Bird Girl: A Novel

by Duston Spear

Rebekah Hunnicutt, a reclusive painter now living in Western Massachusetts is unexpectedly thrust into the art-world spotlight when a popular podcast identifies her as the young woman behind a decades-old art-world incident. In the 1970s, at the height of the Soho art scene, she was entangled with an ambitious artist who used her four-foot-long braid as material for his work.

The podcast's retelling of that episode turns her into a reluctant cause célébre, drawing curious visitors to the once-secret studio where she has quietly reworked the same seven canvases for forty years. Now she must decide whether to remain in the shadows or finally re-enter the New York art world, armed with the artwork that has consumed her life.

What unfolds lays bare the artistic power dynamics that shaped her youth and the ways a woman's image can be celebrated as muse only to be erased as an artist. Rebekah's journey between past and present illuminates the long personal consequences of that youthful artistic transaction and the cost of a single act of creation that wasn't entirely her own.

Bird Girl is a clear-eyed exploration of female visibility and erasure and the reclamation of a silenced voice through art.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2026

Reviews

[Kate Martineau]

A fascinating braiding together of different times to create a powerful story. Rebekah is a relatable, interesting character. The book is full of vivid descriptions of places and art works to the point that it almost feels illustrated. It is clear that Spear is a visual artist. She knows the art world from personal experience. She can make the reader see all the layers that build up to create a painting, and also a person as we age and accumulate life experiences. This book is a celebration of female creativity on so many levels!

[Leanne]

Bird Girl is one of those rare novels that feels both delicate and quietly devastating—a story that moves with a painter’s patience, layering emotion, memory, and artistic truth until the final image becomes impossible to look away from. What I loved most is how deeply it understands the tension between visibility and erasure, especially for women whose creativity has been overshadowed, appropriated, or rewritten by others.

Rebekah is such a compelling presence. There’s a stillness to her life in Western Massachusetts that feels earned, almost sacred, and watching that solitude get disrupted by sudden public attention is strangely gripping. The book captures the discomfort of being seen after decades of choosing not to be—not with melodrama, but with a kind of clear‑eyed honesty that makes her internal conflict feel beautifully real.

The art‑world elements are handled with a sharp, knowing touch. The novel doesn’t sensationalise the power dynamics she endured; it simply reveals them, quietly and precisely, in a way that makes their impact unmistakable. I loved how the story interrogates the idea of the “muse”—how easily a woman’s body, image, or presence can be celebrated while her actual artistry is pushed to the margins. Rebekah’s long, private devotion to her seven canvases becomes a kind of rebellion, a reclamation of the narrative that was taken from her.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about the way the book treats time. The past isn’t a flashback device—it’s a weight, a shadow, a question she’s finally ready to answer. And the present offers her a choice that feels both terrifying and liberating: remain hidden, or step back into the world with work that is entirely, fiercely her own.

Elegant, thoughtful, and quietly powerful, Bird Girl is a meditation on art, autonomy, and the long echo of a single moment that wasn’t hers to control. It’s the kind of novel that lingers—softly, insistently—long after you close the final page.

With thanks to Duston Spear, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

[Marilee Dahlman]

Fly into the 1970s art world in beautifully-written Bird Girl. Rebekah grew up in rural Virginia and now struggles to make it as an artist in New York City. Deep among the seedy lofts of Soho, she falls under the spell of competing artist Prospero Brown. He’s aggressive and charismatic. Turns out, he’s dangerous, too. This novel immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, and smells of Soho and dealing with the three Cs—collectors, curators and critics. Will Rebekah’s own creative obsessions take flight, despite Prospero’s transgressions against her? Bird Girl is full of evocative imagery with themes of identity, community and power. This novel is art—read it!

[Fi Shep]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was an interesting read for the niche history (I am no expert, nor have knowledge of this community at that time) of the arts community in Manhattan in the late 1960s. It’s tough though in parts (there’s many references to SA&R). I did finish but overall didn’t enjoy the characters and the story felt quite haphazard for me and didn’t make this something I’d recommend to others.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and have voluntarily provided my honest review :)

[Readersaurus]

There's a lot to like here - richly descriptive language, the world of artists (and collectors), dreamy stories of the past from Rebekah's grandmother, and uncomfortable relationships. I feel very lucky to be reading it while the companion art is hanging in the gallery in my workplace.

For me, the sweetness was in capturing the moods and places that I remember so well - the lofts and coffee places of lower Manhattan, the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts and, as those in the know will understand, the surge of joy and wistfulness every time Hampshire College is mentioned.

[Gary Gerlacher]

Bird Girl is equal parts a detailed look at the 1970’s SoHo art world, and a woman reclaiming her identity from an exploitative relationship. Rebekah is a young painter who seeks to leave the shadow of Prospero Brown to regain her own identity as a woman and a painter. Spear’s detailed descriptions of 1970’s SoHo and the art world in general add a layer of authenticity to the story. If you are looking for a story of growth and determination in the face of challenging odds, grab a copy today.

[Doug Yonce]

Definitely a niche book! The content was interesting and the story was well told. It was a subject matter in which I am totally a novice, everything I read was new and (mostly) interesting. The characters worked and the story was educational. I received an advance copy of this book from NegGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Kim]

While this was a very interesting read it did make me feel like it could have used more editing. The story itself is captivating really, but sometimes it got lost in what felt like a wall of text. Some praise for the writing itself though, the reader really does feel transported to this time and place in the art world. Lots of good imagery. Enjoyed the ending.

[Nancy Fagan]

Duston Spear's debut, Bird Girl, brings the reader directly to the gritty world of Soho's art colony in the 1970's. Only someone who has been there could capture the particulars with such clarity. The writing is filled with sensorial details that delight and Spear does not hold back. The vivid colors and acrid odors translate through the page along with scenes that bring the peculiarities of each character to life.

Rebekah Hunnicutt's vulnerability shines through her experiences as an artist, a partner, and a mother. The timeline shifts are particularly impactful as the story is mirrored in a podcast. Beneath it all is the sexist vibe that existed in the '70's and how the thread continues. Read this book for its burst of color, the intricate prose, and the twists that surprise and entertain, and follow Rebekah's journey to finding her true self. Thank you Black Rose Writing, the author, and Netgalley for making this ARC available.