Title: Migratory Birds
Author: Melda Sherman
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1664157248
Pages: 274
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Aly Avina
Pacific Book Review
A tale of reflecting on the past to see the positives in the present always makes for an inspiring read. That is a major part of the plot in this novel, Migratory Birds by author Melda Sherman. This story details the resilience of several people born in different time periods, who all came to America to live the proverbial “American Dream” which so many are eager to get their hands on.
The story starts out with us meeting Melda, an author who is about to see all of her hard work pay off and her dreams come true by winning the “Best-Selling Female Author of the Year” award. Oprah Winfrey is set to present it to her and the president of the United States would be in attendance. This is what leads Melda to begin to reflect on her life and the challenges she has overcome to get to this point. She then begins to think of the heroes of her novel and their own struggles they had to overcome to find happiness in America and in their life as a whole.
Whether we’re learning about Charlie, the Irishman who migrated to America to escape his alcoholic and violent brothers, or Reyhan, who came to America from Turkey with her abusive and womanizing husband only to escape the grips of him to meet the love of her life, we see one thing in common in all of these heroes and heroines’ stories: resilience and strength. It takes a lot to get through the emotional and physical tolls they have had to undergo to reach the happiness they’ve always wanted, but each of them makes sure to do whatever it takes to get through the toughest times of their lives to get to the other, brighter side.
Any person should want to read a story such as this purely for the inspirational and meaningful message it brings. If I were to break it down simply, it would be to never give up. It’s important to not give up in the face of adversity and not everyone is blessed with the gift to do that naturally. But with hard work and building one’s strength, it is possible for each of us to do just that no matter what is thrown at us. That is the message I got from this amazing novel that was beautifully written. The way the stories connected made this read a very unique and wonderful experience that I am not soon to forget. Make sure to check out Migratory Birds by Melda Sherman today!