Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Redbird Christmas


I have really come to enjoy reading a set of holiday books in December to get me in the Christmas spirit and provide a nice change of pace.

After rereading Fannie Flagg's marvelous Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe this summer, I searched for other books she had written and discovered A Redbird Christmas, which I promptly put on my December must-read list.

I ended up listening to the author read her work and found it to be an utterly delightful experience. Flagg has a lovely soft southern drawl that is perfect for the small town Alabama setting. The story itself was sweet, touching, and unexpected. I felt a few times that Flagg had written herself into a corner and was impressed with how she wriggled out and salvaged her plot.

Here's the Amazon synopsis:
Oswald T. Campbell, aged fifty-two, down-and-out in a Chicago winter, is given only months to live unless he moves South. He finds himself in the small town of Lost River, Alabama, where the residents are friendly if feud-prone and eccentric to a fault. One of them, Roy, keeps a red cardinal, a once wounded bird called Jack. Patsy, a sad, sweet little kid with a crippled leg, from the trailer park up in the woods, takes to dropping by the store - and falls in love with Jack. Flagg takes us on an emotional roller-coaster ride through the lives and hearts of an engaging crew of misfits, fixers and ordinary good-hearted folk, set against the vivid natural backdrop of a mellow Alabama winter, along the riverside where birds and fish abound. Her enchanting story culminates at Christmastide with surprises and a magical 'redbird' moment.
I loved the characters--especially sisters Frances and Mildred, but also Betty Kitchen, Oswald's landlady in Lost River, and lovely, sad Roy, who owns the local store. As a bird-watcher, I especially liked the cardinal (aka redbird) Jack, whose plight is central to the plot and theme of friendships that defy all odds. And, of course, I loved that Oswald was able to find purpose in his life once he started learning about the world around him, including all those birds of Alabama.

Definitely a life-affirming, warm, wonderful story for the holidays.


8 comments:

  1. I loved Redbird Christmas too and thanks for this review. It's one of those books like Fried Green Tomatoes that everyone who reads it loves. A little gem that should be read every Christmas.

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  2. This sounds like a really good thing to read this time of year. This incorporateng the natural world, be it in the form of bird watching or other passages about wildlife, is something that I also like in a book.

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  3. Such a wonderful audiobook for the holiday season... glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  4. I have only read Fried Green Tomatoes but I did really like it. I have never read thematically for the Christmas Holidays, only for Halloween. But I do have a copy of A Christmas Carol on hand and I have never read it (only seen TV/Movie adaptations)…I should give it a go.

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  5. A book by Fannie Flagg with birds in it, too? I'm in. :)

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  6. I LOVED this book! Merry Christmas Jane!

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  7. I stumble upon your blog by accident. Were you aware this book was based on real people? Unfortunately, Fances (Cleverdon) passed away this year at the age of 98 in her home. Lost River is actually Magnolia Springs, Alabama.

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    1. I wasn't aware of this, but it makes sense. The characters seem so real. I am probably going to reread this book in December--such a great holiday book. Thanks for the stopping by.

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