The story follows a rescued baby starling who is taken in by a woman with a heavenly bird sanctuary in her backyard garden. The starling soon learns from some of the other birds that he might be "The Starling God," a bird destined to help other starlings be more like the humans they revere. And so begins his quest to unravel the deep and often fragmented religion within the bird kingdom that views humans as gods.
Talking birds might seem strange outside of an animated movie, but Tanya introduces readers to her world in such a way that it doesn't seem off-putting in the least. The language of birds is rich, and stems from Tanya's own extensive study of the actual behaviors of animals and their clicks within the animal kingdom. The resulting story is a fascinating peek into the human world from the perspective of birds. At times we appear godlike. Other times we appear very, very strange and confusing.
Tanya writes with a rare passion, an articulate commentator on the world we live in from the point-of-view of the animals that she very clearly loves. Her message is profound, and the ending to "The Starling God" might even bring you to tears.
I've been familiar with Tanya's picture books for many years—including Fairy Feast, Ninny Nu's Organic Farm, and Life is a Bowl of Cherry Pits—and I'm glad to see her branching out into novels. Tanya's voice is unique and brave. I'm looking forward to what she puts out next.
Connect with Tanya on her website, www.radianthen.com, or on Facebook here.
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