Songbirds by Christy Lefteri - Book Reviews

Book club rating - 4.33

Rating 5/5

Lovely book. I enjoyed reading it. It's a shame that it took the disappearance of her maid to make the employer appreciate her and how she discovered how much her maid was loved by her family and friends. I like to think that it made Petra a better person/friend/mother as a result. 

Rating 4/5

Having read, and indeed marvelled at, Lefteri’s ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’, I welcomed ‘Songbirds’ with ardent expectation, and, for the most part, I was not disappointed. However, the third person narration detracted somewhat from Nisha, the silent protagonist, whose story is revealed through two of the most important people in her life -her employer Petra and her lover Yiannis; their attachment to and subsequent portrayal of her complex character is indeed compelling but lacked the intensity of the first-person narration of ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’. Therefore, despite such profound and evocative testimonies, Nisha’s character, remained relatively two dimensional. Whilst impelling the plight of the vulnerable, entrapped immigration workers to prominence, Lefteri seamlessly weaves this theme into the portrayal of Petra and Yiannis -both captives of circumstance. Smothered by the tenacious tendrils of grief, Petra is prevented from forming an attachment to Aliki -a role assigned to Nisha. Yiannis, ensnared in the poaching syndicate, mindlessly and brutally traps songbirds to sell as delicacies on the black market; the graphic descriptions of how they are lured to their deaths leaves an unforgettable impression of savagery. ‘Songbirds’ is an intricate biopic encompassing intertwining themes of loss, courage, marginalisation, entrapment and attachment; it is also a resonant contemplation of contrasts, motherhood and personal transformation. Lefteri adeptly nurtures this myriad of evocative melodies within a symbolic cocoon of the natural world, the decaying hare, the ensnared songbirds and perhaps the most poignant of all, his rescue and nurturing of the dying black cap. Its release epitomises a metaphoric liberation of the immigrant workers in finding voice, Petra’s celebration of motherhood, and perhaps most significantly, the right of every human being to be free. This is a narrative with so many layers, each manipulated with stealth and passion; suspense is measured -meandering through the intricacies of innocent lives. Lefteri uses mirroring to great advantage, one of the most evocative instances being during the poachers’ use of birds that had previously been kept in the dark for months; finally seeing light they erupt into a deadly chorus as their song lures fellow birds to their doom. The immigration workers -marginalised and objectified, too find voice as they march to the presidential palace demanding justice, recognition and equality. Lefteri uses contrast insidiously, enhancing the emotional turmoil of her characters; whilst Petra and Nisha are both widows, Petra’s status, freedom and independence create an unquestionable stability for her and yet Nisha’s instinctive role as caregiver to Aliki makes her the stronger and richer. Nisha is a powerful, enigmatic slave who remains in the shadows; it is Petra's transformation that truly reveals Nisha the woman -her losses, grief and guilt. Her legacy will survive in her letters to her daughter Kumari, Petra’s relationship with her child Aliki, and in Muyia’s sculpture of the ‘Madonna and Child’ -a living commemoration of the reverie of the mother-infant dyad.