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Songbirds
From the prize-winning author ofThe Beekeeper of Aleppo,a stunning novel about the disappearance of a Sri Lankan nanny and how the most vulnerable people find their voices.
It began with a crunch of leaves and earth. So early, so cold, the branches shone with ice. I'd returned to collect the songbirds. They are worth more than their weight in gold.
Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the black market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha, who works on the island as a nanny and maid--having left her native Sri Lanka to try to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind and raised by relatives.
But Nisha has vanished; one evening, she steps out on a mysterious errand and doesn't return. The police write off her disappearance as just another runaway domestic worker, so her employer, Petra, undertakes the investigation.
Petra's unravelling of Nisha's last days in Cyprus lead her to Nisha's friends--other maids in the neighborhood--and to the darker side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse.
Based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a poignant, deeply empathetic narrative of the human stories behind the headlines. With infinite tenderness and skill,Songbirdsoffers a triumphant story of the fight for truth and justice, and of women reclaiming their lost voices.
It began with a crunch of leaves and earth. So early, so cold, the branches shone with ice. I'd returned to collect the songbirds. They are worth more than their weight in gold.
Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the black market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha, who works on the island as a nanny and maid--having left her native Sri Lanka to try to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind and raised by relatives.
But Nisha has vanished; one evening, she steps out on a mysterious errand and doesn't return. The police write off her disappearance as just another runaway domestic worker, so her employer, Petra, undertakes the investigation.
Petra's unravelling of Nisha's last days in Cyprus lead her to Nisha's friends--other maids in the neighborhood--and to the darker side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse.
Based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a poignant, deeply empathetic narrative of the human stories behind the headlines. With infinite tenderness and skill,Songbirdsoffers a triumphant story of the fight for truth and justice, and of women reclaiming their lost voices.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 8, 2021
About the author
Christy Lefteri
14books1,713followersChristy Lefteri was born in London in 1980 to Greek Cypriot parents who moved to London in 1974. She completed a degree in English and a Masters in creative writing at Brunel University. She taught English to foreign students and then became a secondary school teacher before leaving to pursue a PhD and to write. She is also studying to become a psychotherapist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,037 reviews
December 16, 2023
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri
Songbirds brings to light the plight of migrant domestic workers in Cyprus and the writing of this story was partly influenced by real life events, where five migrant domestic worker women and two children went missing. Their disappearances were ignored because they were foreign, and it was only when one of the bodies was found two years later that the murders of these women and children were brought to light. In this story, thirty eight year old Nisha left her native Sri Lanka, nine years ago, to find work in Cypress so that she could earn money to support her daughter who she had to leave with relatives in Sri Lanka.
Nisha's life is made up of working from 6am to 7pm, six days a week, and during her off time her employer, Petra, requires her to rest in her room so she will be fresh for her domestic duties. There is no hope of seeing her daughter in person, no hope of having time that belongs to herself, no hope of being more than a servant with no voice, in a household that takes her for granted. Petra even seems happy that she knows nothing about Nisha, that she's there to do her bidding, day in, day out. It's not until Nisha disappears one night that Petra begins her search for Nisha and begins to realize that Nisha is a real person, with feelings, family, and desires.
Nisha's lover is Yiannis and he asks her to marry him. But then Nisha is gone and he cannot let go of her. He had opened up to her and described his job as a poacher of songbirds and he knows he shattered her view of him forever. It is Yiannis's job as a poacher, with vivid and horrifying descriptions of the mass destruction of the songbirds (by hands and mouth), that made it hard for me to continue reading this book. I know that others have been able to get past this part of the book but my mind could hardly take in the rest of the story as I still can't let go of the descriptions of Yiannis poaching.
When Nisha disappears, and both Petra and Yiannis notify authorities, her disappearance it completely dismissed. She's a migrant domestic worker from another country and as far as the authorities are concerned, she's "moved on". Nothing about her is considered, she's a nobody, there are so many more workers looking for jobs, who cares that one worker is gone now. She does not matter to those with the power to do anything about her disappearance.
This story has it's beauty and it's message. The plight of the songbirds parallels the plight of the migrant domestic workers in many ways. I bring up the incredibly disturbing descriptions of brutality and destruction for those who have trouble reading such things, as I do.
Pub August 3rd 2021
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.
Songbirds brings to light the plight of migrant domestic workers in Cyprus and the writing of this story was partly influenced by real life events, where five migrant domestic worker women and two children went missing. Their disappearances were ignored because they were foreign, and it was only when one of the bodies was found two years later that the murders of these women and children were brought to light. In this story, thirty eight year old Nisha left her native Sri Lanka, nine years ago, to find work in Cypress so that she could earn money to support her daughter who she had to leave with relatives in Sri Lanka.
Nisha's life is made up of working from 6am to 7pm, six days a week, and during her off time her employer, Petra, requires her to rest in her room so she will be fresh for her domestic duties. There is no hope of seeing her daughter in person, no hope of having time that belongs to herself, no hope of being more than a servant with no voice, in a household that takes her for granted. Petra even seems happy that she knows nothing about Nisha, that she's there to do her bidding, day in, day out. It's not until Nisha disappears one night that Petra begins her search for Nisha and begins to realize that Nisha is a real person, with feelings, family, and desires.
Nisha's lover is Yiannis and he asks her to marry him. But then Nisha is gone and he cannot let go of her. He had opened up to her and described his job as a poacher of songbirds and he knows he shattered her view of him forever. It is Yiannis's job as a poacher, with vivid and horrifying descriptions of the mass destruction of the songbirds (by hands and mouth), that made it hard for me to continue reading this book. I know that others have been able to get past this part of the book but my mind could hardly take in the rest of the story as I still can't let go of the descriptions of Yiannis poaching.
When Nisha disappears, and both Petra and Yiannis notify authorities, her disappearance it completely dismissed. She's a migrant domestic worker from another country and as far as the authorities are concerned, she's "moved on". Nothing about her is considered, she's a nobody, there are so many more workers looking for jobs, who cares that one worker is gone now. She does not matter to those with the power to do anything about her disappearance.
This story has it's beauty and it's message. The plight of the songbirds parallels the plight of the migrant domestic workers in many ways. I bring up the incredibly disturbing descriptions of brutality and destruction for those who have trouble reading such things, as I do.
Pub August 3rd 2021
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 25, 2022
while the plot of this story is about a missing woman, the heart of the story is how her disappearance affects those left behind.
this isnt really a mystery as much as it is a commentary on women, their (mis)treatment, and how they can influence/touch/inspire those around them. in this case, its how nisha has created roots in a newfound family that she works for and cultivates a romantic relationship with the man upstairs, not to mention all of the other people she comes in contact with.
this unhurried narrative weaves a story about life on cyprus, striking a tender balance between the good life that nisha has and the negative elements that caused her disappearance.
some more great storytelling by CL.
↠3.5 stars
this isnt really a mystery as much as it is a commentary on women, their (mis)treatment, and how they can influence/touch/inspire those around them. in this case, its how nisha has created roots in a newfound family that she works for and cultivates a romantic relationship with the man upstairs, not to mention all of the other people she comes in contact with.
this unhurried narrative weaves a story about life on cyprus, striking a tender balance between the good life that nisha has and the negative elements that caused her disappearance.
some more great storytelling by CL.
↠3.5 stars
September 3, 2021
I adoredThe Beekeeper of Alepposo I was thrilled to see Lefteri had another one out.
This is a sad story, however. It is about a woman who is a domestic worker in Cyprus in order to send funds to her daughter in Sr Lanka. But she disappears. The police unwilling to look into as she is considered a “foreigner”. The neighbour upstairs is in love with her and now fears for her life. The woman she works for has decided to investigate herself.
The mastery Lefteri has of telling a story. From the beautiful songbirds who are illegally poached and these precious birds who sing even while being caught in a net and death is upon them; and the foreign women working domestically with little choice but to be there and be treated marginally.
This is based on the disappearances of some of these domestic migrant workers. The darker side of the world they live in.
The imagery of the songbirds is heartbreaking.
Beautifully written but one of loss and love. 4.25⭐️
This is a sad story, however. It is about a woman who is a domestic worker in Cyprus in order to send funds to her daughter in Sr Lanka. But she disappears. The police unwilling to look into as she is considered a “foreigner”. The neighbour upstairs is in love with her and now fears for her life. The woman she works for has decided to investigate herself.
The mastery Lefteri has of telling a story. From the beautiful songbirds who are illegally poached and these precious birds who sing even while being caught in a net and death is upon them; and the foreign women working domestically with little choice but to be there and be treated marginally.
This is based on the disappearances of some of these domestic migrant workers. The darker side of the world they live in.
The imagery of the songbirds is heartbreaking.
Beautifully written but one of loss and love. 4.25⭐️
September 30, 2021
I should not have liked this book. A missing person, a suspenseful telling and scenes describing the hunting of songbirds are difficult to read - not my usual fare. Yet, it was impossible not to be taken with this sad and enlightening story. It’s as beautifully written asThe Beekeeper of Aleppo,a book that has stayed with me. The novel is inspired by true events of migrant women who went missing in Cyprus and how it came to be is emotionally described in the not to be missed author’s note. Christy Lefteri is the daughter of Cyprian refugees and it is clear that her heart is on every page.
I received a copy of this book from Ballantine/Random House through NetGalley.
I received a copy of this book from Ballantine/Random House through NetGalley.
October 27, 2022
2 "saccharine, sloppy, syrupy, repetitive" stars!!!
A warm thank you to Diane S. and Angela M. for introducing me to this novel. My experience is vastly different than theirs.
I have been reflecting on this novel for the past few hours on why I was mostly annoyed while reading this book and frustrated and yet still mildly appreciative despite not enjoying this reading experience. I will attempt to do this in a short review.
My overall rating is 1.5 stars with a bonus half star on what the author attempted.
What I appreciated (but not admired or liked)
1. a sincere attempt to raise awareness of migrant workers and their experiences...in this case specifically Cyprus which continues to be a machismo culture
2. a sincere attempt to raise awareness on wildlife poaching....in this case songbirds in Cyprus
3. a small window into both Cypriot and Sri Lankan culture albeit in a very superficial manner
What was highly problematic
1. the fetishization and overidealization of womens' lives and motivations through the lens of liberal white feminism....this does a disservice in not presenting complexities and allowances for truly oppressed people to be fully themselves
What I disliked
1. the superficial and often inconsistent psychologies of all the main protagonists
2. the syrupy and saccharine presentation of Iife events that actually takes away from profound human experience
3. repetitive scenes that take the plot nowhere
4. uneven and often sloppy prose that tried to be both literary and mystery and failed miserably at both
5. a poor rendering of human emotions to huge losses and traumata....extremely poorly done
6. wooden and awkward dialogue
7. the use of blatant symbolism to beat the reader over the head
Am I glad I read this? Not really as so much work is needed to bring this up to even decent women's fiction status.
A warm thank you to Diane S. and Angela M. for introducing me to this novel. My experience is vastly different than theirs.
I have been reflecting on this novel for the past few hours on why I was mostly annoyed while reading this book and frustrated and yet still mildly appreciative despite not enjoying this reading experience. I will attempt to do this in a short review.
My overall rating is 1.5 stars with a bonus half star on what the author attempted.
What I appreciated (but not admired or liked)
1. a sincere attempt to raise awareness of migrant workers and their experiences...in this case specifically Cyprus which continues to be a machismo culture
2. a sincere attempt to raise awareness on wildlife poaching....in this case songbirds in Cyprus
3. a small window into both Cypriot and Sri Lankan culture albeit in a very superficial manner
What was highly problematic
1. the fetishization and overidealization of womens' lives and motivations through the lens of liberal white feminism....this does a disservice in not presenting complexities and allowances for truly oppressed people to be fully themselves
What I disliked
1. the superficial and often inconsistent psychologies of all the main protagonists
2. the syrupy and saccharine presentation of Iife events that actually takes away from profound human experience
3. repetitive scenes that take the plot nowhere
4. uneven and often sloppy prose that tried to be both literary and mystery and failed miserably at both
5. a poor rendering of human emotions to huge losses and traumata....extremely poorly done
6. wooden and awkward dialogue
7. the use of blatant symbolism to beat the reader over the head
Am I glad I read this? Not really as so much work is needed to bring this up to even decent women's fiction status.
August 6, 2021
Thank you, Random House, for the gifted copy.
This book! It’s on my list of favorites for 2021, much like The Beekeeper of Aleppo was on my list in 2019!
Songbirds is the story of Nisha, a Sri Lankan nanny and housekeeper living in Cyprus who disappears. The reader does not meet Nisha in the present, only through the voices of Petra, the woman for whom she works, and Yiannis, her love. There are multiple side stories as well, some of them of the same importance as the main story. From the very start we know that Nisha is missing, and the eerie tension builds and builds. Has she been kidnapped? Did she go back to Sri Lanka?
Much like with The Beekeeper, Christy Lefteri shines a light on some important issues. The primary focus is how domestic worker are treated in some places, with very long days, little time off, and living far away from their families because it’s the only way to support them. Also important is that when multiple workers went missing, the police did not wish to investigate, seeing the women as less than. There’s a tie-in between this storyline and actual missing people, and the author’s note is not to be missed. Also of importance to the storyline are the gorgeous songbirds who are poached and consumed as a delicacy. All of the wildlife is depicted with such stunning writing.
I was reading another book, Migrations, about wildlife on the verge of extinction at the same time as Songbirds. The parallels were not lost on me. I highly recommend both books. Christy Lefteri has become a new favorite author. I admire her commitment to the research in her novels. She says that she writes to learn something new, and I have certainly learned many new things thanks to her efforts.
Thank you to my dear friend, Beth, for the great discussion, and to Taylor Noel and Christy Lefteri for the fabulous introduction to the book last week!
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog:www.jennifertarheelreader.comand instagram:www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
This book! It’s on my list of favorites for 2021, much like The Beekeeper of Aleppo was on my list in 2019!
Songbirds is the story of Nisha, a Sri Lankan nanny and housekeeper living in Cyprus who disappears. The reader does not meet Nisha in the present, only through the voices of Petra, the woman for whom she works, and Yiannis, her love. There are multiple side stories as well, some of them of the same importance as the main story. From the very start we know that Nisha is missing, and the eerie tension builds and builds. Has she been kidnapped? Did she go back to Sri Lanka?
Much like with The Beekeeper, Christy Lefteri shines a light on some important issues. The primary focus is how domestic worker are treated in some places, with very long days, little time off, and living far away from their families because it’s the only way to support them. Also important is that when multiple workers went missing, the police did not wish to investigate, seeing the women as less than. There’s a tie-in between this storyline and actual missing people, and the author’s note is not to be missed. Also of importance to the storyline are the gorgeous songbirds who are poached and consumed as a delicacy. All of the wildlife is depicted with such stunning writing.
I was reading another book, Migrations, about wildlife on the verge of extinction at the same time as Songbirds. The parallels were not lost on me. I highly recommend both books. Christy Lefteri has become a new favorite author. I admire her commitment to the research in her novels. She says that she writes to learn something new, and I have certainly learned many new things thanks to her efforts.
Thank you to my dear friend, Beth, for the great discussion, and to Taylor Noel and Christy Lefteri for the fabulous introduction to the book last week!
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog:www.jennifertarheelreader.comand instagram:www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
November 23, 2022
This book broke me twice. First, the gorgeous, eloquent prose. Secondly, the deeply moving plot.
Songbirds, is a heartbreaking story, chronicling the plight of migrant workers. The struggles they endure, much like refugees, leaving their homes in the hope of a better life. Often migrant workers endure long hours with minimal pay, giving back to their families, all the while being recpectful in a disrespectful world.
Christy Lefteri, writes with an honest, passionate voice—a well researched novel. Lefteri cares about her characters, championing their journeys.
Songbirds is based on a true story. Chronicling several migrant women that go missing, with little interest in finding them, making International news.
This is the story of Nisha, a Sri Lankan nanny, working for a widowed woman named Petra. Her daughter, Aliki, feels more connected to Nisha than she ever does to her mother. Nisha, a widow herself, left behind her daughter to be raised by relatives while she tries to make money to send back to her daughter. They correspond, often, on video calls.
Yiannas, is Nisha's fiance. He loves her fiercely and wants to make a life with her. He is an illegal poacher of Songbirds that migrate to Cyprus from Africa. The songbirds foreshadow the story of migrants. A sad, heartbreaking tale.
When Nisha suddenly goes missing, the police do nothing to find her. Petra and Yiannas are separately desperate to find out where she is. When Petra learns Yiannas is her fiance, they come together to search for her.
Interestingly, this isn't a mystery. It's a story about the people searching for Nisha and how their lives are affected without her.
The prose was moving, beautiful. Painful. I found myself getting teary-eyed over passages and heartbroken for an underrepresented population, misread, and stereotyped.
I can’t “sing” enough praises for Songbirds. It's brilliant, vulnerable, raw, and touching.
I am still thinking about Nisha and her journey, the way she affected those around her. She's a character we can all learn from; a fighter, a lover, a helper, a friend.
5/5 shining stars.
Songbirds, is a heartbreaking story, chronicling the plight of migrant workers. The struggles they endure, much like refugees, leaving their homes in the hope of a better life. Often migrant workers endure long hours with minimal pay, giving back to their families, all the while being recpectful in a disrespectful world.
Christy Lefteri, writes with an honest, passionate voice—a well researched novel. Lefteri cares about her characters, championing their journeys.
Songbirds is based on a true story. Chronicling several migrant women that go missing, with little interest in finding them, making International news.
This is the story of Nisha, a Sri Lankan nanny, working for a widowed woman named Petra. Her daughter, Aliki, feels more connected to Nisha than she ever does to her mother. Nisha, a widow herself, left behind her daughter to be raised by relatives while she tries to make money to send back to her daughter. They correspond, often, on video calls.
Yiannas, is Nisha's fiance. He loves her fiercely and wants to make a life with her. He is an illegal poacher of Songbirds that migrate to Cyprus from Africa. The songbirds foreshadow the story of migrants. A sad, heartbreaking tale.
When Nisha suddenly goes missing, the police do nothing to find her. Petra and Yiannas are separately desperate to find out where she is. When Petra learns Yiannas is her fiance, they come together to search for her.
Interestingly, this isn't a mystery. It's a story about the people searching for Nisha and how their lives are affected without her.
The prose was moving, beautiful. Painful. I found myself getting teary-eyed over passages and heartbroken for an underrepresented population, misread, and stereotyped.
I can’t “sing” enough praises for Songbirds. It's brilliant, vulnerable, raw, and touching.
I am still thinking about Nisha and her journey, the way she affected those around her. She's a character we can all learn from; a fighter, a lover, a helper, a friend.
5/5 shining stars.
December 29, 2021
Beautiful cover, beautiful writing but the subject matter was difficult, heartbreaking to read. The second book I've read set in Cyprus and in both books the eating of songbirds is a delicacy. In this book the trapping if the birds was given in more, heart-rending detail. The Hopetrapping of the birds is in juxtaposition to the trapping of women, or rather the traps they are led into. Nisha had left her home in Sri Lanka, left her young daughter in the care of her mother and came to Cyprus to earn money to send home. Like many necessary workers she is not really seen as a person but as someone to take advantage of without any recourse in a country that is not her own.
Nisei becomes integral to Petra, taking care of her young daughter and household, when after the death of her husband she is unable to cope. After eight years Petra knows little of Nishas life and it doesn't concern her until Nisha goes missing. The authorities don't care, after all these are foreign women, they come and they go. As we learn Nishas story, we also uncover Petra's story as well as that of Yiannis, the man who had come to love Nisha.
This is a tragic story, one repeated over and over, in many countries. Those we don't see or recognize as people with thoughts and feels it's that match our own. Refugees, migrant workers, the displaced, native Americans on reservations, immigrants, trafficked women. The list goes on and on. This book was at times hard to read, but it is an important one and a necessary one.
Terrific discussion with the two Cs and two Ks.
Nisei becomes integral to Petra, taking care of her young daughter and household, when after the death of her husband she is unable to cope. After eight years Petra knows little of Nishas life and it doesn't concern her until Nisha goes missing. The authorities don't care, after all these are foreign women, they come and they go. As we learn Nishas story, we also uncover Petra's story as well as that of Yiannis, the man who had come to love Nisha.
This is a tragic story, one repeated over and over, in many countries. Those we don't see or recognize as people with thoughts and feels it's that match our own. Refugees, migrant workers, the displaced, native Americans on reservations, immigrants, trafficked women. The list goes on and on. This book was at times hard to read, but it is an important one and a necessary one.
Terrific discussion with the two Cs and two Ks.
July 9, 2021
As a fan of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, I was anxious to see what Lefteri would write next. Songbirds explores the disappearance of a Sri Lankan maid/nanny from her employer’s home on the island of Cyprus. Nisha had worked for Petra for nine years and was more of a mother to Aliki than Petra. But the police just blow off her disappearance, assuming she had left for better employment possibilities. SoPetra undertakes to investigate on her own. Yiannis is Petra’s upstairs tenant and is in love with Nisha. It took me a while to warm to Yiannis as he is a poacher of songbirds.
The book is an interesting treatise on the relationship between employers and servants. The servant takes care of everything for the family, but the employer knows so little about the servant. “Who was this woman who I had previously seen only as a shadow of myself?” It’s so sad to think of the number of women forced to leave their own families in order to provide them with financial support. And how taken advantage of they are - the agent fees, the hours required. It’s one step up from slavery.
The book is beautifully written and filled with symbolism. We never hear from Nisha herself, she is always seen through the eyes of others.
The book has an added poignancy as it’s based on the true life disappearances of domestic workers in Cyprus. In the author’s note, Lefteri makes an interesting point about what constitutes “a choice” when it comes to leaving your country of origin. I recommend this for those looking for a book club selection that would lead to some meaningful discussions.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
The book is an interesting treatise on the relationship between employers and servants. The servant takes care of everything for the family, but the employer knows so little about the servant. “Who was this woman who I had previously seen only as a shadow of myself?” It’s so sad to think of the number of women forced to leave their own families in order to provide them with financial support. And how taken advantage of they are - the agent fees, the hours required. It’s one step up from slavery.
The book is beautifully written and filled with symbolism. We never hear from Nisha herself, she is always seen through the eyes of others.
The book has an added poignancy as it’s based on the true life disappearances of domestic workers in Cyprus. In the author’s note, Lefteri makes an interesting point about what constitutes “a choice” when it comes to leaving your country of origin. I recommend this for those looking for a book club selection that would lead to some meaningful discussions.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
September 8, 2021
Overly descriptive, slow and boring. There were far too many details about the birds, the poaching and none about the real issues foreign domestic workers were dealing with on daily basis. There was no connection between Yannis and Petra and although they both claimed to care about Nisha neither one did hardly anything within the span of a month to try and find her.
Nothing really happened for the majority of the book and the ending just felt futile and shallow.
Nothing really happened for the majority of the book and the ending just felt futile and shallow.
October 20, 2023
"Songbirds" is a beautifully written novel about the disappearance of a beautiful Sri Lankan migrant worker, Nisha, who was employed as a nanny and housekeeper in Cyprus. When she disappeared, leaving her passport in her room, the police would not make the effort to search for her since they considered migrant workers to be expendable. Her employer, Petra, realizes that Nisha was the heart of their household raising Petra's daughter while being separated for years from her own child back in Sri Lanka. The migrant workers were in desperate circumstances back home, but the agency fees in Cyprus kept them so much in debt that it was almost impossible to return home.
Nisha's lover, Yiannis, had also been in economic trouble when an acquaintance involved him in illegally poaching songbirds as they fly between Europe and Africa. But Yiannis finds that the organization does not allow anyone to leave.
Christy Lefteri tells about Nisha's life from the points of view of Petra and Yiannis as they talk to the neighbors and Nisha's maid friends during their search. The book shows the reality of a migrant worker's life, and the slaughter of the migrating songbirds. It's heartbreaking that the songbirds are more protected than the migrating maids and nannies.
The story also touched on mothering in person and at a distance, and the emotional sacrifices some people must make to send money back home. I enjoyed Lefteri's thoughtful, lovely writing, and would love to read more by this author.
Nisha's lover, Yiannis, had also been in economic trouble when an acquaintance involved him in illegally poaching songbirds as they fly between Europe and Africa. But Yiannis finds that the organization does not allow anyone to leave.
Christy Lefteri tells about Nisha's life from the points of view of Petra and Yiannis as they talk to the neighbors and Nisha's maid friends during their search. The book shows the reality of a migrant worker's life, and the slaughter of the migrating songbirds. It's heartbreaking that the songbirds are more protected than the migrating maids and nannies.
The story also touched on mothering in person and at a distance, and the emotional sacrifices some people must make to send money back home. I enjoyed Lefteri's thoughtful, lovely writing, and would love to read more by this author.
July 30, 2021
Even though it’s been nearly two years since I read Christy Lefteri’s award-winning second novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo ,one of the things that has continued to stay with me whenever I think of that book is the affecting, haunting nature of the story. While I might not remember every detail of the plot, I do remember the gut-wrenching emotions that the story evoked. I was moved by Nuri’s and Afra’s heartrending story detailing their harrowing journey from war-torn Syria to Great Britain, trying their best to survive as refugees in a foreign and not necessarily welcoming country. Lefteri’s newest work, Songbirds ,is written in a similar vein — a poignant, heartbreaking story that centers on foreign domestic workers on the Greek island of Cyprus.
Nisha Jayakody is a young Sri Lankan widow who, forced by the circumstances of dire poverty and desperation as well as a desire to provide a better life for her beloved daughter Kumari, signs up with an agency that places her as a maid and nanny for Petra, a pregnant businesswoman living on Cyprus whose husband had also just died. In addition to taking care of Petra’s household, Nisha also helps raise Petra’s daughter Aliki. Yiannis is a poacher who secretly traps songbirds, a protected species, and sells them on the black market. After meeting and falling in love with Nisha, Yiannis longs to get out of the dangerous, illegal trade he is in and marry the woman he loves. But it is not that easy — due to Nisha’s status as a foreign maid, her life actually doesn’t belong to her, but rather to her employer, who has the right to fire Nisha if her relationship with Yiannis were discovered. Like so many of her fellow domestic worker friends, Nisha has few options and while she is treated well by Petra, their relationship is a perfunctory one in that Petra knows nearly nothing about this woman who had taken such good care of her and raised as well as loved her daughter as her own. It is not until one night, when Nisha goes out and doesn’t return, effectively vanishing into thin air, that Petra and Yiannis understand not just the profound impact Nisha had on their lives, but also the reality of who she was as a person.
Though the story here is about Nisha, the narrative is actually told from the alternating perspectives of Petra and Yiannis. Lefteri writes in her author’s note that this way of telling Nisha’s story — the piecing “together of her existence through the memories of others” — was deliberate, and after understanding what Lefteri was trying to do, it made me appreciate the story more (I highly recommend reading the Author’s Note after finishing the book, as Lefteri discusses the inspiration behind the story — it’s definitely not to be missed!). One of the things I love about this story is the fact that it gives a chance for the voices of the most vulnerable to be heard as well as understood — in this way, I found Nisha and her story to be tremendously powerful.
Having said all that, while I did find this story to be both moving and heart wrenching, I felt it didn’t quite reach the level of emotional depth that The Beekeeper of Aleppo did. Of course, that’s not to say that Songbirds wasn’t an emotional experience because it definitely was —but it didn’t leave me speechless like Lefteri’s previous work did. Nevertheless, it’s still a beautifully written, absolutely worthy read, one that I highly recommend. A word of caution though: there are some scenes that describe cruelties done to the songbirds that are troubling and difficult to read — for those who might be bothered by these types of depictions, might be a good idea to gloss over them (luckily those scenes are few and far between).
Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.
December 22, 2021
"Always be kind to the land, the people, and the animals that are on it. Remember that. it's the most important rule in the world."
If only.
We are so far away from this wise and important foundation of being. We live in a world where people are unkind, who exploit--the land, the animals, each other. We live in a world where we don't see people for who they are, and get lost so deeply within ourselves we don't even see who we are.
"Who was this woman whom I had previously seen only as a shadow of myself? A dark and beautiful shadow, who rattled around in old sandals and with fire in her eyes. It struck me now that it was I who had been her shadow."
Ultimately a story about traps; bird traps, human traps, grief traps. On one level the story of a woman who goes missing, and the man and woman who search for her. Descending into the depths of this disappearance, we catch glimpses of the inter-connectedness of all; the life cycle of animals, the threads that connect all living life...or the beliefs that compartmentalize if we allow them to, a compartmentalization that allows mistreatment and dismissal.
And in that dismissal, people are treated as less than human. Animals are treated as expendable. Nature is treated as though it has no expiration date. A story that holds a magnifying glass to abhorrent practices, even if performed by people who are not so much evil, as trapped.
A heart-wrenching story, told in beautiful and lyrical prose, hinting at the possibility that we can all do better. A thoughtful book that generated much discussion with my book reading buddies...C, K, D, and K.
If only.
We are so far away from this wise and important foundation of being. We live in a world where people are unkind, who exploit--the land, the animals, each other. We live in a world where we don't see people for who they are, and get lost so deeply within ourselves we don't even see who we are.
"Who was this woman whom I had previously seen only as a shadow of myself? A dark and beautiful shadow, who rattled around in old sandals and with fire in her eyes. It struck me now that it was I who had been her shadow."
Ultimately a story about traps; bird traps, human traps, grief traps. On one level the story of a woman who goes missing, and the man and woman who search for her. Descending into the depths of this disappearance, we catch glimpses of the inter-connectedness of all; the life cycle of animals, the threads that connect all living life...or the beliefs that compartmentalize if we allow them to, a compartmentalization that allows mistreatment and dismissal.
And in that dismissal, people are treated as less than human. Animals are treated as expendable. Nature is treated as though it has no expiration date. A story that holds a magnifying glass to abhorrent practices, even if performed by people who are not so much evil, as trapped.
A heart-wrenching story, told in beautiful and lyrical prose, hinting at the possibility that we can all do better. A thoughtful book that generated much discussion with my book reading buddies...C, K, D, and K.
October 28, 2021
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri, another historical fiction novel, about the disappearance of a Sri Lankan nanny and how the most vulnerable people find their voices. From the best selling author of 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo'. This is the first book I have read by the author, and I must say being a historical fiction the writing is very smooth.
I loved the lyrical and whimsical start of the book with references of leaves, earth and everything around that. Simultaneously, we also follow the mysterious missing of a lady named Nisha, who works on the Cyprus island as a nanny and maid.
The characters such as Nisha - the missing lady, Yiannis - lover of Nisha and Petra - employer of Nisha, along with others did make the book very interesting to read about. The mystery aspect of the book was definitely worth reading but the unnecessary description of the surrounding made it a little bit boring and not to the point.
The book is based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus. The author has tried to bring in some bright light to the plight of migrant workers in Sri Lanka with her imagination and smooth writing style. The book definitely holds it's right share of beauty as well as sadness in terms of songbirds being metaphor for migrant workers.
I loved the lyrical and whimsical start of the book with references of leaves, earth and everything around that. Simultaneously, we also follow the mysterious missing of a lady named Nisha, who works on the Cyprus island as a nanny and maid.
The characters such as Nisha - the missing lady, Yiannis - lover of Nisha and Petra - employer of Nisha, along with others did make the book very interesting to read about. The mystery aspect of the book was definitely worth reading but the unnecessary description of the surrounding made it a little bit boring and not to the point.
The book is based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus. The author has tried to bring in some bright light to the plight of migrant workers in Sri Lanka with her imagination and smooth writing style. The book definitely holds it's right share of beauty as well as sadness in terms of songbirds being metaphor for migrant workers.
September 18, 2021
Four and a half stars
Nisha has left her home in Sri Lanka in the hope of giving her child, Kumari, who she has left back home with her grandmother, a future. She is in Cyprus, working as a maid for Petra and caring for her young daughter Aliki. Meanwhile, over the years, she keeps in touch with her own daughter by phone. Nisha’s lover Yiannis is a poacher, hunting the tiny songbirds on their way to Africa for winter. He dreams of a new life married to Nisha. But then Nisha disappears. What has happened to her? Where is she? Neither Petra nor Yiannis believe it is true that Nisha has simply left for elsewhere. Something must have happened to her. Petra seeks police help. But the police don’t want to know about the disappearance of this foreign domestic worker. As Petra and Yiannis set out to try and find out what has happened to Nisha, they realise how little they knew or understood her. Along the way to discovering what happened they begin to learn more about themselves as well as Nisha. And is more than one woman a victim?
This is beautifully written and a heartbreaker. So sad to see they way people are disregarded as unimportant and expendable because of their race and background. This is a story of love and loss that exposes the depths of the human heart, both good and bad. Chapters are told from the point of view of Petra and Yiannis with occasional chapters by an unnamed person. These short passages from him were the least interesting bits of the narrative. The rest of the story is quietly compelling.
Sadly, this is not just fiction but is based on incidents of disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus. It was a real eye opener for me. A highly readable, thought provoking, character driven novel that is a definite recommended read. This is my first book by this author. Interested to read more,
Nisha has left her home in Sri Lanka in the hope of giving her child, Kumari, who she has left back home with her grandmother, a future. She is in Cyprus, working as a maid for Petra and caring for her young daughter Aliki. Meanwhile, over the years, she keeps in touch with her own daughter by phone. Nisha’s lover Yiannis is a poacher, hunting the tiny songbirds on their way to Africa for winter. He dreams of a new life married to Nisha. But then Nisha disappears. What has happened to her? Where is she? Neither Petra nor Yiannis believe it is true that Nisha has simply left for elsewhere. Something must have happened to her. Petra seeks police help. But the police don’t want to know about the disappearance of this foreign domestic worker. As Petra and Yiannis set out to try and find out what has happened to Nisha, they realise how little they knew or understood her. Along the way to discovering what happened they begin to learn more about themselves as well as Nisha. And is more than one woman a victim?
This is beautifully written and a heartbreaker. So sad to see they way people are disregarded as unimportant and expendable because of their race and background. This is a story of love and loss that exposes the depths of the human heart, both good and bad. Chapters are told from the point of view of Petra and Yiannis with occasional chapters by an unnamed person. These short passages from him were the least interesting bits of the narrative. The rest of the story is quietly compelling.
Sadly, this is not just fiction but is based on incidents of disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus. It was a real eye opener for me. A highly readable, thought provoking, character driven novel that is a definite recommended read. This is my first book by this author. Interested to read more,
April 24, 2022
“After the war, I learned a lesson I would never forget: how a person can disappear inside themselves, and that, sometimes, like my father, they are never able to find their way back.”
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri is a heartbreaking tale exploring the struggles domestic workers have to go through just to provide their families with the basic necessities of life. Reading this book has clearly shown me the stark divide between people who are overflowing with privilege without even being aware of it, just like how a fish doesn't know it's submerged in overflowing ocean water, and people who have to sacrifice their entire youth just to provide their families with things that are default aspects of many people's lives that require little to no sacrifices. Another contrast we see highlighted in this book is the one between disgusting cruelty and selfless kindness, two attitudes human beings are equally capable of, but lean on one more than the other due to their own upbringing.
The story here is centered around Nisha, a Sri Lankan maid who has left her baby daughter Kumari behind after the tragic death of her husband, to go work as a house maid for a woman called Petra in Cyprus, who has coincidentally also lost her husband and has to take care of her own daughter while working. During her stay in Cyprus, Nisha forms a close bond with Petra's daughter, and becomes an inseparable part of the family. She simultaneously builds up a romantic relationship with a Cypriot man named Yiannis, who is involved in an illegal bird hunting project with his childhood close friend, and depends on this arrangement to financially survive. The lives of Petra and Yiannis intertwine when one day, Nisha disappears mysteriously without a trace.
“Yes, I love thinking about beginnings. I don’t like endings, though I suppose I’m like most people in that. An ending can be staring you right in the face without you knowing it.”
This book alternates between the point of views of Petra and Yiannis, each giving the reader their own subjective experience of Nisha. Through Petra, we see Nisha as the mysterious, exotic maid who takes care of her daughter and deals with tedious household tasks. Through Yiannis, we see Nisha as a passionate and loving woman in her own right, the woman Yiannis so desperately wants to be with. But who is Nisha, really? This question is perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this tale, and shows how domestic workers coming from foreign countries are dehumanized by default. For some, they are servants, for others, they're exotic and mysterious lovers, but we tend to ignore the fact that these women are human beings, with their own souls, their own history and their own ocean of emotions. While trying to figure out what happened to Nisha, we slowly piece together puzzle pieces of her soul, as a human being equal to those who claim to be her masters.
“You see, we have to eat, and we have to survive, and yet we must protect our dignity and our identity. There are things we do to achieve those things. But we can respect the land and the animals that are on it. Always be kind to the land, the people, and the animals that are on it. Remember that. It’s the most important rule in the world.”
This book is slow and atmospheric, gently pulling the reader into the pleasant nature of Cyprus, sprinkled with birdsong. There is some very good imagery and parallels between the birds and other animals in this story and the struggles of the housemaids the book is portraying. Despite being centered around a disappearance mystery, I find that the book draws its strength not from the clues and the actual revelation of what happened, which I found to be relatively lackluster/mediocre, but by the tidbits we discover about Nisha, and the transition the author makes from painting Nisha as a one-dimensional foreign housemaid to a complex, passionate human being in her own right. This hits home, since this hideous practice foreign housemaids are subjected to is a norm in the country I'm from, Lebanon, which is coincidentally quite close to Cyprus and is mentioned in this book. These maids are treated as subhumans here, with their passports being taken away by their employers, and in most disputes, they are the ones in the wrong, despite being subjected to all sorts of abuse, from physical beatings to sexual assault. We see this same condescending behaviour towards these maids in this book, where the police discard the disappearance of Nisha, and other maids, since they're foreign workers and are not worth their time.
As I mentioned, the mystery and the revelation isn't really the strong suit of this book, and the pace might feel a bit slow, but the strength of this book is how it helps us peer into the souls of these unfortunate domestic workers. While reading this book and uncovering the story of Nisha's life, my heart was touched by the suffering of these housemaids, and the great injustices they are subjected to. This is a heavy read delivered in a gentle manner. Despite the pretty prose and the pleasant island atmosphere of the setting, the topics covered here can weigh heavy on the heart. The emotional impact this book had on me made up for the relative weakness of the mystery plot and its resolution, so I am giving this a 4 stars, and it is a work I will remember, and I definitely do recommend.
Thank you toMariaandSullafor buddy reading this with me!
“Now that I could hear this woman’s song—a melody that told a story I couldn’t understand—I hoped with all of my heart that it wasn’t too late.”
April 6, 2021
I write this review with tears still on my cheeks from finishing this beautiful novel. Songbirds felt vastly different to me than Lefteri’s first novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo but like Beekeeper it is a beautifully written tale so tiny in its cast of characters and so huge in the global scope of the story and so, so relevant and important.
As with Beekeeper Songbirds deals with human migration, this time economic migrants rather than displaced refugees and in her forward Lefteri quite rightly states that the distinction drawn between these two groups as if only ‘real’ refugees are worthy of their human rights and not being exploited. Anyone who makes the decision to leave their family, their homeland and everything they know simply in order to feed their family is a vulnerable person who is at risk of persecution and harm and this novel brings this home with a sledgehammer.
The lives of Petra and Nisha are at once so similar and so vastly different as are the worlds their daughters inhabit it is a shame that Petra never realised this until it is too late. Nisha’s mysterious disappearance while terrible is the catalyst for Petra to finally break out of her grief and mother the daughter that Nisha has been raising for her for the last 9 years. Watching this bond grow at the same time as Yiannis and Kumari begin the tentative beginnings of their own connection is a beautiful thing and evidence of the humanity and heart that Christy Lefteri brings to her novels. She understands people, of all ages of character, all nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds, the characters are utterly authentic and with the power to move the reader. This makes waiting for her next book so very exciting. This book needs to be a GCSE set text as all young people need to see the issue of human migration through these rich characters rather than tabloid newspaper sound bites that they read on social media.
As with Beekeeper Songbirds deals with human migration, this time economic migrants rather than displaced refugees and in her forward Lefteri quite rightly states that the distinction drawn between these two groups as if only ‘real’ refugees are worthy of their human rights and not being exploited. Anyone who makes the decision to leave their family, their homeland and everything they know simply in order to feed their family is a vulnerable person who is at risk of persecution and harm and this novel brings this home with a sledgehammer.
The lives of Petra and Nisha are at once so similar and so vastly different as are the worlds their daughters inhabit it is a shame that Petra never realised this until it is too late. Nisha’s mysterious disappearance while terrible is the catalyst for Petra to finally break out of her grief and mother the daughter that Nisha has been raising for her for the last 9 years. Watching this bond grow at the same time as Yiannis and Kumari begin the tentative beginnings of their own connection is a beautiful thing and evidence of the humanity and heart that Christy Lefteri brings to her novels. She understands people, of all ages of character, all nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds, the characters are utterly authentic and with the power to move the reader. This makes waiting for her next book so very exciting. This book needs to be a GCSE set text as all young people need to see the issue of human migration through these rich characters rather than tabloid newspaper sound bites that they read on social media.
October 14, 2022
“One day, Nisha vanished and turned to gold.”I love this opening line.
Songbirds is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it—not only for its eloquence and masterful storytelling, but for the tender way it opens our eyes and moves to convict regarding the treatment of domestic workers.
This story is set on the island of Cyprus and follows the heartbreaking journey of a Sri Lankan migrant worker and her subsequent disappearance while working as a maid for a well-to-do family. Loosely based on factual events, Songbirds is etched with pain and some hard-hitting truths. It’s the type of literature that seeks to educate; to bring light to the dark and obscure roads that often plague immigrant workers, especially women—the ones who leave their families behind to clean our homes and raise, love, and take care of our children, but so often walk unseen and unheard.
Lefteri is a deeply gifted storyteller. I find her prose to be both beautiful and captivating in its simplicity. Her ability to weave these gorgeous narratives and complex characters—the gentleness of nature and the cruelty of humans—results in a refreshing stream of poignant observations and thoughtful insights.
In short: a must read for all.
Songbirds is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it—not only for its eloquence and masterful storytelling, but for the tender way it opens our eyes and moves to convict regarding the treatment of domestic workers.
This story is set on the island of Cyprus and follows the heartbreaking journey of a Sri Lankan migrant worker and her subsequent disappearance while working as a maid for a well-to-do family. Loosely based on factual events, Songbirds is etched with pain and some hard-hitting truths. It’s the type of literature that seeks to educate; to bring light to the dark and obscure roads that often plague immigrant workers, especially women—the ones who leave their families behind to clean our homes and raise, love, and take care of our children, but so often walk unseen and unheard.
Lefteri is a deeply gifted storyteller. I find her prose to be both beautiful and captivating in its simplicity. Her ability to weave these gorgeous narratives and complex characters—the gentleness of nature and the cruelty of humans—results in a refreshing stream of poignant observations and thoughtful insights.
In short: a must read for all.
January 12, 2023
I have never been more invested in a book than I was while reading this one. Absolutely magnificent writing by the author. She truly makes it where you feel saturated into the story and watch it unfold before your eyes. It's absolutely breathtaking and mesmerizing. It's a slow burn but the gradual build up and the "who done it" factor truly keeps you gripped the entire time. This was so beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. I full on cried at the end. Such a beautiful story of love, friendship and lack of care for others human beings/migrant workers. It's something that'll weigh deep on your heart long after reading.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
August 19, 2021
When a nanny goes missing and the authorities dismiss the inquiries, the woman’s employer and boyfriend are forced to investigate her disappearance. As they look for her, they narrate her story, pulling this woman out of obscurity and revealing the precarious lives of guest workers. The employer and boyfriend narrate the story in alternating chapters. Although I appreciate what the author was trying to communicate, the novel fell flat for me. The two voices were indistinguishable despite very different backgrounds. The amount of time given to the background of the two narrators diluted the nanny’s story. Rather than harrowing, this story turned out to be a bit sad and a bit sweet.
December 16, 2022
“Zboruri frânte” de Christy Lefteri vine cu o poveste pe măsură după “Apicultorul din Alep”. Îmi place drumul pe care autoarea s-a hotărât să îl urmerze, căci modul în care abordează aceste subiecte este potrivit pentru a atrage atenția asupra oamenilor care luptă pentru o viață decentă.
De data aceasta se află în centru lucrătorii migranți. Mai exact o femeie care a ajuns în Cipru în calitate de menajeră. Nu a plecat pentru a-și satisface ei nevoile, ci pe cele ale familiei. Viața a pus-o în poziția în care trebuie să aibă grijă de un copil al altei femei, pentru a reuși să și-l hrănească pe al ei. Dar se pare că prețul pentru această decizie a fost mult prea mare.
Mai multe am scris pe blog:
https://cartoteka.ro/zboruri-frante-d...
De data aceasta se află în centru lucrătorii migranți. Mai exact o femeie care a ajuns în Cipru în calitate de menajeră. Nu a plecat pentru a-și satisface ei nevoile, ci pe cele ale familiei. Viața a pus-o în poziția în care trebuie să aibă grijă de un copil al altei femei, pentru a reuși să și-l hrănească pe al ei. Dar se pare că prețul pentru această decizie a fost mult prea mare.
Mai multe am scris pe blog:
https://cartoteka.ro/zboruri-frante-d...
April 7, 2021
Petra has been widowed while she is pregnant, knowing that she will need help after the birth of her baby so that she can go back to work she employs a maid.
Nisha is also a widow and she leaves her home in Sri Lanka to look for work and send money home to her mother who is looking after her young daughter.
Nisha had now been living as a maid and looking after Petra’s daughter for nine years but she suddenly disappears without a trace.
A slow moving story about the plight of women and the depths they will go to so that their family can survive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nisha is also a widow and she leaves her home in Sri Lanka to look for work and send money home to her mother who is looking after her young daughter.
Nisha had now been living as a maid and looking after Petra’s daughter for nine years but she suddenly disappears without a trace.
A slow moving story about the plight of women and the depths they will go to so that their family can survive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2022
Beautifully written, atmospheric, sensitive and searching.
Petra, while searching for her missing maid, Nisha, explores the thoughts that she never really knew the woman who ran her household for ten years, and who practically raised Petra's daughter.
Yiannis, Nisha's love, struggles through her disappearance as well, and strives to become a new, better man.
The book also absorbs you into the Cyprus scenery, wildlife, and many beautiful birds.
Was tracking at a solid four stars, but the racism drum just got beat a little too hard. Too many confuse class issues with race. So, down to three we are.
Lovely book, though. Worth a read.
Petra, while searching for her missing maid, Nisha, explores the thoughts that she never really knew the woman who ran her household for ten years, and who practically raised Petra's daughter.
Yiannis, Nisha's love, struggles through her disappearance as well, and strives to become a new, better man.
The book also absorbs you into the Cyprus scenery, wildlife, and many beautiful birds.
Was tracking at a solid four stars, but the racism drum just got beat a little too hard. Too many confuse class issues with race. So, down to three we are.
Lovely book, though. Worth a read.
November 7, 2021
An interesting but often difficult read, shining a light on two issues of contemporary Cyprus; the status of foreign domestic workers and wildlife poaching. At face value it's a fairly slow but absorbing story that pulled me along to the end, but under the surface it still has a little of the clunkiness that often goes hand in hand with this type of fiction. Lefteri delivers it with a lighter touch than others I've suffered through this year, but nevertheless it's still there.
January 6, 2022
From the beginning, I knew that reading this book would be a lot like drowning in my own tears, as I flood helplessly from the inside. The author has chosen the most vulnerable of metaphors to represent the plight of the migrant worker. This is a devastating and important fictionalized story based on painful universal truths. There's no way to steel yourself to be emotionally shredded. You just step into the story and go where it takes you.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end.
April 14, 2021
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to this novel, because I enjoyed the Beekeepers of Aleppo by the same author. Unfortunately this book disappointed me. It’s about the disappearance of a domestic worker, Nisha in Cyprus. The chapters alternate from the viewpoint of Petra, for whom Nisha worked for and Yiannis, with whom Nisha had a love affair.
I found the book boring, chapter after chapter, it didn’t get closer to what happened. The poaching of the songbirds had nothing to do with the story and I didn’t care for the gruesome details. I only finished this book to be able to write an honest review. Two stars, at best, and that is only because the book addresses a real, serious issue about domestic workers in Cyprus.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.
November 5, 2021
3 stars
Based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, this book tells the story of a nanny that disappeared. Being a domestic worker does not give her a lot of credence and she is mostly just dismissed by the local police. Nisha is missed by both her employer, Petra, and her friend Yiannis, who sets outside the law due to his profession of bird smuggling and selling on the black market. Missing Nisha they take over the search for her and the dark side of her life begins to show up.
I thought this was a worthy read due to the fact that it was based on a real life situation. We quite often are unaware of what migrants go through once they are relocated. They are not listened to, they fear repercussions, and usually have no place or no one to turn to in their time of need. They become disposable. Lefteri did a good job of showing the situation that a lot of immigrants are faced with, through the alternating chapters between Petra and Yiannis as they searched for Nisha.
Based on the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, this book tells the story of a nanny that disappeared. Being a domestic worker does not give her a lot of credence and she is mostly just dismissed by the local police. Nisha is missed by both her employer, Petra, and her friend Yiannis, who sets outside the law due to his profession of bird smuggling and selling on the black market. Missing Nisha they take over the search for her and the dark side of her life begins to show up.
I thought this was a worthy read due to the fact that it was based on a real life situation. We quite often are unaware of what migrants go through once they are relocated. They are not listened to, they fear repercussions, and usually have no place or no one to turn to in their time of need. They become disposable. Lefteri did a good job of showing the situation that a lot of immigrants are faced with, through the alternating chapters between Petra and Yiannis as they searched for Nisha.
December 26, 2021
"You say, we have to eat, and we have to survive, and yet we must protect our dignity and our identity. There are things we do to achieve those things. But we can respect the land and the animals that are on it. Always be kind to the land, the people, and the animals that are on it. Remember that. It's the most important rule in the world."
"Living on the island of Cyprus, Nisha is far from her native Sri Lanka. Though she longs to return home, she knows that working as a" maid "for a wealthy widow is the only way to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind to be raised by relatives.
Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected song birds that stop in Cypress as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the illegal market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha.
But one night, Nisha makes dinner, an aromatic dahl curry, for the family that pays her: Petra and her daughter, Aliki. Then, after she cleans the kitchen and tucks Aliki into bed, Nisha goes out on a mysterious errand, and vanishes.
When the police refuse to pursue the case, Petra takes on the investigation herself, a path that leads her to Nisha's friends- other workers in the neighbourhood-and to the dealers side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse.
Inspired by the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a poignant, deeply empathetic narrative of the human stories behind the headlines. With infinite tenderness and skill, SONGBIRDS offers a triumphant story of the fight for truth and justice, and of women reclaiming their lost voices. "
In Author's Notes, Christy Lefteri writes, "Songbirds is a story about migration and crossing borders. It is about searching for freedom, for a better life, only to find oneself trapped. It is a story about the ways in which systemic racism exists, often unquestioned, relying upon prejudice and nationalistic ideals to survive. It is a story about learning to see each and every human being in the same way we see ourselves."
Thanks to C, C, D and K for the conversation and dialogue while reading this beautiful sad novel that broke our hearts and opened my eyes.
"Living on the island of Cyprus, Nisha is far from her native Sri Lanka. Though she longs to return home, she knows that working as a" maid "for a wealthy widow is the only way to earn enough to support her daughter, left behind to be raised by relatives.
Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected song birds that stop in Cypress as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the illegal market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha.
But one night, Nisha makes dinner, an aromatic dahl curry, for the family that pays her: Petra and her daughter, Aliki. Then, after she cleans the kitchen and tucks Aliki into bed, Nisha goes out on a mysterious errand, and vanishes.
When the police refuse to pursue the case, Petra takes on the investigation herself, a path that leads her to Nisha's friends- other workers in the neighbourhood-and to the dealers side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse.
Inspired by the real-life disappearance of domestic workers in Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a poignant, deeply empathetic narrative of the human stories behind the headlines. With infinite tenderness and skill, SONGBIRDS offers a triumphant story of the fight for truth and justice, and of women reclaiming their lost voices. "
In Author's Notes, Christy Lefteri writes, "Songbirds is a story about migration and crossing borders. It is about searching for freedom, for a better life, only to find oneself trapped. It is a story about the ways in which systemic racism exists, often unquestioned, relying upon prejudice and nationalistic ideals to survive. It is a story about learning to see each and every human being in the same way we see ourselves."
Thanks to C, C, D and K for the conversation and dialogue while reading this beautiful sad novel that broke our hearts and opened my eyes.
February 8, 2024
“The truth is in the earth, in the song of the birds, in the rhythms and whispers of the animals. If you want to see and hear it-only if you want to-it is there’’ Life has love and beauty, but it also can easily be forgotten. We seek freedom, but can easily become entrapped.
Nisha works as a nanny and maid for Petra who has a young daughter. Petra has been widowed and loses the ability to connect with life. So, when Nisha comes from Sri Lanka to work for her, she brings joy to her daughter, Aliki. Children search our eyes to see if the world is a safe place and a happy one. This is the gift Nisha gives to Aliki.
Nisha finds love with Yiannis and he wants the world to work out for them. Nisha also has her own daughter, Kumari who she has to leave behind in Sri Lanka so she can come to Cyprus and make more money to provide for her beloved child. Nisha is a migrant worker, she has crossed a border and is therefore not seen as having value. Migrant Women are believed to go from one place to the other and not care about their own families. Each is believed by many Cyprus people to have no value, except as someone to work for their families, and one that can be discarded without a thought.
One day, Nisha goes out and does not return. Yiannis is beside himself with worry and so is Petra, but the police will not help find her since she is a foreigner. More migrant women go missing, but it remains uncertain if there is any connection. Will Nisha be found and come home to Yiannis or has something awful happened to her? Only, when we all understand that each creature has depth, connections, joy, and fear will we ever truly change how we treat others.
Birds play such an important role and parallel the lives of Nisha and all the women like her. Birds are migrants, too. They are flying to their next area of freedom, but can also become entrapped. This is so true with the Songbirds. Each sings luminously until their very last breath. This is the case for marginalized migrant women who value life, try to find joy, to sing until the very end. The gift we should give is to understand their dignity and and grant true freedom.
Thank you NetGalley, Christy Lefteri, and Ballentine Books for granting me a copy of this wonderful book.
Nisha works as a nanny and maid for Petra who has a young daughter. Petra has been widowed and loses the ability to connect with life. So, when Nisha comes from Sri Lanka to work for her, she brings joy to her daughter, Aliki. Children search our eyes to see if the world is a safe place and a happy one. This is the gift Nisha gives to Aliki.
Nisha finds love with Yiannis and he wants the world to work out for them. Nisha also has her own daughter, Kumari who she has to leave behind in Sri Lanka so she can come to Cyprus and make more money to provide for her beloved child. Nisha is a migrant worker, she has crossed a border and is therefore not seen as having value. Migrant Women are believed to go from one place to the other and not care about their own families. Each is believed by many Cyprus people to have no value, except as someone to work for their families, and one that can be discarded without a thought.
One day, Nisha goes out and does not return. Yiannis is beside himself with worry and so is Petra, but the police will not help find her since she is a foreigner. More migrant women go missing, but it remains uncertain if there is any connection. Will Nisha be found and come home to Yiannis or has something awful happened to her? Only, when we all understand that each creature has depth, connections, joy, and fear will we ever truly change how we treat others.
Birds play such an important role and parallel the lives of Nisha and all the women like her. Birds are migrants, too. They are flying to their next area of freedom, but can also become entrapped. This is so true with the Songbirds. Each sings luminously until their very last breath. This is the case for marginalized migrant women who value life, try to find joy, to sing until the very end. The gift we should give is to understand their dignity and and grant true freedom.
Thank you NetGalley, Christy Lefteri, and Ballentine Books for granting me a copy of this wonderful book.
December 19, 2021
Thoughts soon after buddy read discussion.
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