Book Title: The Tender Birds by Carole Giangrande

Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 305 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Inanna Publications

Release date: October 2019

Synopsis

Matthew Reilly is a busy academic, a lonely priest haunted by secrets. Young Alison is the shy and devoted keeper of Daisy, a falcon which suffered an accident and can no longer fly. The three of them meet in a Boston parish, but Matt has forgotten a momentary but disturbing meetup with Alison, homeless eight years earlier in Toronto. Close to exhaustion, he’s forced to reflect on what’s become of his life, including the loss of a son that no one knew he’d fathered. Alison and Matt had a fateful encounter during her homeless period, but Matt doesn’t connect that frail teenager with the healthy young woman she’d become. It’s left to Alison to uncover Matt’s past and for Matt to come to terms with it.

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Praise for Carole Giangrande’s novels

“…prose that absolutely shimmers. What’s more, her recapitulation of what is was like to watch 9/11 unfold on television is engrossing in its verisimilitude. DeLillo, Amis and Foer could learn a thing or two from her.” — Quill and Quire

“This is a softly unsettling book, effective in showcasing the confusion that follows such a personal yet public crisis.” — Publishers’ Weekly
“…a deftly crafted meditation on what happens in the aftermath of tragedies both public and private, calling into question the idea that time heals all wounds.” — Room Magazine

“Giangrande has written a thought-provoking story that will have your heart racing, bursting, and breaking. The story is thoughtful, slow-going, and emotional. The prose is beautiful. The characters are interesting, flawed, and realistic. And the ways in which this book explores life and death through the pain of waiting and not knowing is superb. I just loved this book so hard. It was terrific!” — A Bookish Way of Life

“The wording is both elegant and poetic… the author, accomplished painting vivid images within my mind’s eye that will never be forgotten. Overall this book is unique, being unlike anything I have read before. Go get a copy! You will not be disappointed.” —Readaholic Zone

Interview with Carole Giangrande

Today I am blessed to have Carole Giangrade on StoreyBook Reviews talking about her writing.  Welcome, Carole!

What genre do you write and why?

I started out in nonfiction as an extension of my career as a journalist, and I loved it until I started imagining make-believe people as composites of the real ones I’d interviewed. Then I switched to fiction, which includes short stories and novellas as well as novels. Each form makes different demands on the writer, and some stories ask for more (or less) development than others. I love the beauty of language which has brought me back to poetry, which is the most challenging form of all. Then there’s a new picture book to be published soon, my first for kids. I hope to write more of these and to allow the little kid in my head some room.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

First off, I’d distinguish writer’s block from non-writing periods which we all need from time to time to let the mind absorb new ideas — much like a farmer who rotates her crops and gives the soil a rest. Yet if I’m working on a project and I get stuck, I allow myself a few minutes looking at beautiful bird photos or just daydreaming. Then the missing piece often falls into place. Also, my daily routine includes a midday walk. This is a great way to shake out the cobwebs, enjoy nature and get distracted by squirrels, blue jays, cute dogs and chatty neighbours. I find that being outdoors is the best cure for writer’s block.

What moves you in a work of fiction?

The beauty of the language — the clarity of metaphors and the specificity of descriptions. This doesn’t just apply to fiction but to many other forms of writing, including essays. And also, in fiction, the sense of honesty that a character conveys in his/her struggle with the dilemmas of life. I love stories that set characters and their personal conflicts against the backdrop of the world as it is today.

Do you write every day?

As a rule, yes. Writing keeps my mental and imaginative gears oiled and running smoothly. Some days I need to use my writing time to do research online or to make notes about a character and/or how the whole project is progressing.  If I’m doing none of the above, I’m either ill, asleep, or marketing a new book.

Where do you write?

At home, in my bright, sunny office at the back of the house. Sometimes I work at our local library branch, which is close by and provides tables with computer plug-ins.

What advice would you give to budding writers?

Write from your heart. Write what you care deeply about and don’t worry if there’s an audience for it. Just write because you have to and need to. For writers, the real reward comes with the strength and beauty of your creation, and in knowing that through your characters (if you write fiction) come insights that you could not have realized in any other way.  The same basic idea holds true for nonfiction and poetry. Writing is your teacher and your guide. And don’t worry about rejections. My last award-winning novel took seven years to find a publisher. Just keep writing!

About the Author

Carole Giangrande is the award-winning author of ten books, including the novella A Gardener on the Moon (winner of the 2010 Ken Klonsky Award) and the novel All That Is Solid Melts Into Air (2018 Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Literary Fiction). The Tender Birds is her fourth novel. She’s worked as a broadcast journalist for CBC Radio (Canada’s public broadcaster), and her fiction, poetry, articles and reviews have appeared in literary journals and in Canada’s major newspapers. In her spare time, she loves exploring nature with her partner Brian, photographing birds and studying French.

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