Winter Birds

by Jamie Langston Turner

Overview

Plain and dutiful, Sophia Hess has lived most of her life without ever knowing genuine love. Her professor husband had married her for the convenience of having a typist for his scholarly papers. The discovery of a dark secret opens her eyes to the truth about her marriage and her husband.

Eventually nephew Patrick and his wife, Rachel, take Sophia into their home, and she observes from a careful distance their earnest faith and the simple gifts of kindness they generously bestow upon her and others-this in spite of an unthinkable tragedy they've suffered. Dare she unlock the door behind which she stalwartly conceals her broken heart?

An insightful and moving portrayal of the transforming power of love

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441261243
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

JAMIE LANGSTON TURNER, a college professor for thirty-three years, has written extensively for a variety of periodicals. Her acclaimed novels have earned both the Angel and Christy awards. Currently a professor of creative writing and literature at Bob Jones University, Jamie has lived in the South all her life and currently resides with her husband in Greenville, South Carolina. Visit jamielangstonturner.com for more information.
Jamie Langston Turner, author of seven novels and winner of two Christy Awards, has been a teacher for more than forty years. Currently a professor of creative writing and poetry at Bob Jones University, she lives with her husband in Greenville, South Carolina. Visit www.jamielangstonturner.net

What People are Saying About This

"Turner, who has taught literature herself for many years, writes with elegant precision and the leisurely pacing of the book perfectly captures the lengthened days of the aging. Understated and unsentimental, Winter Birds is a quietly memorable novel about quiet grace."--(Peter J. Leithart, Touchstone)

Editorial Reviews

This book is easily one of my favorites of 2006. The beautiful writing full of wisdom, literary allusions and stylistic elegance give it the moodling possibilities of poetry. Its quiet but compelling plot, realistic characters and sly humor made me wish it were twice as long. It reminds me of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and, like that book, it’s one I’m planning to read again, this time with highlighter always at hand.

blogcritics.org

"Sophia Hess is one unique lady and the manner in which she selects her place of retirement gives the reader a definite insight into her personality. She is insightful, stubborn at times, and the good and bad memories of her marriage to her college professor husband and the life they lived together give the reader another wonderful overview of this woman. So much is unique about this colorful character and her journey through the life she lived when married and the life she has chosen for her last days. Wonderful characterizations and situations only add to the reader’s enjoyment."

Rendezvous

"In Winter Birds, Christy Award-winner Turner skillfully weaves together Sophie’s bird-watching, her knowledge of Shakespeare, the Time magazine obituaries she ponders and the TV reruns in the background. This noteworthy work is one to be savored."

Christian Retailing

With this fictional octogenarian's rich reflection on her disappointing life, Christy Award-winner Turner pens her best novel in years. Bitterness over her late husband and his secret addiction to pornography has colored Sophia Hess's view of everything she's trusted and held dear. Dangling the promise of leaving her money to whichever distant relative cares for her, "Aunt Sophie" takes up residence in the spare room belonging to her loquacious, pontificating nephew, Patrick, and his diffident wife, Rachel, in Greenville, Miss. They collect a ragtag group of acquaintances, including an ex-con and a severely disabled four-year-old who flit in and out of the story. Sophie, a former English teacher, passes her days mostly by reading obituaries, watching television and learning about the birds outside her window.

Turner brilliantly weaves together the threads of Shakespeare's plays, sitcoms, birds and their habits, and the deaths of celebrities gleaned from Time magazine's obituary section as she unfolds the story. As she did in Some Wildflower in My Heart, Turner shows how even the most awkward and imperfect love, care and attention can yield meaningful results. Readers may find the present tense narration mechanical at times, and the story begins slowly, but this helps form an impression of the protagonist and her dull marking of days. Genuine humor and well-crafted characters make this a memorable and inspiring novel. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Winter Birds is the first book I've read by this talented author. At first, I didn't think the book sounded so interesting, but once I started reading I fell in love with Sophia. Like most older individuals, she is fascinated by the obituary column in the newspaper, and her thoughts and actions remind me a lot of my own mother. I enjoyed reading about Sophia, Rachel, and Patrick, and connecting with them.

Written in first person, the reader is instantly in Sophia's point of view. There isn't much of a faith message in the beginning, but as the book progresses it begins to be more noticeable. It is not preachy. I loved Winter Birds and am looking forward to reading more by Ms.Turner. (Laura Hilton, faithwebbin.net)

Laura Hilton