Reviews

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

Only show reviews with written explanations

cgreenstein's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this! It's heartwarming and life-affirming despite being a book about death, loss, and the crushing pressure of duty. One aspect that I really liked was how both characters wrestle with the weight of familial expectations, but they don't solve their problems in the same way, as this stays true to the reality that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to life. I also got to learn a little about Trinidad from this book, which was great, because before this I knew essentially nothing about it. The main characters were easy to root for, and I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending.

bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.75

3.75 stars

This is totally not in my normal reading genres, but I pushed myself to read this for book club and ended up liking it more than I thought I would.

This is a dual narrative from the perspectives of Yejide and Darwin. Yejide's mother has just died, and she has been tasked with carrying on the family destiny. That destiny is pretty mystical, and honestly I didn't grasp other than they are supposed to soften people's journeys to the afterlife.

Darwin is from a Rastafarian family, which does not interact with death, and he is forced to take a job gravedigging to support himself and his mother. At work he crosses paths with Yejide, and they take an instant liking to one another.

Will these two make their own way despite the binds of their families?

This novel started out very slow. And the mystical (bird) parts sometimes flummoxed me. I enjoyed Darwin's parts that were more literal. I enjoyed learning about the cultural aspects, particularly that on the same island there are such beliefs that are at odds.

There's also a bit of a mystery thrown in that I enjoyed.

Overall, a strong debut despite not being in a genre (magical realism) that I gravitate to.