The Bird Sisters

Praise

“THE BIRD SISTERS is truly something to crow about. Rasmussen’s obvious intimacy with her characters…breathes such life into them, each voice is perfectly defined, whether her characters speak as teenager or septuagenarians.”–St. Louis magazine

“THE BIRD SISTERS is in no way imitative, it has the sturdy literary bones of pastoral masterworks such as Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres and Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping.” – St. Louis-Post Dispatch

“A magical debut, original and poignant, lovely and moving. THE BIRD SISTERS evokes the richly imaginative joys of childhood and the throat-aching betrayals and loyalties of being an adult. I absolutely loved THE BIRD SISTERS and will carry Milly and Twiss with me as if in a locket for a long, long time.” — Jenna Blum, bestselling author of Those Who Save Us

“What a book — unique, beautifully written, vivid and heartbreaking. I loved it. With evocative and finely wrought prose, Rebecca Rasmussen has crafted a moving story that explores the fierce bonds, wounds, and tender complexities of the human heart. THE BIRD SISTERS is a magical debut.”—Beth Hoffman, bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“THE BIRD SISTERS is that immensely satisfying combination of indelible characters and a suspenseful and cunningly revealed plot. In lovely evocative prose Rebecca Rasmussen conjures up her two sisters, Milly and Twiss, and their rural Wisconsin community during the summer that changed their lives. Full of wonderful surprises, this is a splendid debut that will stay with the reader long after the last page.”–Margot Livesey

“Rebecca Rasmussen has written her graceful debut, THE BIRD SISTERS, with unflinching and transporting empathy. After a few short chapters of this vivid, lucid novel, you will forget you are reading words on a page; the book in your hands will become a portable window into the interior lives of two remarkable sisters.”–Stefan Merrill Block, author of The Story of Forgetting

“In shining prose, Rebecca Rasmussen brings to life the world of Milly and Twiss —characters written with such grace and tenderness that I fell in love with them at once. THE BIRD SISTERS is a lush and moving story about discovery and disappointment, failing and forgiveness, and the enduring bond of family. It’s a beautiful novel.”–Aryn Kyle, author of The God of Animals

“In THE BIRD SISTERS, Rebecca Rasmussen has created the ultimate literary heroines with Milly and Twiss. Heartbreakingly brave as they are fragile, the sisters endure despite the failings of love both familial and romantic, of promises not kept, of dreams deferred and the price one pays for keeping secrets. In prose that sings, Rasmussen has created a magical world where you will believe that birds – and perhaps even humans — no matter how broken — will soar under the capable ministrations of Milly and Twiss.”—Robin Antalek, author of The Summer We Fell Apart

“THE BIRD SISTERS tells its tale with prose as miraculous as the images it conveys, like a starling, on the verge of death, suddenly twitching and taking flight. The achingly human characters, so stubborn they keep unspoken all the words that could save them, are tied together by last chances and lost love. And yet Rebecca Rasmussen’s gorgeous debut is infused with a certain grace: there remains hope that damaged things, wild or tame, can still be nursed back together again.” –Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone

“Rasmussen’s debut novel is full of grace and humanity. Her poetic prose creates an almost magical, wholly satisfying world. [T]his wistful but wise story is enchanting and timeless.”—Library Journal (Starred review)

“Rasmussen’s debut novel begins like a typical coming-of-age story, but reveals itself to be a singular portrayal of familial sacrifice and loss…Achingly authentic and almost completely character driven, the story of the sisters depicts the endlessly binding ties of family.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“A bittersweet, charmingly offbeat debut… [Rasmussen writes with] warmth and originality.” – Kirkus Reviews