Birds In Fall

author
Brad Kessler

plot synopsis in 50 words or fewer
An airplane crashes off the coast of a weensie island in Nova Scotia. In the few days following the crash the victim's relatives converge on Trachis Island, in a inn nearest the crash sight.

what really matters
Despite its premise, Birds In Fall is neither a violent nor a sensationalist book. Really, it's the opposite. Brought together under the most extreme circumstances, the characters form an unusual community of mourners and comfort seekers. Overseen by the innkeeper, Kevin Gearns, the family members attempt to negotiate their first days on the planet without those they have lost.
A beautifully articulated look at grief and living—and at those who are forced to do both. Kessler gives form to a universal experience, and voice to a timeless story. His writing is smooth, warm, and full of grace; and there are moments—particularly with dialogue—of absolute perfection. His ability to sum up entire relationships, whole lives in a sentence, a gesture, a turn of phrase is uncanny.

reminds me of
Bel Canto in that it's a book about a group of people randomly thrown together by unusually violent circumstances, in a relatively anonymous location whose emphasis is neither violent nor extraordinary.

other people who liked this book (or at least say they did)
Annie Dillard ("Once in a blue moon a book like Birds in Fall comes along: a wise, sly, and beautifully written novel. Kessler's story, ostensibly about a plane crash, turns out to be a much deeper, much richer retelling of an ancient myth. Mysterious, oracular, this breathtaking book contains multitudes.")

Anthony Doerr ("Without melodrama, without trivializing his characters, Brad Kessler transforms a story about an airline disaster -- anguish, bereavement, and being held hostage by grief -- into a chorus of hopeful voices, full of tenderness, gentle humor, and terrific writing. Birds in Fall is a remarkable novel.")

Amy Bloom ("Birds in Fall gives us a whole world -- our world -- alive and full, and on the verge. Brad Kessler enters the souls of the lost, the found, and the rest of us who move from one state to the other and back. He cups all of his characters in one elegant, strong hand and pulls us through a rich and moving story with the other.")

some other things this author has written
Lick Creek
The Woodcutter's Christmas