A review by writersrelief
The Book of Dead Birds by Gayle Brandeis

5.0

THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS is the bittersweet story of Ava Sing Lo, half African American and half Korean, born to a mother who worked as a prostitute at a segregated Army base during the Korean War. Ava has been accidentally killing her mother's cherished pet birds since she was six years old. Now in her mid-twenties, Ava ventures from the home she shares with her mother in San Diego, California, to the Salton Sea, where she volunteers to help save birds sickened by environmental contamination. After killing so many of her mother's birds, Ava believes her random discovery of the print article looking for volunteers is her chance at redemption...and a chance to (hopefully) make her mother proud. In the desolate wasteland of the Salton Sea, Ava discovers a deeper understanding of herself, her mother, and their relationship. While there are sexual situations in this book and some use of profanity, THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS is a beautifully written story of a mother-daughter journey that ultimately overcomes their scars and struggles.