While there are a lot of new titles out there, I needed to catch up on some older titles. Books, I keep “meaning to read” and never get around too. I picked up A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mahogany L. Browne. I thought it was a book in verse, but it is more short essays and diary entries. Or as if someone is interviewing the narrator and they are just replying to questions. Still, it was short and figured it wouldn’t take very long to read. Actually, it took several days to really get into it due to a few pieces, but once it got flowing I understood the point and the why the survey in the back (placed by the library as a short review for others) had one review that was a 1 out of 5, and the comment of Nothing makes sense.
The reason it probably did not make sense to the previous reader was because this book is not Your Pandemic Experience. It is an interesting look at being a young teen in the inner city of New York during the early years of the pandemic. Therefore, to be blunt, a young white teen from New England, most likely middle class, would not have had to deal with racism, the broken promises, the issues of growing up poor, sometimes alone, or barely hanging on.
Also, the form does not have an easy flow to follow, but if you take the time to slowly journey through, things will work out. This is partly because one character does speak in a dialect of the island she is from, making her part different and perhaps hard to understand. Also, along with another character, their part of the story is to be the Greek Chorus, the “inbetween” between scenes. Also, what was interesting to me could be confusing to others. The way several people will intertwine with others and their story is not going to be an easy read for multiple reasons.
Therefore, we are following several characters and that might feel like you are “jumping around” without a solid ending. And honestly, there is no ending for some of these characters. They just have to keep going. Since we do not have the “beginning, middle, end” of an “Action Filled Event Story” but a slice of life, it does not work the way we might be used to. It comes off a bit more literary, a bit abstract, even a smidgen lofty. And, nothing makes sense.
While themes are handled well, there are several that might be triggers. The pandemic is, of course, one. Others include the aging of a beloved grandmother sinking into dementia, being the breadwinner/parent for your sister only a few years younger than you who has anxiety issues, fathers who are incarcerated, family passing from illness or leaving outright and more. Did I love this book? No, but I did enjoy it. I was probably not the intended audience (teens and adults from around 13 to early 20’s), but everyone will find something.
Bingo Bird as the obvious is there is cbr18bingo Bird in the title, but also the symbol of flying, escaping, freedom (or the lack of being able to) is present.
