Night Bird Calling

From the beginning of this story, there was high tension. That never really let up until the final scene. This was an exquisite Southern tale of heart, hope, community, family, shame, and standing up for oneself. There was heartbreak as well as friendship.

The biggest disappointment was that a handful of children cussed right on the page.

This novel was a good display of how to handle hard topics such as sexual abuse of a child, domestic abuse of a wife, and the harsh realities of the Deep South in the early 1940s. The author handled these topics and more with a beautiful touch, gently toeing the line between too little and too much until she found the right balance. That made for a story that wasn't always easy to read but was encouraging nonetheless.

Content: alcohol, derogatory terms, expletives (includes children cussing), rape inferred, replacement expletives, sexual innuendo, teen pregnancy, tobacco