Listen to a sample
Paint the Bird
- Author
- Georgeann Packard
- Narrator
- Robin Miles, Kirby Heyborne
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 15 July 2013
- Run Time
- 7 hours 33 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
The Reverend Sarah Obadias is broken, bitter, and stripped of the reassurance of faith when she walks into a West Village restaurant in Manhattan. Here she encounters Abraham Darby, a rumpled but well-regarded painter who seduces the minister into his life of excess and emotional intensity. "I've run away from my life," Sarah tells him. "I know," Darby replies. "Take mine." But for Sarah, each day with the artist will bring a new reality—or lack of it.
Dancing through the novel is the mystical Yago, the gay son of Darby and the Costa Rican painter Alejandra Morales Díaz. But Alejandra's appearance further discomposes Sarah, and Yago provides no calm or clarity when she encounters him: "Somehow he has transported her to an unfamiliar state of mindless eroticism. Finally she draws closer to Yago, intending to caress him in some horrible mix of mothering and lust."
Bloodlines become squiggled and unreliable as the novel explores the ever-changing relationship between fathers and sons and what constitutes a family. Throughout, one question lingers: What really did happen when a small boy was swallowed by the sea?
Laced with humor and a linguistic vibrancy, this tale of converging fates becomes a contemplation of faith, faithfulness, and the sticky, often unpleasant and frightening nature of spiritual and emotional growth.
Critics Review
-
“Beginning to end, the novel is a deeply poetic meditation ‘about life, about trust. About God. About death’ Brilliantly imagined and rendered.”
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
-
“The story reads like a prose poem—emotional significance comes across in the sparsely told daily machinations of the lives of a few intentionally but tenuously connected New Yorkers…Packard weaves a dreamy yet well-paced narrative with richly developed characters who gradually come to discover that life is always going on—whether they’re watching or not.”
Publishers Weekly
-
“Highlighting a unique intersection of the gay, artistic, and religious communities, Packard challenges readers to look closely at their beliefs about death, sexuality, and the constructs of family. Rich descriptions of art and overt sensuality lend beauty to this provocative story of loss and hope.”
Booklist
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Georgeann Packard
- Narrator
- Robin Miles, Kirby Heyborne
- Duration
- 7 hours 33 minutes
- Release Date
- 15 July 2013
- ISBN
- 9781481594165
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Fiction: general and literary, Fiction: general and literary, Religious and spiritual fiction, Religious and spiritual fiction
Synopsis
The Reverend Sarah Obadias is broken, bitter, and stripped of the reassurance of faith when she walks into a West Village restaurant in Manhattan. Here she encounters Abraham Darby, a rumpled but well-regarded painter who seduces the minister into his life of excess and emotional intensity. "I've run away from my life," Sarah tells him. "I know," Darby replies. "Take mine." But for Sarah, each day with the artist will bring a new reality—or lack of it.Dancing through the novel is the mystical Yago, the gay son of Darby and the Costa Rican painter Alejandra Morales D├¡az. But Alejandra's appearance further discomposes Sarah, and Yago provides no calm or clarity when she encounters him: "Somehow he has transported her to an unfamiliar state of mindless eroticism. Finally she draws closer to Yago, intending to caress him in some horrible mix of mothering and lust."Bloodlines become squiggled and unreliable as the novel explores the ever-changing relationship between fathers and sons and what constitutes a family. Throughout, one question lingers: What really did happen when a small boy was swallowed by the sea?Laced with humor and a linguistic vibrancy, this tale of converging fates becomes a contemplation of faith, faithfulness, and the sticky, often unpleasant and frightening nature of spiritual and emotional growth.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.