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All The Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow - 4* - My Review

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.