Rita Murphy’s latest novel, Bird, blends magical realism and mystery in telling the story of a girl easily carried away by the wind; a grim secretive widow; and an ominous house on a cliff.
Miranda has no memory of where she came from – only that one day a huge gust of wind picked her up and brought her to Widow Barrows and Bourne Manor. The Widow outfits Miranda with steel boots to keep her on the ground and forbids her leaving the house, but show her no other warmth or kindness. Bourne Manor is also a cold, grim place, full of foreboding, secrets and menace.
Miranda accepts her fate until on day she discovers a secret room filled with a treasure that speaks directly to her light heart and a boy whose help and encouragement are just what she needs to realize who she is and that she can be free.
Murphy explores the metaphor of freedom and captivity in a beautiful and lyrical narrative, looking at how we allow people, places, fear and good intentions to root us to both the literal and figurative ground.
- Posted by Cori