist allows an attractive stranger to lead her and her aging father on a hunt for an elusive woodpecker.

As intelligent as they are moving, the stories in Birds of a Lesser Paradise are alive with emotion, wit, and insight into the impressive power that nature has over all of us. This extraordinary collection introduces a young writer of remarkable talent.

I was not prepared...

... For this book to be a series of long-ish stories. Not long enough to be novels, or even novellas, but longer than "short," stories. At first I was very disappointed, because I dislike short stories... They are never long enough to bring the reader into the story completely, like a book, but longer than just the intro-story-denouement that a simple story might be. These surprising stories are really good, though. Each one could very easily be developed into a novel, and for
many, please advise when that happens; I look
forward to that happy day. I highly recommend this group of vignettes of human life. They are placed from different viewpoints, but all are full of life. Highly recommend it!!

An Excellent Collection of Short Stories

Would you consider the audio edition of Birds of a Lesser Paradise to be better than the print version?

The audio was fantastic, but this is the kind of book I'd like to take a highlighter to and underscore a few of Bergman's wonderful turns of phrase.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked the disfigured vet in the story "Saving Face."

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

None stands out. They were all stellar.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Because it is short stories, it is suited to listening in small installments.

Any additional comments?

If you think you don't like short stories, try this book. It may just change your mind.

A WONDERFUL COLLECTION

This book is a wonderful collection of short stories that link human experience with animal nature. Whether as a metaphor or as an adjunct to a particular story the animals assist the telling of all of the poignant vignettes that comprise this lovely book. The narrator does an exemplary job of subtly adjusting to the feel of each of the stories. By the way Malachai ( spelling ? ) is a looney tune... my opinion, of course !

A Bit Disappointed

I was aware at the time of purchase that this was a collection of short stories, but found myself feeling as if I was left hanging at the end of each story. Overall I just didn't get the sense of satisfaction from a good read.