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Birds Are Liars
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
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December 20, 2025
You may find yourself reading Birds Are Liars more slowly than you read other books. This is not because it is a difficult read (it is not) but because the precision of McBride's sentences forces the reader to consider every carefully-chosen word.
The twenty thought-provoking stories in this slim volume exist at the boundaries and the places they are crossed, whether they be physical borders, the natural world invading the urban, or the line between the present and the past. Ecological disaster looms large but these are deeply personal stories, the impact of climate change presented through the characters who find themselves affected physically and mentally by it. Not all the stories come from a human perspective (fans of Italo Calvino will not be surprised to find him referenced) while others are told via police reports or counselling session transcripts. McBride is not afraid of ambiguity and of putting the reader into the heart of a story without spoon-feeding explanations, but skilfully ensures that the reader never feels lost.
Birds Are Liars is an accomplished debut by a writer who has instantly found her voice.
The twenty thought-provoking stories in this slim volume exist at the boundaries and the places they are crossed, whether they be physical borders, the natural world invading the urban, or the line between the present and the past. Ecological disaster looms large but these are deeply personal stories, the impact of climate change presented through the characters who find themselves affected physically and mentally by it. Not all the stories come from a human perspective (fans of Italo Calvino will not be surprised to find him referenced) while others are told via police reports or counselling session transcripts. McBride is not afraid of ambiguity and of putting the reader into the heart of a story without spoon-feeding explanations, but skilfully ensures that the reader never feels lost.
Birds Are Liars is an accomplished debut by a writer who has instantly found her voice.
Displaying 1 of 1 review