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Why Birds Sing

A Novel

By (author) Nina Berkhout
Categories: Fiction: general and literary, Fiction and Related items, Family life fiction
Publisher: ECW Press
Paperback : 9781770415812, 248 pages, October 2020
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Excerpt

“We’re the Warblers,” the tuning fork woman said. She was wearing suspenders over her lumberjack shirt. She was probably often mistaken for a man until she spoke. Her stockiness didn’t match her voice.

“Is that your band?” I asked.

The redhead stiffened and adjusted her lime cuffs, which glared brightly against her white arms. “We’re a registered organization dating back to 1950. During our heyday, we had over two hundred members. ”

“We’re what’s left,” the old man added, toasting a cookie at me. He ate from a box in his lap.

“Why whistling?” I asked.

They stared. I stared back.

“Because it feels good,” the wrestler said. “And it’s free. ” He gave a wide smile and shoved his hands under his armpits.

“Whistling’s not my profession,” I told them.

“We know you sang. ” The teenager grinned.

“I still do,” I replied.

They shot each other knowing looks before turning back to me.

“We thought you could counsel us for our upcoming Biennial,” the old man said.

I asked for clarification.

“There are local chapters like ours across the country. ” The redhead spoke slowly, as if I were a child. “We meet up every second year. There’s a competition and we need help winning. Because Jojo here, despite her family connections, never pulls through. ”

“I thought you did this to feel good,” I said.

The redhead folded her arms. “I want my trophy. Everyone steers clear of opera for the classical component of the contest. That’s our in. ”

“Why would they avoid opera?” I asked.

“Well, it’s so . . . ”

“So what?”

“Loud,” the teenager said.

“He means over the top,” the old man added.

“It’s the acting that’s unfortunate,” the redhead said. “Do they not equip you lot with lessons?”

Description

A charming novel about a disgraced opera singer, her cancer-plagued brother-in-law, a temperamental parrot named Tulip, and a competitive whistling group called the Warblers.

Reviews

“Capturing the joy that’s brought through camaraderie and passion, Why Birds Sing is an inspiring novel focused on the power of connections.” — Foreword Reviews`

“A bratty parrot, a group of whistlers, an opera singer who doesn’t sing — it’s impossible not to be charmed by the characters who inhabit Nina Berkhout’s Why Birds Sing. But this novel offers so much more than just a loveable, quirky cast of misfits, and Berkhout writes with an uncommon compassion and an uncanny understanding of what it means to be human. Why Birds Sing is an ode to the families we choose, and the love that chooses us (whether we want it to or not.) This is a beautiful novel full of humour, warmth, sorrow, and above all, music.” — Amy Jones, author of We’re All In This Together and Every Little Piece of Me

“An exuberant novel about the possibilities of song and community. Told with tenderness, Why Birds Sing explores life’s unexpected connections and the ways we care for and protect the people we love. Above all, Nina Berkhout reminds us that a life crisis is also a bridge, like the break in a song, carrying us past one part of our life and into the future. Like any great opera, it’s packed with a vibrant cast — star-crossed lovers, travelling whistlers, and one unforgettable bird.” — Claire Tacon, author of In Search of the Perfect Singing Flamingo

“I really loved this book for its quiet grace, subtle humour and its quirky cast of characters … Nina Berkhout has written a gorgeous, multi-layered novel that illustrates the beauty that can be revealed when the collapsing of one life leads to the building of another.” — Urban Info Girl blog

“The novel is both fun and funny … Readers looking for a fun and engrossing story will find Nina Berkhout delivers with plenty of finesse and sharp attention to detail — in the realms of opera, birdsong, and the little complications of everyday life.” — The Fiddlehead