Odd Birds

Odd Birds is not my usual fantasy/suspense/cozy mystery read. It defies description, a little bit, in the best possible way.
Cosimo Infante Cano finds himself stranded in San Antonio, Texas, in a time where racial tensions ran high. He and Sara, his younger lover, planned to travel back to the United States from France, with her traveling ahead to prepare for his arrival. But when he reaches the house where he expected her to be, he learns she has passed away. His possessions were stolen on the trip, and now he finds himself in a place where he is looked upon with suspicion because of the color of his skin. He is basically destitute, and he just wants to find a way back home to France.

The language of the book is almost musical. It's an interesting parallel that Cosimo is an artist and the book reads like a painting. Layers build up, details may not make complete sense in the moment, but then it all comes together to a magnificent whole.

Cosimo was an odd bird, as the title suggests. He did what seemed to be the next right thing, not the next expedient thing. As an artist, he could have sold his work and made himself some money while he tried to recover what was his. Instead, he gave his art to people who had helped him as gifts. In a world where the mindset is so often “look out for number one,” Cosimo stands out.

The story is populated with other odd birds, as well, most notably the three library pages, Richard, Maddie, and Oscar. Ruthann, the bigoted, narrow-minded librarian charged with bringing the new hires into the library, does her best to discredit them and make them look bad. Yet, like Cosimo, they keep doing their best to do the next right thing, to find a way to be true to themselves and to be decent human beings.

Profound themes such as the pain of loss, overt racism, and dealing with change are handled delicately and with grace. Like a bird's nest, Perez weaves what appear to be disparate details and bits of information into a strong, beautiful whole. The ending of the book left me feeling like I was waving farewell to friends after a long, interesting journey.

Odd Birds may not be my usual reading fare, but it is definitely a book well worth your time. Five stars from me.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.