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Christy Lefteri

Songbirds: The powerful, evocative Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo Paperback – 3 Mar. 2022

by Christy Lefteri (Author)

4,400 ratings

in Motherhood

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'Will break your heart and open your eyes' Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

'I've never read anything quite like Songbirds - a beautifully crafted novel.' Jodi Picoult, bestselling author of Wish You Were Here.

Her courage to cross oceans.
Her hope for a better life.
Her love for a daughter, above all else.

Not all tragedies make headlines, not every voice is heard.

Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. Now she spends her days caring for someone else's daughter while her own waits for her return, half a world away.

For Petra, it is only natural to hire a domestic worker to keep her house clean and her family fed. Their lives have nothing in common, except the love they feel for their daughters.

Then one day, Nisha vanishes. No one cares about the disappearance of a foreign domestic worker, except Petra and Nisha's secret lover, Yiannis, the only connection to her daughter back in Sri Lanka.

As Petra and Yiannis desperately search for Nisha, they realise how little they knew about her. What they uncover will change them both forever.

Inspired by true stories of love and loss, hope and refuge, this evocative masterpiece from the million-copy bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy Lefteri, is an illuminating story of the power of the human spirit, and the enduring love of a mother for her child, that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Praise for Christy Lefteri:

'This thought-provoking novel of love loss and redemption is thoroughly sublime.' Caroline Montague

'Lefteri is an astonishing weaver of stories.' Daljit Nagra

' . . . broke my heart and kept me turning the pages of her gorgeous novel well into the night.' Alka Joshi, NYT-bestselling author of The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

'Christy Lefteri has crafted a beautiful novel, intelligent, thoughtful, and relevant.' Benjamin Zephaniah on The Beekeeper of Aleppo

' . . . it's impossible not to be moved by Lefteri's plea for humanity and perhaps inspired too.' Observer, on The Beekeeper of Aleppo

'Courageous, proactive, haunting.' Heather Morris, on The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Manilla Press
Publication date

3 Mar. 2022
Dimensions

12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm
ISBN-10

1786580853
ISBN-13

978-1786580856
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From the Publisher

Jodi Picoult quote for Songbirds: 'I've never read anything quite like Songbirds'

Heather Morris quotes for The Beekeeper of Aleppo


	The international phenomenon	The powerful new novel
Hardback
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Product description

Book Description

The heartbreaking follow-up to the million copy bestseller, The Beekeeper of Aleppo

From the Back Cover

The heartbreaking follow-up to the million copy bestseller, The Beekeeper of Aleppo. 'Will break your heart and open your eyes' Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'I've never read anything quite like Songbirds - a beautifully crafted novel that sits at the intersection of race and class.' Jodi Picoult, bestselling author of Small Great Things She walks unseen through our world. Cares for our children, cleans our homes. Her voice unheard. Will you listen to her story? Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. By day she cares for Petra's daughter; at night she mothers her own little girl by the light of a phone. One day, Nisha vanishes. No one cares about the disappearance of a domestic worker, except Petra, and Nisha's lover, Yiannis. As they set out to search for her, they realise how little they knew about Nisha. What they uncover will change them both forever. Set in her native Cyprus, Christy Lefteri has crafted a triumphant follow up to The Beekeeper of Aleppo, which illuminates the power of the human spirit, and the enduring love of a mother for her child.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Manilla Press (3 Mar. 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786580853
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786580856
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 22 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1 in Motherhood (Books)
- 2 in Political Fiction (Books)
- 2 in Death & Bereavement

Customer reviews:
4,400 ratings

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Christy Lefteri

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Customer reviews

5 star		53%
4 star		31%
3 star		11%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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signet

A brilliant, but saddening read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2021

Verified Purchase

Having read the Beekeeper of Aleppo, I just had to read this book by the same author after the effect that book had on me.
Songbirds is a book that is both uplifting and melancholic at the same time, sometimes in the same chapter. It a story set in Cyprus and deals with female domestic workers who are mostly overlooked within life and consequently abused. This was a subject which with I was totally unaware as well as the love and loss that emanates from this.
Beautifully written in a simple effective style that truly conveys Cypriot life, its countryside and it's people; I could almost smell the jasmine through the pages. If you are not saddened by the inevitable conclusions, then there is something seriously wrong within your heart. As a result of buying Songbirds, I bought the Beekeeper...although I had previously read it free with Prime Reading as I will want to re-read it.
I think Christine Lefteri is probably the best writer that I have had the pleasure to read in years and I will certainly watch out for more by her. A stunningly thoughtful book.

31 people found this helpful

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Elise Wardle MA, Jungian Psychotherapist

Missing pages Kindle edition

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2021

Verified Purchase

Great book. Shame that Kindle edition is faulty and many pages are missing.

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lauren Jade

Sad, but a beautifully worthwhile story.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 June 2022

Verified Purchase

I've been in a bit of a reading slump recently. Nothing has got me gripped. Songbirds by Christy Lefteri is exactly what I needed. Having read the Beekeeper of Aleppo, another great story, I had high expectations and this novel delivered! Set in Cryprus, it is full of beautiful imagery that really evokes the imagination. There are so many metaphors in the book, which often include nature. The songbirds feature in the storyline about illegal poaching. I thought it was beautiful that we heard from Nisha's employer and her partner but never Nisha herself, until the very end when the reader has peiced together bits about her and then gets access to her diary. A really stunning read - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

11 people found this helpful

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Em

What a book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2021

Verified Purchase

I had enjoyed The Beekeeper of Aleppo so much and I was keen to read more by this author. I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook as the narrators for Yiannis and Petra were so authentic as they managed to bring the characters to life. The story explores the subject of immigration, the plight of migrants, particularly women, and acts as reminder to open our eyes to what is happening around the world and the conditions others live in. No one seemed to care that Nisha, a domestic worker was missing; only Petra and Yiannis. I was with these characters searching for Nisha. I was totally wrapped up in the story and desperate to find out what happened. This book really did break my heart and was so powerful and thought provoking. 😩

Beautiful writing, complex characters and a compelling mystery. If you liked The Beekeeper of Aleppo, then I would recommend Songbirds. Just make sure you have tissues…PLENTY 😭 And yes I know I cry a lot reading books okay?! 😂

11 people found this helpful

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BrendaReads

This book will haunt me for a very long time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2022

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Songbirds is different to any other book I have read,
It’s set in Cyprus, a place I have never been to, but can now vividly imagine. The book describes a side of the island totally removed from the the sun drenched beaches of the holiday brochures.
Petra is one of the better- off inhabitants of the southern (Greek) sector, whose lifestyle contrasts dramatically with that of Nisha, her maid and daughter's adored nanny. We discover there are many such foreign 'maids' in Cyprus, who have made new lives for themselves on the still divided island, after leaving their homelands to earn enough money to send back to their distant families as far away as Lithuania or Sri Lanka.
The 'sirs and madams' often have little or no knowledge of how or why these girls have come to Cyprus and in too many cases they treat them little better than slaves. I was surprised early on to find that this novel takes place in very modern times - with iPads and smart phones being the main means of communication (for a lucky few maids) with their far away parents and very often their children.
I found the book moving, sad, insightful and very well researched. It was an eye opener for me and I’m sure it will be for everyone who reads it.

8 people found this helpful

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merlin gardner

Just read it! It's brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2021

Verified Purchase

An astonishing and very timely book. The cruel things that humans can do to birds ... and young Asian and Filpino women, trapped in work in a foreign country. It is also a story of great love and sacrifice.

10 people found this helpful

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Amanda-Trimmer Brightman

Oh My Goodness What A Read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a story of Nisha, a strong woman who suddenly disappears from her life as a maid in Cyprus. It becomes apparent that many people who thought they knew her, sadly did not.

Christy has loosely based this novel on factual events and exposes the sad truths about domestic workers and the lives they have and what they leave behind.
This is a heartbreakingly sad story which is told honestly, thus shining the light on extortion and human sacrifice.
As with all Christy Lefteris books I am left sad and reflective about Human Nature.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lynda Goetz

A moving and beautifully written novel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2021

Verified Purchase

This story is a modern tragedy. Like any tragedy the ending is inevitable, yet the tension palpable. The writing is evocative and at times completely poetical. The characters are not all immediately likeable,but are carefully drawn and developed. The story, based on fact, is shocking and sad. It highlights the best and the worst of humanity.

9 people found this helpful

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