““Like its central character Henry Jett,
The Afterlife of Birds is an original: alert to nature, clear-eyed and true. A lovely novel – it returned me to the world refreshed.”
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Release Date: September 15, 2015.
Henry is perpetually puzzled, a state that’s painful, but also comforting—if all he does is pursue his admittedly odd hobby, of assembling bird skeletons, then he doesn’t have to solve the deeper mysteries around him. He doesn’t have to understand his brother, Dan’s, obsession with running or Dan’s relationship with his brilliant girlfriend, Rae. Or the long shadow that their father’s early death has cast over them. And how did Henry end up working at Ed’s Garage, when he doesn’t particularly like cars? An old woman, a Russian émigré, invites Henry in, and tells him stories—tales that take him further and further back in time. But when his mother’s former employee Marcie reappears, very pregnant, the tempo of Henry’s life quickens in ways he never could have imagined.
Liz is author of four poetry collections; Torch River is available from Brick Books or online; the others may be available from the author.