A Catalog of Birds, Laura Harrington
A Catalog of Birds, Laura Harrington
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A Catalog of Birds

Author: Laura Harrington

Narrator: Josh Bloomberg

Unabridged: 8 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/21/2017

Synopsis

Billy Flynn always wanted to fly. An attractive young man, a patriot, he is also an artist with pencil and paint and has an abiding affinity for nature. It’s 1970, and he cannot resist the call to serve in Vietnam. A year later he is the only survivor when his helicopter is shot down.A wounded Billy returns home to his family in upstate New York, especially to Nell, his adoring younger sister. In his absence, the woman he loves has mysteriously disappeared. His wounds have crippled his ability to even hold a pencil, and his hearing loss has cut him off from the natural world. Nell, a brilliant student headed for a career in science, will do all that’s possible to save him.A Catalog of Birds is the story of a family and a community confronted with a loss of innocence and wounds that may never heal. The legacy of war and its destruction of nature is seared onto the memories of a small American town. Laura Harrington has written a tale of forgiveness, of ourselves and those we love. Illuminated by heartbreak and promise, the novel is alive with spirit, wonder, and hope for the future.

About Laura Harrington

Laura Harrington is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and librettist. She teaches playwriting at MIT and lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

About Josh Bloomberg

Josh Bloomberg, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a trained professional actor with extensive audiobook experience as a director and narrator. Having worked with some of the biggest publishers in the audiobook industry, he is used to performing at high standards. He speaks English, French, and Hebrew fluently and is a member of the Audio Publishers Association. He also records his voice for commercial spots and other types of voice-over. In his spare time, he loves making homemade almond milk.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jill

I came of age in the shadow of the Vietnam War. It has taken years — decades — for this country to come to terms with how this unauthorized war destroyed the promising lives of young men who fought in it. And still, we persist in the folly of sacrificing our youth. Laura Harrington, in poetic and lyr......more

Goodreads review by Liza

If you've missed adding this to your TBR list, please check out this novel. It's on my top reads list for 2017! Second read: Wow. This novel!!! I fell in love with the characters and, oh my goodness, I'm warning you now they're unforgettable. Billy Flynn and his sister Nell, their parents, siblings, a......more

Goodreads review by Claire

A Catalog of Birds centres around a small 1970’s community in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, an area known for its series of long, thin, deep glacial lakes, it’s high gorges and dramatic waterfalls (and today its wineries). Despite its natural beauty, this community is affected, as every......more

Goodreads review by Lynne

This is a magnificent second novel to follow and expand the themes first explored in Laura Harrington's brilliant debut, ALICE BLISS. Read A CATALOG OF BIRDS to become a member of the big Irish-Catholic family struggling with the overwhelming impact of the war in Vietnam on their badly-injured retur......more

Goodreads review by Rachel

In prose as riveting as it is sensitive, Harrington brings the natural world and the human one into focus. This story is unforgettable. Highly, highly recommend!......more

Quotes

“Echoes of war haunt this audiobook. One character after another is altered by the aftershocks of the Vietnam War, and narrator Josh Bloomberg tries mightily to capture all their voices and sorrows….The prose and the performance blend seamlessly.” AudioFile

“Harrington’s prose is fierce and tender both, and the story so powerful. Taut and true, A Catalog of Birds is a beautiful book about family, loss, and love. Its memorable characters will haunt you long after you put it down.” Claire Messud, New York Times bestselling author

“At once, the novel becomes a searing war story and a page-turning thriller.” Washington Post

“A Catalog of Birds questions what it means to be an American, and offers what can be salvaged, or hoped, for a future.” Consequence Magazine

“Stunning natural descriptions provide a rich backdrop for Harrington’s beautifully articulated coming-of-age story, which captures the pain of loved ones grappling with the after effects of war.” Booklist (starred review)

“Her prose sings, sweeping through heavy topics with a quiet sense of resilience and buoyant hope.” Publishers Weekly

“A sensitive rendering of shattered lives.” Kirkus Reviews

“This book is not just a story of one veteran of a war that’s long ago and far away. This war came home, to lurk in the shadows of our culture, dormant as a movie monster…As a writer, Laura Harrington’s instinct is to go directly to the broken places, the critical times, the glaring problems, the fraught relationships, and then to shine a light on them that is fresh and illuminating, and makes you glad you gave yourself over to her book.” HeadButler.com

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