30 Days of Books, Day 5: Feathers, Fun and Frolics

Day Five – A Book that Makes Me Happy.

Generally, happy is not a description of how books make me feel. Sad, engaged, incredulous, page-turningly-hooked-on-knowing-what-comes-next, angry – but not often happy.

Then I remembered the gem that is Dreambirds, by Rob Nixon.

Lyrical, honest, heartbreaking in parts and above all, entertaining, I have no qualms whatsoever recommending this to anyone.

Dad died three days ago: we buried him this morning. His going has bought us all home: five brothers and sisters, strangers and relative strangers, together in the same country for the first time in twenty-four years. Only my brother has remained here in Port Elizabeth, Africa’s southernmost city. The rest of us spread or fled north, east and west to New York, Cape Town, Sydney, Henley-on-Thames. Five children, four continents. I worked it out this morning while preparing for the funeral: collectively we’ve put 22,000 miles between us and the first place we called home.

With ease and elegance, Nixon tells a story that is greater than its parts. At its core lies the ostrich, that throughout history has feathered our dreams more luxuriantly than any other bird.

Go read it. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.