All The Little Bird-Hearts

by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow

For readers who loved Sorrow and Bliss or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - an unforgettable story of a mother and daughter whose lives are upended when a charming new couple move in next door.

Sunday Forrester lives with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly, in the house she grew up in. She does things more carefully than most people. On quiet days, she must eat only white foods. Her etiquette handbook guides her through confusing social situations, and to escape, she turns to her treasury of Sicilian folklore. The one thing very much out of her control is Dolly - her clever, headstrong, teenaged daughter.

Into this carefully ordered world step Vita and Rollo, a couple who move in next door, disarm Sunday with their charm, and proceed to deliciously break just about every rule in Sunday's book. Soon they are in and out of each others' homes, and Sunday feels loved and accepted like never before. But beneath Vita and Rollo's polish lies something else, something darker. For beneath Vita's charm lies a desperation and a certain entitled ambition - to have a daughter just like Dolly, all to herself.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Contemporary, Audiobook, Mental Health, Book Club

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2023

About the author

Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Kent, and has extensive personal, professional, and academic experience relating to autism. Her debut novel, All the Little Bird-Hearts, was longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize. Like her protagonist Sunday in All the Little Bird-Hearts, Viktoria is autistic. She has presented her doctoral research internationally, most recently speaking at Harvard University on autism and literary narrative. Viktoria lives with her husband and children on the coast of north-east Kent.

Source: Tinder Press

Reviews

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is a Blend of Family and Literary Fiction!

Sunday Forrester lives in the same house she grew up in. She finds comfort in order and routine, eating light-colored food, caring for things that grow, sharing her love of Italian folklore, and being in the presence of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly.

When a posh London couple, Vita and Rollo, moves into the neighborhood, unexpected friendships develop and Sunday feels what it's like to be accepted and loved. It feels special until she realizes there may be something darker brewing behind the masks of the couple living next door...

All the Little Bird Hearts is a beautifully written first-person narrative of an autistic mother, Sunday, relaying to the reader the trauma from her past, and her perspective on the present. It's heartbreaking to hear her views and yet there is such clarity in her thoughts it feels comforting listening to her words.

The best part of this book is getting to know Sunday, who is a remarkable and memorable character. She relies, often lightheartedly, on the social etiquette book that keeps her within the lines drawn by others when she senses herself straying too close to the edges. She seems to possess an innate ability to flourish and is voraciously introspective. Her resilience and her observations are the high points in the story. She is a character I would love to meet.

This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook may be the best listening experience I've had this year with the voice of the narrator, Rose Akroyd, flowing smoothly and easily. It was a perfect pairing for this soft yet stirring listen.

All the Little Bird Hearts, Longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize, is a quiet and moving debut novel. I will remember Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's beautiful prose, self-reflective storytelling, and a point-of-view I appreciate learning more about. I look forward to what this author writes next and I highly recommend this book with the audiobook as the best format for gaining the full essence of the main character, Sunday Forrester!

5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow for a DRC and ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday Forrester is not like most people. She has her quirks about what she eats and drinks. She relies on an etiquette book for guidance on how to act in social situations and she lives by Sicilian folklore. No, she’s not like the other characters in this novel, and the biggest difference is not those quirks. I found it was in her capacity to deeply love, especially her rebellious teenage daughter who is drifting away from her. She’s different from the rich and glamorous new neighbors whom she at first becomes enamored with. They are really not the kind people they want Sunday to think they are. Without going into detail, I’ll just say that the only way I can describe them is as “ careless people “ (like Tom & Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby ) caring only for themselves and not who they trample on .

I was afraid for Sunday and for her daughter Dolly, wondering if what I suspected would come to fruition. I wanted to climb inside the pages and warn her . This is a heartbreaking story in many way as we learn of Sunday’s past and traumatic childhood and as we see what Sunday is now facing. In some ways, though it is a triumph of spirit . In spite of this. Sunday is self aware and comfortable in who she is and thrives . It’s hard to say more about this story without giving anything away. I’ll just say that this is a touching and enlightening story that deserved its place as a contender for the Booker Prize.

I wondered how the author could get us so intimately connected with Sunday who is autistic. I read in notes about Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow that like her protagonist, she is autistic. A thanks to her for opening the window into Sunny’s thoughts.

I received a copy of this book from Algonquin through NetGalley.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longlisted for 2023 Booker Prize

This novel is a little bit different, but just a bit. Usually, when there is a mystery in a book, the reader is the one who needs to solve it. In 'All the Little Bird Hearts,' the mystery needs to be unraveled by the protagonist alone, because she is autistic. The reader is just a witness to events that apparently unfold very slowly. It's possible that many readers might get bored. I didn't have that problem. I felt frustration, but I think that's the idea.

Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is officially the first autistic author nominated for the Booker. It's clear that she knows what she's writing about. The first chapters, in which Sunday, the main character, meets and befriends a new neighbor, are almost exhausting due to the complexity of the thoughts the heroine has in trying to understand the stranger and behave normally. But the book has more to offer than just this different perspective. There's an emotional story here about a fulfilled life that Sunday manages to have despite all the difficulties and betrayals from those close to her.

Don't expect Faulkner. The prose is quite conventional despite the point of view, and there are more mechanical portions than the story needs, but it's a lively book, created to tell a story, not to discuss a certain theme.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a neurotypical reader, this felt like one of the most genuinely voiced, honest, and authentic stories about neurodiversity which I have read. It’s a novel about the contrast between quiet and loud lives lived in ordinary places. Lloyd-Barlow does an excellent job of conveying the everyday complexities and challenges of neurodiverse life in a way that doesn’t sensationalise quirkiness in the way that so many novels seem to. What I thought was done best here, was the exploration how the unfamiliar can be both enticing and threatening. A quiet novel, but one I found very compelling especially on the level of characterisation.

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blog Tour

Sunday is neurodivergent in the same way as Molly The Maid is. However, she's a little more self aware of her differences. As someone with a constant inner monologue, hearing her inner thoughts put me at ease. On certain days, she eats white foods. She has an etiquette handbook. She is oddly into Sicilian folklore. It's a thing.

This cast of characters also includes Sunday's daughter, Dolly, and their new neighbors, London couple Vita and Rollo, who are honestly so pretentious. But, I suppose that's the stereotype. I enjoyed Sunday mimicking their accents in order to further understand them. Accents, and language, are something I enjoy about people.

Things appear carefully ordered in the first half, the half I enjoyed more. The second half is where Vita and Rollo begin to show their true colors. A childless couple, they begin to spend more and more time with Dolly, even beginning to think of her as their own. But, she's not their own. She has a mother...

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books

[Hugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023

This was my penultimate book of this year's longlist, and one of the more surprising inclusions on the list. It tells an unusual story from an unusual perspective, and mostly succeeds on its own terms. I can't think of a succinct way of describing the plot without reducing it to cliches it doesn't deserve, so I won't say more, but it is definitely worth reading.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course, now I know Vita’s little bird-heart, I remember those one-sided conversations differently. I see that my frequent muteness was a convenience to someone who was soft-feathered and sharp-eyed. And who sang away to herself in my presence, happily and without interruption, for she knew I had no song with which to call back.

Initially, I was thoroughly charmed by All The Little Bird-Hearts: Told from the POV of a neurodivergent main character — the story is set in 1988, so she has no diagnosis and has spent her life being told to try harder and act normal — and written by debut author Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow, who happens to be on the autism spectrum herself, I found the setup to be fresh and authentic and intriguing. But as the plot progresses — after initially being warned that this is the summer that the main character’s world will be blown apart — there was a lot of repetition, no real surprises, and a corresponding drop in charm. I continued to appreciate the authenticity of (and the privilege of being given this insight into the mind of) the main character throughout, and might have given this four stars overall, but the ending didn’t pull together for me, so I’m rounding down to three. Still: I’m really glad that this book exists and that the Booker longlisting will bring it to a wider audience. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)

The year of Vita began as a demonstration of sunshine, a visual performance of summer without real heat. Those early days were memorably bright with a hazy quality of light promising a warmth it did not provide. On reflection, that time seems now like something of a dress rehearsal for what arrived later that year, for the explosion of heat that paced up and down our hazy streets, with a fixed grin and outstretched arms aflame.

Sunday Forrester is the single mother of lovely sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly, and they live together in the Lake District in the house that Sunday inherited from her own parents when she was sixteen. Sunday knows that her quirks are hard on her daughter: she prefers to eat and serve only bland “white” foods, she quotes often from her two favourite books (a 1950s etiquette guide and a book of Sicilian folklore), and although Dolly is the light and pride of her life, Sunday’s monotone/affectless presentation can be cold and embarrassing for the teenager. And although Sunday is mostly socially isolated (except for her friendship with the deaf young man at the greenhouse where they work together), she becomes fascinated with the wealthy couple who come to rent the house next door: Vita (flaky, charming, gregarious) and her husband Rollo (sophisticated, handsome, mostly away “in town”). Vita insists that Sunday and Dolly start having dinners with them on Friday nights; and while Sunday is mostly distracted by trying to solve the puzzle of these new types of people, Dolly is completely captivated by their charm and glamour. As Dolly spends more and more time with the couple next door, Sunday doesn’t have the social acumen to recognise the danger her little family is in or the ability to prevent what has been signalled to the reader from the start.

Again, I appreciated everything about Sunday’s interior life: how she tries to suppress her natural reactions (tapping out the syllables of others’ speech; wanting to repeat words in curious accents); how she pauses before responding to everything — filtering possibilities through what her mother instilled in her, what the etiquette guide would recommend, what she had noted as natural for others; how she loves her daughter with everything in her but knows it doesn’t get transmitted. There is something very special about having this reality shared by a writer with autism.

On the other hand, there was a lot of repetition that ground on me. Not just the repetition within the plot (the Friday dinners especially), but phrases: characters were forever speaking “with their palms facing upwards” (in theatrical surrender…in a gesture of openness, or perhaps, impatience…the pose could have been that of an evangelical speaker, or of someone trying to catch stray pieces of something falling from above...) And while I was intrigued by this novel’s title when I first encountered it, it’s used many times throughout (his was a different kind of bird-heart…I lived for and loved a bird-heart that summer; I only knew it afterwards…the King’s little bird-heart bears only his own lovely image…) and it soon lost its charming singularity.

But I think what bothered me most is just how awful most of the characters are. Vita and Rollo are the antagonists, so it’s understandable that their motives should be veiled and incomprehensible to Sunday (even if the reader sees their angle from the start). But Sunday also has to deal with an awful ex and his parents (whose behaviour in the end didn’t make sense to me); the memories of Sunday’s parents are awful (they may not have known how to deal with a neurodivergent child back in the 50s and 60s, but their behaviour bordered on evil); and ultimately, Dolly was pretty awful, too (and her behaviour in the end didn’t make sense to me). It’s natural that Sunday’s character doesn’t understand what motivates the people around her — that’s one of the novel’s greatest charms — but you get the sense that the author didn’t understand their motivations either (which is not me making any assumptions about the author’s diagnosis, but the characters did not behave like real people to me).

I did like my life, and I did not want to live like her, or like Vita, however easy they found it. Everything came effortlessly to them, and was therefore replaceable and without value. Dolly does not know if she has it in her to struggle, I thought. Or even to try hard at something, or with someone. She does not know what it is to be misunderstood, or disliked, or simply not adored. When I put my hands on my plants, or immerse myself in Sicilian culture, I am gifted with something more than I really am. The awkwardness of being no longer exists when I am part of these other worlds and aligned with something bigger. I would rather be a tiny person who wonders and trembles at their surroundings than rule over everything, manipulate it to my preference, and in doing so, come to despise it.

As hard as Sunday’s circumstances seem, we’re not made to feel sorry for her: hers is a life rich with purpose and meaning — perhaps with even more meaning than those around her who exhaust themselves in social games — and again, despite not really believing in the storyline, I did believe in Sunday’s responses and it was a POV I feel privileged to have shared.

[Peter Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I am a stutter of a person, a glitch that flickers; I am the air blurred by the summer sun."

Sunday is a single mother, living with her teenage daughter Dolly in a rural English village. She's neurodivergent and prefers to live life to her own particular rhythm. Social situations are difficult for her - in fact she uses an etiquette guide from the 1950s to help navigate such events. Most days Sunday works in a greenhouse, enjoying the solitude and calming atmosphere. Her parents have passed on and her sister Dolores died tragically, so Dolly is her only family, but even she is beginning to tire of her mother's peculiarities. Their world is upended with a new arrival next door. Vita is everything Sunday is not - loud, vivacious and incredibly posh. In spite of their differences, the two women enjoy one another's company. When Vita and her husband Rollo invite Sunday and Dolly over for Friday night dinner, a friendship blossoms. But Dolly begins to spend more and more time with her new friends, and Sunday feels like she has no say in where things are headed.

This is a solid debut with a memorable protagonist. I've since learned that the author is also autistic and she gives us a fascinating glimpse of what life is like as a neurodivergent person. It's not hard to feel sympathy for a character who finds everyday interactions so much more difficult to manage than most. Sunday has had to put up with a lot and the layers of her sad history are gradually peeled back - I found the conversations with her ailing mother particularly heartbreaking. I did feel like the pacing of the story was a bit off: the first three-quarters of the book are a slow burn, and then a lot happens towards the end. But maybe that also chimes with Sunday's gentle life being upended so dramatically. It's a fine beginning from Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow - I'm already intrigued to see what she does next.

Favourite Quotes:
"Sometimes I imagine how it would feel to access the effortless communication that Dolly and Vita enjoy. Oh! I would say, shocked at the ease of conversation. I see! I know what they mean, understand what they all want. What would it be to live without the laborious work of translation, to hear and instantly know what you have heard?"

"I was born with this intolerance of noise and light, and an accompanying greed for touch and smell."

"It is impossible to understand the need to deviate from repetition, this ceaseless desire for the new and the colourful. Yet people’s yearning for variety touches me, too, as a demonstration of hope, or perhaps it is faith. Whatever it is, I am without, and wanting. Their childlike belief that there is always something as yet untried, but superior – a different dress, or house, or menu – only to be discovered by those who keep looking, keep trying."

"I would rather be a tiny person who wonders and trembles at their surroundings than rule over everything, manipulate it to my preference, and in doing so, come to despise it."

"If loud noise and artificial light do not pain you, you cannot know the sublime relief of silence, of dullness."

[Nat K · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize ***

”Most of us have our vulnerabilities, those things we love that make us fragile.”

Vita is as dark haired and vivacious as Sunday is pale and softly spoken. Vita flounces around in all manner of clothing, regardless of the time of day or night. Silky kaftans, dresses with full tulle skirts, her husband’s monogrammed pyjamas. Multiple bangles adorn her wrists and gold chains twinkle around her neck. She doesn’t follow any set rules. Sunday wears more sedate clothing, the colour palette blending into the background, like the many white coloured foods she prefers to eat. She likes to follow a routine, frequently refers to her well worn copy of Edith Gould’s Etiquette for Ladies to help her know how to deal with social situations, and has a vast knowledge of Sicilian superstitions and proverbs.

In a quiet town in the country, Sunday lives with her sixteen year old daughter Dolly. Sunday has a job working at a (plant) nursery, owned by her previous in-laws. It's a job that gives her comfort; being in nature, not needing to take part in unnecessary conversations, where the light and air is natural.

Like a whirlwind into Sunday and Dolly’s lives arrive Vita and Rollo. From London, they’ve let the neighbour’s house for the summer. Friday night dinners become de rigueur, and the differences between them are huge, despite the friendliness and supposed quick warmth between the couple and Sunday and Dolly. Sunday being slightly taken aback to make a female friend so fast, and Dolly being dazzled by the casual wealth and wit of her neighbours.

There is sensual writing, with wonderful descriptions of foods shared on their Friday night dinners. The richness of the sauces, the blood red colour of the port. The scratchy material of the tulle skirt Vita wears, the soft earthiness of the soil where Sunday doesn't wear gardening gloves.

Several weeks in is where the book slowly takes a more sinister turn, with Dolly spending more and more time with the neighbours, to the point where she moves in with them. Taking frequent trips into “town” (London), with Sunday having no idea where her daughter is or what she is thinking. Even on their regular Friday night dinners where Dolly now greets her mother like a guest, it’s difficult to work out what is going on.

I had no idea where this was going and had conflicting ideas. None of which turned out to be correct by the end. Or perhaps some were? It’s one of those novels where you can read between the lines a bit.

As these things do, the tempestuous and passionate friendship between Vita and Sunday comes crashing to an ignominious end, as does Rollo’s suave and calm exterior appearance prove to be a bit of a smokescreen.

The couple, particularly Vita, seemed to have a laissez faire attitude to the lives of others. Having an uncanny ability to shed people and animals like possessions, moving on when they were no longer shiny and new. Particularly outlined (for me) was the callous way in which Vita left behind her miniature dog Beast*. It astonished and appalled me. Such a cruel & dismissive act.

The rich are different.

A warm 3.5 stars ⭐ This is quite an odd quirky novel, where I wasn’t sure which direction it was heading in. It’s definitely unique and unlike anything that I’ve read before.

”I have learned that fire waits patiently and prettily inside little bird-hearts everywhere.”

Shout out to the wonderful local Randwick Council City Library who have such an amazing array of books. Even current books which are long/shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It’s impressive as I have an over burgeoning (if that’s possible) home library. So it’s nice to know I can borrow some amazing reads and return them to be shared with more readers.

*Luckily for Beast, Sunday found him locked in the garden shed days after Vita & Rols had moved away without an adieu. He was adopted by Sunday, who had always wanted a cat since childhood. It’s funny how things work out.

[Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday is autistic and has lived her life strictly following Edith Olgivy’s “Etiquette for Ladies” to the letter. That is before she meets Vita who has moved in next door. Living what some may call a sheltered life, Sunday has never met anybody like Vita before. She finds her glamourous, vivacious, afraid of nothing. Soon Sunday finds herself imitating her, wishing she could be her.

This all changes when Sunday’s daughter, who lives with her, finishes her exams, and Rollo, Vita’s husband, arrives on the scene. Dolly, much like her mother, finds Vita fascinating and is smitten like a puppy.

Friday nights turn into regular meet ups and joyous occasions for all four. But then Sunday finds that with each evening her presence diminishes. She starts to feel she is an “outsider”, a “gatecrasher” to an evening that she was invited to attend. Her importance to the conversation fades away.

Dolly begins to spend more and more time with Vita and Rollo. It starts with Dolly sleeping over after each Friday night supper. Then almost surreptitiously the sleepovers spill into weekdays. Sunday feels her slipping away, exiting her life. Sunday’s feelings of jealousy morph into fear as the novel takes a dark turn. Are Vita and Rollo stealing Dolly away? Is Dolly the daughter that Vita yearns for? Almost without realization, Sunday finds herself separated from her daughter.

Vita is the star of the book. Such a rich and complex character. On the outside she is confidant, loud, the life of the party, but we find out that this confidence is a shield hiding and protecting a woman who yearns to be a mother. Cracks in this shield start to splinter as we learn more about her.

This is a novel that explores the dynamics of relationships and how they change. Relationships between friends that somehow “run their course” and peter out. Relationships between mother and daughter and how they can change as the daughter matures. The difficulty of forming and maintaining relationships for somebody who has autism.

Lloyd-Barlow places you inside Sunday’s head, enabling the reader to feel her difficulty, her discomfort that she experiences with these relationships. At times it is heartbreaking to know that Sunday knows that Dolly thinks her strange.

A great read.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

#8 of the 2023 Booker longlist for me.

3.5, rounded up.

What a very strange, but oddly affecting book. I am not quite sure I understood it all, but appreciate that it illustrated the neurodivergent experience well, without hitting one over the head about it; from what I know and have seen (although neurotypical myself, my BFF has a child with Asperger's, and my work the past 11 years prior to retirement was working with people with many different forms of disability, including neurodivergence) it rang true. I would say it is accurate, that is, as to ONE type of autism; much more so than I found How to Build a Boat to be, but as the author here has identified herself as 'on the spectrum', that is to be expected.

That said, as with most debut novels, I found it overwritten and in need of judicious paring - it could easily lose 50-75 pages of repetitiousness, perhaps honing in better on what the book was actually trying to impart - the final third in particular seemed to drag, and the epilogue was a mite disappointing and clichéd, raising more questions for me than it answered.

For now, I have ranked it in the top tier of what is proving a rather lackluster year for the Bookers, but I wouldn't mind seeing it move on to the shortlist.

[Aoife Cassidy McM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elaine Feeney’s How to Build a Boat prompted a lot of discussion in my DMs over the writing of neurodivergent characters and it prompted me to turn to this Booker-longlisted novel next.

All the Little Bird-Hearts is a debut novel by an autistic author who left school with no qualifications and went on to attain a PhD in Creative Writing. The book began life as her PhD submission but was published as a novel earlier this year by @tinder_press (I hadn’t heard of it until its longlisting).

It tells the story of Sunday Forrester, a neurodivergent, divorced woman living with her teenage daughter Dolly in a small English town. Sunday strikes up a friendship with new neighbours Vita and Rollo, a sophisticated about-town couple, who disarm her and Dolly with their charm and challenge Sunday’s thinking on social norms, the guidance for which she gets mostly from two books, one on etiquette and another on Sicilian proverbs.

As the friendship intensifies and with it Sunday’s discomfort, the story gradually unspools. The reader is perhaps a step or two ahead of Sunday as she realises all is not as it seems. Possessing a deep love for Dolly, Sunday attempts to navigate tricky social situations when she is suddenly, and heartbreakingly, blindsided.

A beautifully crafted story written deftly and in unadorned prose, the book felt a little like a parable to me. Sunday’s isolation because of her “strangeness” as she describes it, juxtaposed with Vita’s crafty masking of her own clearly deep-seated issues, makes for a compelling tale that had me holding my breath and feeling deeply for Sunday.

It forces the reader to examine their own prejudices - we all have our foibles, and our little bird-hearts; society is structured in such a way that equips some of us to better hide and protect them.

A little masterpiece full of precise observations that I would love to see on the shortlist. Highly recommended. I listened on audio (excellent narration and well worth an Audible credit) and will be buying a copy for my own shelf. 5/5⭐️

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy howdy, was this an uneven novel. I was quite drawn to the Own Voices nature of the book as embodied in the first-person narrator, Sunday. There are many moments of touching insight into what life is often like for neurodiverse people; the wonder of enjoying a rare and beautiful connection to the world combined with the discomfort and isolation that result from that otherness.

Pity, then, that these descriptions become so repetitive. Perhaps Lloyd-Barlow, having spent a lifetime being misunderstood, can find no other way to relate such experiences than to explain them over and over again. But an attentive reader is more of a devoted friend (like Sunday's coworker David) than a distracted social contact, and such reiteration is as boring as it is unnecessary. A stronger, more objective editor would have really helped.

As a very young child, we had Italian neighbors who actually practiced bruccia la terra, so it was a nostalgic delight to find that Old World agricultural practice referenced here. That it then became a tortured metaphor for Sunday's experience with friends and loved ones was an added disappointment for me.

2.5 stars

[Victoria Kellaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is necessarily slow, and immensely powerful. It will not speed up, or make things happen because you want them to, or reveal itself before it’s time. Be patient and remember how it feels to lose yourself in a really good book. This one’s a keeper.

[Книжкові історії · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я вчора за вечір прочитала і морально згоріла 💔 Книжка написана настільки гарно і щемко і боляче.

Що в ній побачила я? Для мене це історія про стосунки матері і доньки, які дуже різні, а тому їм важко порозумітися. А ще це про етап дорослішання (сепарації), коли твоя дитина «йде з дому», а тому здається, наче її хтось в тебе забирає.

Я не мама, але я та дитина, яка змушена була «піти з дому», щоб жити своє життя. І ця книга подарувала мені розуміння, що відчувала моя мама. Це болючий трагічний процес, але зрештою, фінал історіїї для мене позитивний.

Але це точно не та книжка, яку можна радити всім і я не певна, що вона здатна відгукуватися багатьом так, як мені.

А ще було неймовірно цінно побачити світ очима людини з аутизмом. Бо в авторки теж аутизм і вона також є матірʼю, як і героїня книги.

І будьте готові, що це не лінійна оповідь, а радше монолог головної героїні, а тому думками ми будемо перестрибувати в минуле, теперішнє і внутрішнє.

Улюблена цитата: "Сицилійський фольклор рясніє такими вовками. Жінку застерігають, що певними ночами, як от напередодні Різдва, не можна впускати чоловіка у дім після першого стуку у двері, треба чекати, коли він постукає тричі. Кажуть, одна жінка прокинулася вночі і, розгубившись, відкрила двері на другий стук чоловіка. І він її зжер, бо все ще був перевертнем. Він знову перетворився б на людину із третім стуком, але не встиг. Якби я була сицилійською дружиною, то дала б собі раду, бо вмію виконувати такі прості правила. Але я вийшла заміж за англійського Короля, тож вовк зжер мене на моєму власному порозі."

Я вражена. А моє серце розбите. Я б могла ще багато сказати про книжку, але залишу це для себе.

[Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday doesn't like colorful foods, but she loves Sicilian folktales and proper etiquette. She has also recently become fascinated by her new next door neighbor, Vita, a high class Londoner who moved to the suburbs with her husband, Rollo, a real estate developer. Vita quickly inserts herself into the life of Sunday and her 16 year old daughter Dolly, and the trio become inseparable. But Sunday begins to feel threatened by Vita's presence and a potentially more sinister motive to Vita's friendship.

Not quite a thriller but with the underlying tension of one, Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's Booker Prize nominated novel explores motherhood and the depths we go to be true to ourselves in all our uniqueness when threatened by things outside of our control.

I found Sunday to be a fascinating and well fleshed out character. Her interactions with Vita, her daughter Dolly, as well as her co-worker, David, highlight a lot of her character—her attentiveness, and yet her ability to miss things others might find obvious. Her unique passions, but also her fixation on things that at times separates her from 'the pack.' Her tenderness contrasts with her occasionally getting walked over by others. It was a nuanced portrayal of someone on the autism spectrum.

While the story was quite slow at the start and for the majority of the book, I was never bored. And I particularly enjoyed the ending. This was one of those rare books that actually improved over time and had an ending that sold me on parts that, throughout, I was a little less convinced by.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Longlisted for the Booker prize, this is a darkly vivacious tale of family, fraught friendship and neurodivergence

This story revolves around a neurodiverse woman named Sunday who is admiring the fields when she happens to notice a woman, a stranger, lying on the lawn next door. A woman who will become her friend, for a time.

As a child, Sunday experiences an event that will haunt her throughout her life, and divides her from her mother, especially.

Sunday is the happiest when she is alone with the earth, when her hands are in the soil, the happiness it gives her to connect with the soil is what keeps her somewhat tethered to the life she has forged. She has an ‘assigned list’ of foods that she allows herself to eat, and avoids foods that are coloured. ‘

It isn’t long before her new neighbor becomes a part of her life, and her daughter’s life, as well. The friendship with Vita grows quickly, and Vita begins to become more a part of her life, attempting to make Vita into someone else, someone more ‘normal.’ Her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly, is quickly drawn to this woman who seems to be the answer to her prayers, as she views her mother as more than somewhat of an embarrassment.

This is one of those quiet novels that isn’t easy to relay by sharing, there’s such a quiet nuance to it as the story evolves ever so slowly, not much of note happens, until it does.


Pub Date: 05 Dec 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Algonquin Books

[John (LHBC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Step into a world of emotional resonance and authenticity..…

Book Information

‘All The Little Bird-Hearts’ by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is a 304-page fiction novel published on March 2, 2023. Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review and for including me in their blog tour.

Summary

Sunday, residing in her lifelong home with her sixteen-year-old daughter Dolly, follows unique routines, such as consuming only white foods on her "quiet days" and relying on her etiquette handbook and Sicilian folklore for social comfort. Dolly, however, is a wildcard on the verge of leaving home. The arrival of Vita and Rollo, a charming London couple next door, disrupts Sunday's carefully ordered life. Seduced by their wit, the families intertwine, bringing newfound love and acceptance to Sunday. Yet, a darker truth lies beneath the surface of Vita and Rollo's charm. Unbeknownst to Sunday, Vita covets what she lacks—a beautiful, clever daughter like Dolly.

My Thoughts

Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's debut novel, ‘All The Little Bird-Hearts,’ offers a beautifully written first-person narrative that is simultaneously heartwarming, heartbreaking, and eye-opening. The quiet and moving nature of the novel sets the tone for a unique exploration of parenthood through a distinct perspective.

One of the standout aspects of the book is its unique perspective. In a literary landscape often dominated by familiar narratives, 'All The Little Bird-Hearts' soars with its refreshing take, unraveling the untold story of a parent with autism raising a neurotypical child. This reversal of the usual narrative provides a unique and insightful viewpoint.

Adding to the novel's authenticity is the fact that the author herself has autism. This not only lends an authentic voice to the narrative but also contributes to breaking away from stereotypical portrayals of characters with disabilities. The novel successfully avoids tokenism and sidesteps common tropes, presenting a genuine and nuanced depiction of neurodiversity. Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's authentic voice, rooted in her own experience with autism, turns 'All The Little Bird-Hearts' into more than a novel—it becomes a profound conversation starter on breaking stereotypes in literature.

As a reader with a personal connection to autism and who works every day within the disability community, I found the book to be a valuable learning experience. Lloyd-Barlow's articulate portrayal of the main character allows readers to gain insights into the unique perspectives and challenges faced by individuals with autism. The narrative becomes a window into their world, fostering understanding and dispelling misconceptions surrounding this diverse spectrum.

The emotional resonance of the novel extends beyond its exploration of neurodiversity. The story takes a dark turn as it delves into the mistreatment endured by the protagonist, Sunday. The unethical, immoral, and illegal challenges she endures evoke a strong emotional response, particularly for readers familiar with the very real struggles faced by individuals with disabilities. The narrative sheds light on the harsh realities that some individuals, like Sunday, may confront, adding depth and poignancy to the overall narrative.

At its core, ‘All The Little Bird-Hearts’ is an emotional journey. It portrays a protagonist determined to live a content life despite significant difficulties and betrayals. Lloyd-Barlow's storytelling prowess shines as she weaves a narrative that is not only touching but also thought-provoking. The novel stands as a testament to the power of genuine voices, offering a compelling exploration of neurodiversity and the complexities of the human experience.

Recommendation

'All The Little Bird-Hearts' by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow doesn't just tell a story; it dismantles preconceptions, inviting readers to witness the strength and vulnerability that coexist in the intricate tapestry of life with autism. It is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel. Lloyd-Barlow's authentic portrayal of neurodiversity and the compelling narrative make it a touching and thought-provoking read, highly recommended for those seeking a heartfelt exploration of the human experience.

Rating

4 Neurodiverse Stars

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I lived for and loved a bird-heart that summer, I only knew it afterwards.”

An enthralling and beautifully crafted debut, this book stole my heart. Filled with joy, anguish, judgement, honesty, and love, this is a story about being an outsider, and about overcoming the difficulties life throws at us. Lyrical and poetic, it is so exquisitely written that I lost myself in the prose and could have highlighted every word. Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow is a phenomenal new talent and definitely one to watch. I still can’t believe this is a debut novel and am very excited to see what she writes next.

“I still believed, then, that my way of not seeing only made me strange and unpopular; I did not know, then, that it blinded me to all the fires that were not in the fields.”

And while the writing is a huge part of the beauty of this book, what makes it extraordinary for me is the protagonist, Sunday Forrester. Sunday is the outsider. The oddity. The one who is always misunderstood. But inside she is kind, loving, genuine and funny; the sort of person we should aspire to be. Sunday also has autism. And she takes centre stage in the book, telling her own story in the first person; her acerbic, eye-opening and witty observations permeating the narrative. This puts the reader inside her head, offering us a unique insight into how it feels to see the world differently and giving us the chance to experience what it’s like to navigate a world you don’t really understand. I laughed with her, cried with her, felt her joy, and felt her pain. She has taught me so much about humanity and acceptance and is now one of my favourite protagonists.

“I do not expect to know another Vita. She was a person-shaped precious stone, something mined and brought up to the surface to live among the pebbles, a shiny reminder of our comparative dullness. Where I am pale and insubstantial, Vita was dark and deliberately formed, as real as a piece of marble.”

The other characters were also brilliantly written. I loved watching the friendship between Sunday and Vita grow, how Vita opened Sunday up to things she had never experienced, and how she was the yin to her yang. We know from the start that something went wrong between them and a sense of darkness and foreboding hovers over the pages. Yet I couldn’t quite decide how things would play out and was kept guessing right up until the end, creating a tension you can’t escape.

"I existed already in a form of maternal grieving, a refusal to accept that I had somehow lost my greatest love while still living alongside her."

I also enjoyed how the author explores the complexities of the mother/daughter relationship throughout the book through many of the characters. But it is most evident in the relationships between Sunday and her mother, and Sunday and her daughter, Dolly. Sunday’s love for Dolly is all-consuming. She doesn’t understand her, but loves her fiercely and is incredibly proud of her headstrong only child. At 16, Dolly is full of teenage disdain for her mother and Sunday is left trying to navigate this new dynamic to their relationship. As a mother of two teenagers, I could relate to this, as well as to the pain Sunday felt at having lost her child in some way already, even though she was still there. But Sunday isn’t a good mother by example. Sadly her own mother never shows her any love and is often cruel and dismissive. She sees her as strange and wrong because of her autism. Sunday’s pain at this rejection leaped from the pages in heartbreaking clarity, as did her determination to ensure Dolly never feels the same rejection and pain she did. This made me love her character all the more.

"I do not envy other people's ability to adapt; I find it alarming. Their minds are like caught fish, shining and struggling and engaged in a perpetual and pointless circular motion. Those like me swim on, unaffected by the change in currents around them.”

Illuminating, magnificent, heartbreaking and hopeful, All The Little Bird-Hearts is an unforgettable debut. It will stay with me for a long time and I cherish the new understanding it has given me. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Primarily this book is about a mother learning to let go of her teenage daughter; letting her flee the nest. However, it isn’t any old mother daughter story for a number of reasons, and those reasons alone are what made this book entertaining and also empowering…

From the very beginning it is obvious to the reader that, Sunday, the mother, is autistic. She has many quirks which are highlighted throughout the novel. I love reading books with autistic characters; especially females because as an autistic young woman myself I can totally relate. Some of her personal traits were:
“I was in a long-standing white found routine that summer” meaning she would only eating food that were white in colour, a favourite of hers being white fish boiled in milk with rice.
She was constantly being told “speak up, repeat that, say that again” since adolescence. - I can definitely relate to this one, being very softly spoken myself. Like myself, she also “naturally spoke in a monotone.”
She did find that “working with plants does much to temporarily aid my sensory imbalance.” And “avoided the telephone whenever I can, using it only for short necessary calls.”
There are many more differences I could highlight, however, I think overall, Viktoria did an excellent job at portraying neurodivergence in a domestic setting. Intrigued, I read up on the author and discovered she had done her doctoral research at Harvard in autism and literary narrative, which explains how she created such an impressive debut novel.

Sunday and her 16-year-old daughter, Dolly, have a somewhat quiet existence. They both have routines that they follow quite happily. However, this all changes when new neighbours appear next door and suddenly their routines are challenged by Vita and Rollo. The couple soon intertwine themselves in Sunday and Dolly’s lives and Sunday frequently finds herself having to resort to the Etiquette of Ladies; A Guide to Social Activity book written by Edith Ogilvy in 1959.

What starts off as weekly dinners soon becomes more than Sunday had wanted or anticipated…

I found this couple very hard to read and I’m not sure if this was done on person to depict how Sunday found them. Personally, I found them to have many sides. Sometimes they were light, cherry and loveable and others they seemed possessive, particularly over Dolly and her future. I found myself wanting to shout out to Sunday and tell her that her daughter was being taken over; there was a sadness to it. I don’t want to give any more of the plot away so I will leave it at that…

Although I found it highly relatable and funny in parts, there seemed to be a lack of substance to the story in parts. Furthermore, I would have liked a more definitive ending to the story…I was torn between a 3.5 and 4 ⭐️ and it is definitely a book I would recommend especially for a non-autistic reader as it gives an excellent insight.


🐦🐦🐦🐦♥️♥️♥️♥️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday Forrester lives with her 16-year-old daughter, Dolly, in the lake house where Sunday herself grew up. She does things more carefully than most people and her etiquette handbook guides her through confusing social situations. Into this carefully ordered world step Vita and Rollo, a couple who move in next door and disarm Sunday with their glamour and charm.

This book is very unique in that the main character, an adult, is autistic and doing her best to raise a neurotypical child. I really liked Sunday and felt very protective of her. She quotes often from her two favourite books - Edith Ogilvy's etiquette handbook and a book of Sicilian folklore. I didn't care much for any of the other characters, even Dolly who treated her mother pretty badly. I found the ending quite sad. I was hoping for a different outcome.

Some of the chapters are extraordinarily long but the writing itself is very good. An excellent debut novel.

This book was a much-appreciated Christmas gift to me.

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Rose Akroyd
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review

Longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize

The story is very slow, and I believe it is too slow for some readers. But when we get used to this rhythm, we get to know Sunday, who is autistic, and her daughter Dolly, her mother-in-law and father-in-law. And most importantly, we also meet her new glamorous neighbors, Vita and Rollo. The story is multi-layered, so we also learn about the past life of Sunday, her sister Dolores, her parents, and her childhood.

I liked Sunday and how she organized her life to cope with everyday challenges. But I didn't like all the other characters in the book. Only Dolores, Sunday's late sister, seemed like a nice and understanding person, but there's not much story about her.

This is not a novel I would expect to be nominated for the Booker Prize. But nonetheless, I appreciate it and found the presentation on neurodivergent thoughts and functioning very insightful.

All the Little Bird-Hearts is excellently narrated by Rose Akroyd. I enjoyed her narration. In this case, an audiobook format was a better choice for me.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

[Darryl Suite · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 maybe???) Left me feeling hot and cold. It kinda went back and forth between being riveting and tedious (there were several repetitive scenes, although I can see why those needed to be there). But the prose was always amazing though. The observations were biting.

I’ll need to reflect. I’d be very curious to see what Lloyd-Barlow writes next because the talent is most certainly there.

[Matthew Ted · Rating 1 out of 5]

103rd book of 2023.

Not far off a self-published book.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was longlisted for the Booker prize, but only recently released in the US. I had read all except this one. I was unsure what to expect, as my friends’ reviews were all over the board, with some very much enjoying it and others wondering why it had been selected.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it a beautifully written, quiet novel that portrays the life of a woman on the autism spectrum, her neurotypical daughter, and their interactions with a vivacious wealthy couple who move in next door. Sunday and her daughter Dolly meet the ostentatious new neighbors, Vita, and her husband, Rollo. They are staying at the house next door while Rollo purchases and converts a children’s home in the area.

Up to this point, Sunday and Dolly lead a quiet life. Sunday requires an orderly life based on routines. She is particular about what she eats and cannot handle too much “noise” (sights, sounds, choices) in her daily life. Sunday is divorced from Dolly’s father. They live on his family’s estate where Sunday works in the gardens. She uses an etiquette guide to explain social protocols and attempts to follow them in order to fit in on the rare occasions she must attend gatherings. She has had a traumatic past, and we learn about her rocky relationship with her parents and sister. Her favorite book is related to Italian rural life. It contains stories and she finds comfort in repeating them.

The primary thrust of this novel is whether or not Vita and Rollo are true friends to Sunday or if they are merely taking advantage of her. Sunday narrates, so the reader views their interactions from her perspective. Vita is used to getting her way and on the rare occasions when Sunday stands up to her, there are ramifications. Sunday has always been treated as “different” or “not wired right,” so at first, she is flattered by Vita and Rollo’s acceptance of her quirks. They accommodate her preferences, such as only eating white foods or drinking only cold fizzy beverages, and Sunday states: “Their attention to my preferences touched me. I had not been known in this way before and found acceptable. There I was seen and approved of, even indulged.”

Sixteen-year-old Dolly accepts a job offered by the neighbors and starts making money and gaining more independence. Dolly is being influenced by the neighbors, and the reader wonders if Sunday can detect the changes in her daughter. Is it a positive influence? Her former in-laws seem to think so.

It is a nuanced portrayal. The characters are very well crafted. I found it touching that Sunday eventually realizes that one can be loved despite eccentricities, but it is not all cheery, and contains several darker elements (which I am intentionally not revealing to avoid spoilers). This novel is a marvelous job of psychological complexity and insight. For me, it definitely deserved its spot on the Longlist.

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday lives with her sixteen year old daughter, Dolly. They live in Sunday’s childhood home. Theirs is a quiet existence - Sunday likes peace, consistency and prefers to eat only white foods. She finds stability and order in routine, even though Dolly is starting to rebel against this lifestyle as she travels towards maturity.

Then the exotic Vita and Rollo move in next door. Captivating, charming and often outrageous, Sunday is instantly seduced by their loud and chaotiv personalities and quickly becomes part of their lives. For the first time in her life she feels like she fits in somewhere. But then they turn their sights on Dolly…

What a beautifully written book, definitely not one to be rushed. Instead each page needs to be savoured as the writing is incredibly lyrical and wonderfully detailed. Sunday is such a magnificently complex character, I loved getting to know her and empathise with her. I even got angry for her. How dare these people enter her life and turn it upside down?!

Then there’s the plot - which is so slowly and cleverly revealed that a growing sense of unease gradually creeps across the pages and it becomes impossible to put the book down.

An incredible debut novel, filled with poetry, deep with meaning and with a splash of darkness and danger thrown in for good measure.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the Little Bird-Hearts made me angry and sad. I do believe the story should evoke strong emotion from the reader so I do not mean this as a criticism. I was not upset with the author or the narrator. I was enraged and disheartened by the world that this story reflects.

Told in an authentic voice, All the Little Bird-Hearts is the story of an autistic (although never explicitly stated) woman (Sunday) raising a teenage daughter (Dolly) on her own. When her exuberant new neighbor (Vita) shows up at her door, Sunday tries to process this woman’s behavior. She is taken in by the charm and flashiness, though, and a friendship, greatly valued by Sunday, begins to form. But Vita may not be the friend Sunday believes her to be, and Sunday’s social struggles and vulnerability blind her to this truth.

As readers, we are likely to detect the problematic nature of this relationship early on, but that is, in part, the point, demonstrating how others are able to understand behavior in a way that Sunday cannot. We also get heartbreaking glimpses of Sunday’s past, which makes her own fixation on the friendship and her consequential blindness all the more understandable.

I found myself enraged on Sunday’s behalf. The way most of the people in this novel treated her was absolutely disgusting. But I believe it. I know how quick some people are to prey upon those they view as different. Plus, the depiction of privilege and the arrogance of wealth seemed infuriatingly accurate.

More than anything, I felt extremely frustrated with Dolly. I know her age contributed to her behavior, but I do wish the epilogue had helped me feel more at peace with her choices. I think it was meant to, but I was genuinely upset with how she treated her mother, and what I was given in that final act just wasn’t enough. Perhaps it’s just the single mother I once was rising up from within me, recognizing all of Sunday’s love, sacrifices, and best attempts in raising her daughter.

I do think All the Little Bird-Hearts is an important book. Since it’s an own voices novel, it provides readers with critical insight into a neurodivergent mind (although you must also remember that each neurodivergent person is a unique individual and not an exact mirror of the narrator). It also corrects many of the misconceptions people possess regarding autism, while illuminating how cruel society can be toward those who don’t fit in a box. Sunday deserved a much kinder life story, but I don’t blame the author for giving her such an honest one.

I am immensely grateful to Hachette Audio, Tinder Press, and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

[Christopher M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Booker Longlisting. This is the story of an autistic mother written by an autistic mother, although I didn't feel that I learnt much about what that's like because it's mainly used as a plot device to allow her to be an ingenue criticised and exploited by everyone around her. It was so obvious where it was going that it quickly began to annoy me, especially as there were repetitive cycles of her teenage daughter unexpectedly not coming home, her being confronted with triggering meals she doesn't eat because they aren't white, and her neighbours talking in posh voices that are then transcribed again phonetically in case we forgot what she said about their accent two pages ago. It was only one step removed from soap opera, and even petered out a bit where the final confrontation should have been as we're told, not shown, how it all played out. Not on my shortlist, I wouldn't have finished it if not for Booker completism!

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good eye-opener into the neuro-divergent world and the implications of living in such a world whilst also living here on Earth. The interactions when push comes to a shove and betrayal ensues.

We have different types of shines being used to hide beneath, we have Alex, his shine is different than Vita's, whose shine is so charming, so attractive. Rollo's shine is quietly different, whilst the grandparents have a worthy shine. But beneath these shines whilst they look down on Sunday and see the difference, they also see what they can take, what she is undeserving of.

It is a pity that their shine also attracted the child. That was hard for me to read.

2023 Booker Longlist

[Gregory Duke]

Tried to read this last week. Loathed it. Overwritten. Tawdry. Lacking in narrative pleasure. But I thought, if it is shortlisted for the Booker, I might pick it up again. Well... it didn't make it! So I will not. What a lovely thing.

I think it's also telling that one of the only things people talk about when it comes to this novel is that an autistic author writes from the perspective of an autistic mother. #OwnVoices seems to be the redeeming quality for many people here. It's simply not enough.