I've finished my first book in my monthly book review series!

Singing Bird by Roisin McAuley (2004, fiction) was a surprising, interesting, devastating and inspirational tale about adoption. Set in Ireland with stops in England and France, it's a look into other countries and their adoption laws (and faults) that we, as Americans, don't often get or even consider.

The book is set from the adoptive mother's point of view. While I previously mentioned that I was going to read books from the birth parent point of view, this book has enough involvement from four different birth mothers, all seeking their children, to make it a true triad book and not one side versus the other.

Lena Molloy, the main character and adoptive mother, starts searching for her grown daughter's birth parents as a gift to her after a phone call from the nun that arranged the adoption gets her thinking. Mary, the daughter and adoptee, has shown indifference in her search. Mary is also a very busy, up-and-coming opera star who doesn't want to take the time to start a search. However, Lena, also being an adoptee, doesn't want her daughter to search too late, as she did, so she sets out on a holiday in Ireland to search for answers.

As you can imagine, she hits some brick walls. After the nun all but slams the door in her face she lucks out in finding a group that hopes to reunite birth parents and adoptees. Through their resources, she tracks down various mothers that were in the home where Mary was born around the approximate date of birth. Dead end after dead end, Lena gets overwhelmed and over tired. Friends, new and old, try to dissuade her from continuing her search but with each dead end, she finds another clue that she follows.

The author does a good job at keeping you guessing with regard to the birth parents' real identities. On page 121, I thought one person was the birth mother. I dropped that idea by page 126, thinking that someone else was the birth father. In the end, it is a true jaw-dropper. That said, it's also a highly unrealistic end to a search but an interesting one all the same. The findings throw the family into splintered messes.

So is there a happy ending? Yes-ish.

While Lena meant to just seek out her daughter's biological parents and present the information to Mary as a gift, the news comes in a less than perfect manner. Is Mary upset with her Mom for searching without her explicit permission? Is she disappointed in finding out who her first parents were? And where does Jack, Lena's husband and Mary's adoptive dad, fit into all of this?

I can't tell you all of that without ruining the twist in the plot and the end of the book. While I would have liked more information, more finality, there is resolution on the very last page of the book.

While this book is not from the birth parent point of view, we come in contact with so many birth mothers during Lena's search that you can't help but feel that their story is well represented. Beyond that, it was heart-warming and moving to see an adoptive parent take such a vested interest in seeking out her daughter's biological parents. It breaks through some of the myths that all adoptive parents want nothing to do with the other side of the coin. It does bring to light some feelings of jealousy in reunion though they don't get a long time in the spotlight due to the plot twist. Add in the beautiful descriptions of Ireland, some funny and interesting side stories and a scandal and you have a book that is worth a read.

I think all sides of the triad would find this book interesting.

(Note: I've linked to the paperback version on Amazon because the hardback is no longer available, hence the difference in pictures. I borrowed the hardback from our library!)

Any suggestions for February's reading? Leave them here!