A review by caitlinjenk
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Songbirds is the story of Nisha, a migrant maid in Cyprus who goes missing, told from the POV of her employer and her lover. This book was an exploration of the treatment of female domestic migrant workers who are largely ignored and invisible, some even abused and mistreated by their employers. Based on a real-life disappearance, it was truly a beautifully written story, however it’s not a book that can be enjoyed. It is cruel and sad in equal measures. 

I found this read to be insightful and eye opening, however, considering the story is about the lives of the maids I found it completely lacking in feeling with no POV from the actual women affected. While we do get insights into Nisha’s life from Petra and Yiannis, by not hearing from Nisha we have no idea on her thoughts and emotions. Additionally, the story was extremely slow and only the final few chapters were enjoyable for me. I also found the level of detail around the poaching and animal cruelty to be a bit much and very difficult to stomach.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings