The Flightless Birds of New Hope

by Farah Naz Rishi

Three estranged siblings—and a high-maintenance cockatoo—reunite in a luminous novel about forgiveness, connection, and the complexities of family by the author of Sorry for the Inconvenience.

Upon the sudden deaths of their bird-obsessed parents, the three Shah siblings reunite.

Aliza has spent years holding their crumbling family together, caring for their younger brother, Sammy. And Aden, named executor of the estate, finds himself resentfully facing the one member of the family who always got their parents’ undivided love: their famous Bollywood-bopping cockatoo, Coco.

One reckless night, Aden opens Coco’s cage, letting her do what he did a decade ago—fly away from home.

In a panic, the siblings set off to recover her, armed with only Coco’s tracking chip and the fragile hope they might set things right. What they think will be a quick search and rescue becomes a two-week cross-country road trip, where old grudges resurface, relationships are tested, and long-buried dreams stir awake.

As Coco, meanwhile, forges her own path to the past, Aden, Aliza, and Sammy follow—not just the bird, but the possibility of something more: a way back to each other.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Family Drama, Animals, Audiobook, Family, Birds

301 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2026

About the author

Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. You can find her at home in Philadelphia, or on Twitter at @far_ah_way.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Road Trip Family Drama Fiction. I read this book by listening to the audiobook of this book, and I really enjoyed the audiobook. When I met my husband for the first time he had a Cockatoo named Coco, and we kept Coco for the first 7 years we were together. We decided to find a new home for her right before our first kid was born. Because this book has a Cockatoo named Coco I just had to read this book. They are a lot of work and time, so I understand why the kids feel the way they feel. I think this was a very emotionally filled story, and I really enjoyed reading this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Loran · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some things I like about this book. I learned a lot about cockatoos.

The protagonist, Aden, is suffering from unresolved childhood issues that overwhelm the first half of the book. I couldn't suspend reality in the chapters "written" by the bird.

It's an unusual story, though, so I'll give it a three.

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. A solid read, full of humor and heart and heartache. Three great main characters. Four, actually; the family cockatoo's POC is also heard from, and actually, was my favorite voice. Recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I was motivated to keep reading to find out what happened to the bird. On the downside, the story was a bit repetitive. I don’t like to be hit over the head with storylines. Also I wish the author would have included more information about the family’s immigrant background and how that affected their choices.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo this was awesome 😭😭

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars 😭😫 only farah naz rishi can make me cry over a bird!!! this was so sweet

[USOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The Flightless Birds of New Hope is full of family drama and tensions rising to the surface. We can think that in grief we will all come together, but too often the cracks which were always there begin to fracture. Aden's story is moving as it explores parental love, family complexity and responsibility, and siblings. Using the bird as an avenue for exploring these relationships of preferences, duty, and care is a moving symbol. The Flightless Birds of New Hope navigates resentment, love, and memory all at once. When we lose people, what do we hold on to? Farah Naz Rishi beautifully moves through grief and loss with complexity, nuance, and love.

[Tawny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get used to disappointment.

Three siblings from a dysfunctional family spend almost the while book searching for the cockatoo that either destroyed their late parents’ functionality or kept the family together. Or both. They are disappointed in each other, in their parents, in almost-but-not-quite finding the bird time and again. I was frustrated with how short-sighted and ego-centric the older brother and sister are through most of the book, and I kept reading to see if they would ever find the bird and figure out the Why of their family’s dysfunctionality. At the end, I decided I wasn’t all that pleased with the book.

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one, even though it’s not a perfect book. Narration was good.

The story follows siblings who are forced back into each other’s lives and have to reckon with a childhood shaped by neglect. Watching them slowly get to know each other again—and untangle all that shared damage—was the part that worked best for me. The way their parents failed them was genuinely sad, and at times heavy, so I was very glad this ended on a hopeful note. These kids (now adults) really needed that.

There are also narrative sections from Coco the cockatoo. Those parts were interesting, and I did enjoy all the information about cockatoos, but they didn’t add a whole lot to the story for me and occasionally felt repetitive.

Overall, I enjoyed the journey, even when it circled the same emotional ground more than once. If you like sibling stories, complicated family dynamics, and a hopeful ending after some hard stuff, this is worth a listen.

[Sujata Neidig · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family drama story about three siblings who get to know each other after their parents die in an accident. The oldest son left home after college and cut off ties with the family because of unaddressed and unresolved issues as a result of his parents' obsession with their cockatoo bird Coco and taking her to competitions. It's a unique story which is why I gave it 3 stars. Aspects that I didn't like included the intermittent interjections of ''thoughts'' from Coco, and the one dimensional way the 2 older siblings were portrayed. Aden, the oldest son, is short-tempered, rude at times, and holds everything to himself. Aliza, the sister, is rash and antagonistic.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Protagonist Arc

I enjoyed this book. The protagonist starts out as a bit of a pompous jerk, unphased by his parents' death and ready to sell his childhood home out from under his younger siblings still living there but the journey to chase after his parents' prized pet cockatoo permanently alters their relationships. Several memorable analogies by the author that can be applied to anyone's life and difficulties they may be experiencing. Would have given it 5 stars but I'm not a super fan of cursing and this had a little more than I would've liked. Didn't overshadow the writing and wasn't super excessive, just more than I'd prefer.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read about estranged siblings going cross-country to track down the prize-winning rare cockatoo of their recently deceased parents. I enjoyed the journey and watching the characters grow. It was also fun to read the brief sections narrated by the bird. I think this was a free or inexpensive kindle download, and it was better than some of them, and different.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

flightless birds of new Hope

I’m thinking now that the flightless birds are Aiden, Aliza, and Sammy. This book has a happy ending and the search for the bird and the things that happen are interesting. I skimmed over some of the parts where they repeated why Aiden was so depressed because of the way his parents treated him and how he felt about his girlfriend just got a little too repetitive, but like I said that has a happy ending. When I read the authors statements of why she started writing regarding the bird Flaco in New York. I can totally get what she meant about people gathering together to find the poor bird.

[zai · Rating 5 out of 5]

farah is my icon, i will forever be seated for her books
rtc

[Booknblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Flightless Birds of New Hope we are introduced to three siblings, Aden, Aliza, and Sammy. Their family was quite dysfunctional with Mom and Dad centering all their attention on rock star cockatoo, Coco Chanel and ignoring human off-spring.

When Mom and Dad die in a tragic accident the siblings are forced together and when Coco escapes they band together to recapture her.

This sounds like it may be a cute book about a journey, but for me it wasn't so cute and was a bit tedious.

It was just ok.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️Heartwarming, gentle story. Gives me a little bit of a Homeward Bound feeling with a sprinkle of Charlotte’s Web. Explores grief, healing lost family connections, and camaraderie between siblings. I thought the chapters from Coco’s perspective were surprisingly tender.
I do wish we knew a little bit more about why the parents were the way they were, etc.

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

“Aden Shah’s parents flew before they died, and even he couldn’t miss the morbid punch line in that. After all, no one loved birds more than the Shahs.”

When Aden gets word that his parents have died in a freak accident, he leaves Chicago to head for his childhood home in New Hope, Pennsylvania. It’s been years since he’s been home or spoken to his family, but as the executor of his parents’ estate, he has to put his feelings aside.

His return is met with anger from his younger siblings, Aliza and Sammy. Aliza has essentially raised Sammy, since their parents were often traveling or neglectful. Aden must also confront one of the main reasons he fled home 10 years ago: Coco Chanel, his parents’ prized Major Mitchell’s cockatoo. Coco got more attention than anyone else in the Shah household.

Frayed by grief, anger, and resentment, one night Aden opens Coco’s cage and lets her fly away. Of course, when his siblings panic about Coco’s disappearance, the three of them hit the road to find her and bring her back home. They follow her tracking chip and tap into a vast network of bird watchers to try and find her.

But what they figured would take just a few days at most turns into a cross-country road trip where everything that can go wrong does. Along the way, they argue, reopen old wounds, and try to process their grief and anger toward one another, their parents, and life in general.

This is a powerful meditation on grief and resentment as well as growing up knowing you’ll never be as important as your avian sibling. I just felt everything repeated itself too much—the failed rescue attempts, the rehashed arguments, and the crazily farcical incidents that arise. The characters’ growth arc took a bit longer than necessary, but the emotions were still very palpable.

Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.

[Susie Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

{Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this audiobook!}

I will start by saying that there's nothing wrong with this book and that it really just wasn't for me. It's a sweet story about family, but it just didn't feel unique enough for me and I found myself bored throughout listening to the audiobook. The narrator was great except for the bird's voice, which really grated on my nerves!

When his parents die in a tragic car accident, Aden returns home for the funeral and to settle his parents estate. His younger siblings, still living at home, are not happy he's back as they feel he abandoned them when he moved away for work and basically stopped communicating with them. We learn that Aden felt abandoned by his parents who quit their jobs and all but left him to take care of his siblings while they traveled to various bird shows with their prized cockatoo Coco. Well, now they're gone and Coco is living in his childhood bedroom... Until he drunkenly lets her loose. Now, the siblings are forced together on a road trip to find the missing bird.

Of course, the details of the story are unique and I've never read a book so focused on a cockatoo before. But the overall themes and story felt unoriginal and I found it to be very predictable. I also wanted SO much more information on what led the parents to make the decisions they did... their choices are what I found so interesting about the book and I feel like there was so much to dig into there.

Like I said, I think this book is fine and I'm sure it will appeal to many people as a sweet novel about family. I just like a little more meat to my books and didn't get that here.

[Stephanie Marks-Leavitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book quite a bit. The characters were interesting, and I’m always a sucker for a drama-filled family road trip. The audiobook narration was especially well done— even when it could have felt awkward giving voice to a cockatoo, it somehow worked and never pulled me out of the story.

At its heart, this is the story of three siblings who grew up with a less-than-ideal childhood. Their parents became largely absent after obsessing over their award-winning cockatoo, Coco, leaving the kids to fend emotionally for themselves. After a family tragedy—and when Coco escapes—the siblings set out on a journey to find the bird and, in the process, reconnect with each other and themselves.

All three siblings were likable, but Sammy was a standout for me. That said, there were moments where the story felt a bit repetitive, and I found myself wanting to dive deeper into the siblings’ backstories—especially Aden’s. There’s a lot that’s implied about their upbringing and their parents, but I would have loved more concrete details and specific moments to better understand what shaped them.

Overall, this was an engaging and heartfelt story, and I enjoyed following Aden, Aliza, and Sammy on their journey. It’s a thoughtful family drama with a unique premise and strong narration. Thanks to NetGalley and Brillance Publishing for providing me with an advanced audio copy of this book.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and heartwarming story about a family- the parents die in an accident and the 3 kids are navigating life without them. There is some toxic family situations as growing up the parents are all about their show cockatoo, Coco. Aden is executor of the estate and his younger sister has been holding things together. Their youngest brother is 13 and still navigating through life and his place in the family. Aden opens the cage and asks Coco to go, then they try to catch her as they monitor her ID chip, like a collar, as she flies across the country.

The symbolism is pretty in your face here- flying the coop, working together towards a common goal, finding their freedom in their family connection. It isn't sad as I thought it would be, the narrative mostly revolves around their common mission to bring Coco home.

the polarizing part is going to be the chapters (these are short/small) that are from the birds POV. On the audiobook she uses a child-like voice for Coco, some people really hate animal POV, but these are heartwarming and charming if you like this kind of thing.

Audiobook review- easy to follow, sweet and charming audiobook performance.

Thanks to netGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC. Book available now.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt relatable. The fear of Aden to allow anyone close to him, his need to shut himself out from others as if he’s protecting her. The angry and frustration of Aliza, so afraid of being left behind, afraid of being alone. And Sammy’s quiet nature, so often overlooked and just getting by. All these feelings and trauma collective a result of their parents failing each of them in some way. It is very human.

I love that the story isn’t about Coco but rather the siblings, they are the flightless birds. They were, symbolically, learning to fly after the death of their parents. Parents who had caged them, mentally and emotionally, like they did the same to Coco. All found freedom from their parents after the unexpected journey. Coco and her cross county travel was just a catalyst to the siblings unraveling the past.

My only issue was that it felt repetitive. But I guess trauma and the heavy emotions brought on by neglectful parents is repetitive.

Overall, a well done book and definitely worth the read. Don’t give up on it. The Flightless Birds of New Hope is definitely worth the read.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF I got about 30% in before I became fairly bored.

I received this as a free Kindle First Reads title. It is serviceable, but nothing anyone needs to run out and purchase. This story is one note played over and over and over again; it's a lot of words, but nothing much really happens. Estranged siblings get on each others' nerves and experience transportation issues while scouring Ohio for their dead parents' runaway cockatoo. They see -- and then lose sight of -- the bird in each chapter. Something "wacky" happens to their vehicle in each chapter. The main character regrets the same two broken relationships in each chapter. The two oldest siblings sling the same insults at each other in each chapter. Rinse, repeat. Even the language was repetitive: In one scene, the same character "mutters" four separate lines. Four! No offense, but use your thesaurus, Rishi!

If you simply need words to read to eat up time, this novel fits the bill. But beyond the main family being Muslim (diversity is all too rare in this genre), there isn't much novelty here. #punintended

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Instagram algorithm has been inexplicably cockatoo heavy recently, so I took that as a sign to read The Flightless Birds of New Hope by Farah Naz Rishi, and I’m so glad I did. This is sweet, sometimes funny, and it captures the love between siblings on different paths with complex dynamics. The plot is reminiscent of The Road to Tender Hearts’, and while I didn’t always agree with their choices, taking the characters’ perspectives made this an engaging listen with a lot of heart. I rooted for Sammy right away, while our other mains were more of a slow burn I grew to love. Shocking if you know me and my real life interest level in proximity to birds, but I do wish we got to hear more of Coco’s unique perspective. I think she could have deepened the reader’s understanding of the past without giving unnecessary voice to the toxic relationships the story largely avoided. Regardless, her cameos are fun and unexpected and I loved the audio narration. Definitely recommend, especially for a family road trip! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ALC.

[Beth SHULAM · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this grief-soaked family drama, Farah Naz Rishi follows three estranged siblings who reunite after loss—only for their fragile attempt at “family again” to hinge on something unexpectedly symbolic: a high-maintenance cockatoo that becomes the lightning rod for all the buried resentment they haven’t named. When Aden, overwhelmed and jealous of the attention the bird represents, makes an impulsive choice that sends it loose, the plot turns into a search mission that doubles as an emotional reckoning: the siblings moving through old wounds, half-said truths, and the question of whether they can come back to each other at all. For me, the premise had promise, but the pacing felt very slow, and the bird-search framework stretched thin enough that I struggled to stay connected to the story’s heart—I wish I had more positive to say, because the setup is unusual and tender in concept, but it didn’t keep me engaged. 

[Wondrously Bookish Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting the year off with a bang here!

Completely fell in love with the 3 siblings here, the road trip they go on and the internal journey they undertake. While this was dedinitely a cosy read for me, it has an underlying depth. For this very good reason it reminded me of Run for hills by Kevin Wilson, of The Road To Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett, or even of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I believe they are all books where you see how people react when all the worst happens but still they manage to overcome it by diving deep into their shared humanity and trusting their (found) family.
I listened to the audiobook ALC from Netgalley and I have to say, the cockatoo's voice was so sassy and made the experience utterly amazing. The narrator did a brilliant job here, so thank you.

Thank you Farah Naz Rishi and Netgalley.com for the ALC.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! A compelling read, so much to think about, I came to care for the characters and wanted to help, “if only you could have kept in touch with your sister after you left home, Aden” and such like, but youth has it’s own obsessive need to survive even if that means breaking free. Farah Naz Rishi’s characters reveal human flaws, hopes and fears, which makes this story all the more poignant. And a nice balance of humour, hilarity. Flightless Birds of new hope would be a good choice for a lively book club discussion, and I’m keeping it in mind for when my turn comes to choose the novel. (Oops, and I haven’t mentioned the amazing cockatoo Coco Chanel, such a unique storyline, also the satisfying ending. Lovely.)

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flightless Birds of New Hope follows a trio of siblings who first lose their parents and then their cockatoo, Coco. Farah Naz Rishi slowly builds their characters from flat unlikeable siblings to dynamic humans grappling with finding their way (emotionally, but also literally as they track Coco across America).

I would recommend The Flightless Birds of New Hope to fans of Little Miss Sunshine. It has the same dysfunctional-family-takes-a-cross- country-road-trip energy, but with more birds! and Reddit! and tech bros! The writing is very accessible and the storyline is relatable (even if your parents did not have a prize-winning-show-bird). Be prepared for a roller-coaster of emotions, but the payoff is worth it.

[Debbie Shoulders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirty-one-year-old Aden leaves his home in Chicago for New Hope, Pennsylvania, to bury his parents He returns to his younger sister, Aliza and younger brother, Sammy, whom he has not seen in ten years. The siblings are connected by the fourth member of the family Coco, a cockatoo. The animal was the focus of their parents' lives taking center stage over the siblings. Aden is bitter, wanting to rid himself of responsibilities. Unfortunately, Coco escapes and the three end up on a road trip trying to rescue the bird. At this point, they survive one problem after another, which of course ultimately brings them together. And that is the problem with the book, its predictability and use of ridiculous plot devices.

[Lisa Bono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5. There was too much drama in this book. It made me stressed out. And, the drama just dragged on. So much self-loathing and not enough healing. Also, I figured that it would have to be Aden that called to her halfway through the book, so it was annoying to have to wait for the realization from the characters. As I said, it took a while to get to the healing, and I'm not sure that I bought all of it. It seems like it should've been more incremental. I mean, it did build, but there was so much drudgery until that point. The characters were all annoying in their own ways. Okay, so what was good about this book? Oof, I'm having a hard time articulating that. There must've been enough that I finished it, but honestly, I can't put my finger on it.

[Gail Sowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An estranged son returns home for his parents’ funeral, which kicks off a series of events that results in him and his younger siblings, whom he has not seen in a decade, heading off in cross-country chase of the family’s pet cockatoo Coco. The characters grew on me the longer the book stretched on, and I could appreciate some of the charming choices the author made (having home be in “New Hope” and Aden’s ex-girlfriend entering the story). Still, the plot felt repetitive: almost catch the bird, miss, keep going west. And the conversations that should have been revelations of the underlying trauma that led to Aden’s leaving were underwhelming and unenlightening. In the end, I did not fully understand the parents or how they treated the kids or why Aden felt justified in leaving them.