A review by holdenn93
Birds of America by Lorrie Moore

4.0

Writing stories that are inherently minimalist in their style and setting, Moore focuses on introspection and exploration, foggy minded every day people just going from place to place, talking to people, looking out the window, thinking about their relationships, coping with grief and falling out of touch with their spouses, sharing conversations in hotel rooms and in dining halls with academics who dont like screenwriters (Moore's slightly random scenarios are pretty funny). She explores characters who navigate through trauma and maintaining relationships, telling stories of characters who fluctuate between emotionally distancing and intimate closeness with the people in their lives. All the while the writing is loaded with abstract and even slightly bizarre trains of thought to help us understand how the characters think and navigate their relationships. All round a decent read.