What does Zoey’s self-discovery look like? What about Oliver’s? How does their self-discovery and growth affect their relationships with the other characters and each other? How did each character change from the beginning to the end of the novel?Ħ. Discuss the themes of self-discovery and growth and their importance in the novel. Zoey and Oliver both leave home at pivotal times of transition and self-exploration in their lives. Can you think of some examples in the novel where this statement is true? What about in your own life?ĥ. Think about the following statement: Endings are beginnings and beginnings are endings. When Zoey leaves home for Mallow Island, it is both an end and a beginning.

I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing.” Who are the “other birds” in the novel? How did the imagery of the various birds impact your reading of the story? What did you think of the Dellawisps? What do the birds represent?Ĥ. In chapter 10, Frasier says, “There are birds, and then there are other birds. Which character do you most identify with? Is that character also your favorite? Why or why not?ģ. Zoey’s neighbors are a quirky bunch, but they soon become her chosen family. What makes up the idea of home for Zoey? What is your idea of home? Is it a place, or people that make a home?Ģ. However, she finds a home on Mallow Island. After Zoey’s mom died, she grew up in a house that never felt like a home to her. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.ġ.

To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.ĭelightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy. From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.ĭown a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen