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Addie Lockwood believes in books. Roland Rhodes believes in blues guitar. Coming of age in the small-town South of the 1970s, they form a friendship as extraordinary as it is unlikely.
They meet again in their disillusioned thirties, this time in California, where Roland's music career has landed him. Venice Beach is exotic, a world away from North Carolina and Addie's cloistered life as a bookstore clerk.
But when her whirlwind reunion with Roland leaves Addie pregnant, reality sets in. Conflicted, unready to be a mother, she gives birth to a son--Byrd--and surrenders him for adoption without telling Roland, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives.
Told through letters and sharply drawn vignettes, Byrd is an unforgettable story about making and living with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices.
They meet again in their disillusioned thirties, this time in California, where Roland's music career has landed him. Venice Beach is exotic, a world away from North Carolina and Addie's cloistered life as a bookstore clerk.
But when her whirlwind reunion with Roland leaves Addie pregnant, reality sets in. Conflicted, unready to be a mother, she gives birth to a son--Byrd--and surrenders him for adoption without telling Roland, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives.
Told through letters and sharply drawn vignettes, Byrd is an unforgettable story about making and living with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices.
Price: $16.95
Pages: 228
Publisher: Dzanc Books
Imprint: Dzanc Books
Publication Date:
09 May 2017
Trim Size: 8.50 X 5.50 in
ISBN: 9781941531884
Format: Paperback
"Kim Church has created an unforgettable and gripping tale about a young woman's passage to adulthood in a small town in North Carolina in her excellent debut novel, Byrd. There are books we like to read because they provide a window to a world wholly unfamiliar, but there are others like Byrd that give insight into our own lives."
—BookPage
—BookPage
“This book is criminally underappreciated. … Not one character is this book is wasted, or less than human.”
—Lemuria
—Lemuria
"Brilliant writing; lively and heartbreaking at every turn."
—Jill McCorkle, New York Times bestselling author of Life After Life
—Jill McCorkle, New York Times bestselling author of Life After Life
"A riveting debut. Kim Church is a very talented writer."
—Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena and Nothing Gold Can Stay
—Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena and Nothing Gold Can Stay
"This protagonist is so appealing, with her unflinching moral candor, her mistakes based on generous instincts. The prose is lilting, joyous. This novel's about young lives that start out full of promise, falter, then recover ... A hard luck story that will make you feel good."
—Debra Monroe, author of On the Outskirts of Normal: Forging a Family Against the Grain
—Debra Monroe, author of On the Outskirts of Normal: Forging a Family Against the Grain
"Addie is a particular woman; a character that will linger and grow beloved; but she could also be your sister, your roommate from college, a friend in the neighborhood. She's still struggling in her thirties to make sense of old loves and loss that keeps cycling back into her life. A successful woman in the world, her heart remains in flux until love that can't be budged finally takes root in her. Kim Church has imagined a world of good people missing the mark as good people sometimes do. They're familiar, a comfort. I will never forget the impact of the final pages."
—Patricia Henley, National Book Award finalist and author of Other Heartbreaks
—Patricia Henley, National Book Award finalist and author of Other Heartbreaks
"Fresh, riveting, and brilliantly written. The richly layered story explores motherhood and its attendant relationships in ways that break new ground, both stylistically and thematically. Already recognized for her work in the short story form, Kim Church should gain national attention with this original and important novel."
—Angela Davis-Gardner, author of Butterfly's Child and Plum Wine
—Angela Davis-Gardner, author of Butterfly's Child and Plum Wine
Born in Lexington, North Carolina, Kim Church earned her B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives with her husband, artist Anthony Ulinski, in Raleigh, where she divides her time between writing and law. Visit her online at kimchurch.com.