I have always loved Farah Naz Rishi’s books and this could be my favorite. The Flightless Birds of New Hope is an utter winner. It’s emotional, nuanced, and moving all at once. Keep reading this book review of The Flightless Birds of New Hope for my full thoughts.
Summary
Upon the sudden deaths of their bird-obsessed parents, the three Shah siblings reunite.
Aliza has spent years holding their crumbling family together, caring for their younger brother, Sammy. And Aden, named executor of the estate, finds himself resentfully facing the one member of the family who always got their parents’ undivided love: their famous Bollywood-bopping cockatoo, Coco.
One reckless night, Aden opens Coco’s cage, letting her do what he did a decade ago—fly away from home.
In a panic, the siblings set off to recover her, armed with only Coco’s tracking chip and the fragile hope they might set things right. What they think will be a quick search and rescue becomes a two-week cross-country road trip, where old grudges resurface, relationships are tested, and long-buried dreams stir awake.
As Coco, meanwhile, forges her own path to the past, Aden, Aliza, and Sammy follow—not just the bird, but the possibility of something more: a way back to each other.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Flightless Birds of New Hope is full of family drama and tensions rising to the surface. We can think that in grief we will all come together, but too often the cracks which were always there begin to fracture. Aden’s story is moving as it explores parental love, family complexity and responsibility, and siblings. Using the bird as an avenue for exploring these relationships of preferences, duty, and care is a moving symbol. The Flightless Birds of New Hope navigates resentment, love, and memory all at once. When we lose people, what do we hold on to? Farah Naz Rishi beautifully moves through grief and loss with complexity, nuance, and love.
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Every day I couldn’t wait to continue reading. What is even more moving is how The Flightless Birds of New Hope explores when staying feels like suffocating. When we have no choice to leave all these things unsaid because remaining means drowning slowly. It’s an unfair responsibility to put on a kid and these co-dependent relationships and attachments. Just because we have become stronger out of necessity doesn’t mean we wanted to or should have had to. If you love profound stories about family and what it means to leave when you don’t have a choice, pick up The Flightless Birds of New Hope. Find The Flightless Birds of New Hope on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.