A really interesting story relating to the migrant workers in Cyprus, which I knew little about prior to reading this book. I have previously enjoyed Christy Lefteri and this didn't disappoint. The story was based around Nisha and we learn lots about her from the other characters. Although this book had an overall (for me) slow pace, it was enjoyable.

As I really enjoyed The Beekeeper of Aleppo, I was looking forward to this one and I was very happy to have been approved on NG.

When I started reading, I wasn’t sure about this one. I am being honest here, I got bored, and I was very close to DNF. I wasn’t interested on Yiannis or Petra’s POV, I found their storylines quite dull. I wasn’t interested in the songbirds poaching either. However, as I wanted to know what happened to Nisha, I kept going and halfway through it got better as more details were coming to light and I started seeing this book differently.

I really wanted to have Nisha’s POV. Even though I am not from the same country as this character, and I moved to another country willingly, I am also a foreigner in the country I call home and sometimes we are not treated the same way just for that reason. I also do the job she was doing, except for the housekeeping part. So, this hit me, and I really felt for her and for all her friends.

This book highlights how many domestic staff are treated by their employers in a country that is not their birth one and how, as women, we are in danger at any given time.

Apart from the initial boredom, I ended up enjoying it. My main mistake at the beginning was to compare it to The Beekeeper of Aleppo so if you pick up this one, go in without making any comparison.

An amazing story of fiction relating to the migrant workers in Cyprus.
Nisha, a Nanny and maid from Sri Lanka who is widowed and has left her daughter behind to earn enough money to send back to support her daughter. She has been working for Petra for 9 years, also widowed with a daughter.
Yiannis who is involved in the illegal capturing and killing of small birds and selling them to exclusive restaurants, lives upstairs to Petra and Nisha.
Nisha goes missing one night and the story follow the search for her by Petra and Yiannis. The story is told with warmth and passion and opens your eyes to the things that go on with the migrant worker industry and also the awful way these beautiful songbirds are killed.
I really enjoyed this book and the way it was written, its always good to learn something new from a book. The characterisation was great and you really felt like you knew them. I read on another review that this book would be brilliant for GCSE Literature and I totally agree.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Book UK for the ARC of this book

I have recently finished her first book and absolutely loved it and then I saw this one and I don’t think it could be matched but I take that back it can!
It was emotional in places but I loved it none the less. The setting in Cyprus was so beautiful that I felt like I was there.
Wonderful characters and an easy read.

After her bestseller The Beekeeper of Aleppo with its focus on the plight of refugees, Christy Lefteri turns with Songbirds to the subject matter of migrants, their sorrow and struggle and the role we others play in it. She sets out to oppose the wide-spread view that migrants, unlike refugees, choose to leave their homeland fleeing ‘only’ economic hardship and makes it clear from the outset that such people leave their homeland because they have no choice. This is the message she passionately wants to get across – and she does it, I feel, at the cost of losing a certain subtlety. There is not much left to find in-between the lines, something I personally enjoy whilst reading – hence only three stars.

However, Songbirds is a very good read: a well-paced story that plucks on your heart strings. The story is based on a recent tragedy in Cyprus, the disappearance of five migrant women and two children and deals with ‘the way in which systemic racism often exists unquestioned’ by the authorities and the people who employ the services of migrants.

Songbirds tells the heart-wrenching story of Nisha, who comes from Sri Lanka to Cyprus leaving behind her little girl Kumari in order to look after Aliki, Petra’s little girl. One day Nisha disappears. Her story is revealed by Petra and Yiannis, the former her employer, the latter the man with whom she had found love. Whilst the police take no interest in Nisha’s disappearance, it is Petra and Yiannis who try to work out what happened, both driven by different motivations. Petra does not seem to be able to function without the help of her maid and her daughter Alika is heart-broken. For Yiannis, Nisha’s disappearance left a big hole of a different kind, her presence, kindness and love has changed him and there was a chance for him to become the man he wanted and could be, living at her side.

As much as Songbirds is Nisha’s story, it is also the story of Petra and Yiannis. For both of them Nisha’s presence as well as her absence triggered changes that transformed their outlook on life. The more Petra learns about Nisha, the fonder she grows of her and she cannot help but feeling shame about her ignorant attitude towards her as her employee. For Yiannis, Nisha is the person who is guiding him back to the values that once mattered to him. This part of Yiannis’s story centres around his hunting of songbirds. Those trapped birds can be seen as a metaphor for the predicament that many migrants who enter our world endure: they hope that their hard work will eventually allow them to be free, but ‘they flap and they flap and they try to fly but the sky has caught them’.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Manilla Press/Bonnier Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely beautiful, Lefteri has done it again with another incredible novel.

Nisha travelled oceans to give her daughter a life by raising another mother's child. Her story goes unnoticed, until she goes missing. Petra, her employer, and Yiannis, her lover, set about finding Nisha but realise how little they know of her.

Songbirds is a powerful story of loss, love, the vulnerable finding their voice. Lefteri has a beautiful way of writing that's almost poetic. Everything is so beautifully described, I could feel the pain of the search for Nisha, and her pain of leaving her daughter.

Simply beautiful.

This was an absolutely beautiful story. It follows the story of Nisha who goes missing- after she migrated to try make a living for herself and her daughter who she had no choice but to leave behind. But sadly when the search begins for missing Nisha- the authorities do not care about missing migrant women (which is very apparent in the world we currently live in), which means it is down to Nisha’s loved ones to solve the mystery of her disappearance. Songbirds is a truly magnificent story, thank you to netgalley and Bonnier Books for this ARC.

The follow up to the Bee Keeper of Aleppo is both thoughtful and educating. Set in Cyprus, Nisha, a refugee, disappears and the police show no interest in searching for her. Through the memories of her lover, her friends and her employer we learn about her disappearance. It’s a journey of discovery which is emotional and breathtaking. It will stay with you after turning the last page.

'Songbirds' is set in 2010s Cyprus, in a neighbourhood where many middle class people have domestic servants from overseas. One such is Petra, a widow with a nine year old daughter, whose child has been practically brought up by their Sri Lankan servant Nisha. Meanwhile Nisha's own child lives with her grandmother back in Sri Lanka. Unknown to Petra, Nisha is in a relationship with the lodger, Iannis, a redundant banker who now makes a living from illegally poaching songbirds. When Nisha disappears, the police are not interested in looking for her, so Iannis and Petra start their own attempts to find her.

A missing person offers plenty of opportunity for good storytelling. This particular story was inspired by a real life case which shocked Cyrpus, when it came to light that a number of domestic workers had gone missing and the police had done little if anything to investigate. This led to wider discussions about how such women are treated in the island country, which spurred the author to spend time meeting and talking with women working as servants abroad. She explains this background in the short introduction.

For a story with such an emotive topic, it is impressively restrained emotionally. It would have been so easy to write something melodramatic, but Lefteri resists that. The result is a missing person story that is utterly believable and the restraint makes it all the more powerful. I desperately wanted Nisha to be found safely. It was also eye-opening for me reading about the lives of these domestic workers and afterwards I read more about the topic to understand the issue.

The characters are interesting and complex. Petra is emotionally unavailable and aloof, never having recovered from the tragic loss of her husband, but is not a particularly 'bad' person as such. Yet despite the years she has spent relying on Nisha and sharing her home with her, she clearly doesn't see Nisha as an equal or maybe even a person. Nisha seems to fall into the same category as a particularly useful domestic appliance. Whilst Petra doesn't abuse her, the long hours and lack of holidays that Nisha works could be considered exploitative and would be unlikely to be tolerated by a worker from western Europe.

The novel really makes you think about exploitation and how it can seem normal and acceptable in society - not just in this specific example of domestic workers in Cyprus, but in other settings. I think most of us in the economically wealthy parts of the world benefit from exploitation of others in some ways, even if we do not personally carry it out. The cheap clothes and goods we enjoy, for example. Whilst I felt shocked by the treatment of these women and how it seemed a normal part of life for the characters, maybe someone else would be shocked reading about things I consider to be acceptable. It made me remember that we all need to constantly re-evaluate what is 'OK' and not just carry on with things because it's how we've always done things.

'Songbirds' is a moving, haunting story that will stay with me. Cyprus is very well conjured up and the imagery around the poached birds is incredibly effective and creepy. There is something really unpleasant about it, and that's coming from a non-vegetarian. It worked far better than any amount of gory murder scene descriptions and will stick in my mind. Lefteri is a clever writer and has managed to write a timely novel about racism and exploitation that really does make you think deeply whilst also being a good read.

Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. By day she cares for Petra's daughter, Aliki; at night she mothers her own in Sri Lanka by the light of a phone. Nisha's lover is Yiannis, a poacher, who hunts the tiny songbirds as they migrate to Cyprus on their way to Africa each winter. He dreams of finding a new way of life, of marrying Nisha. When Nisha disappears, little Aliki insists she wouldn't simply run away; they must find her. As Petra learns to take care of Aliki herself, she comes to understand the woman she barely knew, and realises only she and Yiannis will bother to look for her. What they uncover will change them all.

Lefteri has really important stories to tell, stories that are firmly based in reality. I absolutely adored 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' and I was so disappointed with this read. It is always hard having to follow such a phenomenal success so I did feel for Lefteri but I really did not connect to this book and struggled to feel the pain and torment the characters go through. It pains me to say it but I really did not like this.

As I have said, Lefteri has based this on a true situation and it is an emotional and difficult situation. On paper I thought this would be a struggle to read but I found myself disconnected to the plot and not that interested in what was happening. I did want to finish the read so I knew what happened to Nisha but I was not gripped by the read and could have put it down.

A book such as thrives on its characters and getting the reader to feel everything they go through. Sadly, I did not connect to the characters, it was not that I did not care about what they were going through, I just did not connect with the emotions and I anticipated feeling a lot more as I read this.

'Songbirds' was a disappointing read for me and it pains me that I have to say that. The events portrayed are horrendous but the emotions did not carry over into this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for an advance copy.

After reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo I couldn't wait to see what else Christy Lefteri had in store for us with Songbirds.
I loved the premise of the storyline itself, I absolutely love educating myself more about circumstances that I am fortunate enough to have never lived through, the book sends a strong message about the life of a refugee and just how difficult it can be. I loved Nisha's character and what she represented and I was humbled by her story.
The imagery in this book was powerful, I also love reading books set in other countries so this really appealed to me.
Overall I did enjoy Songbirds, but The Beekeeper of Aleppo was a tough act to follow, for me this did not quite measure up, nevertheless I would recommend as it is a well presented and important story to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.

Christy Lefteri’s latest novel, Songbirds, is an absolutely stunning read. The prose is so eloquent – so expertly delivered – you can lose yourself in the story and the exquisite characters. I was transported into their world, walked their roads, felt the heat of the Cyprus sun and the growing concern for Nisha.

The novel explores the reality of economic migration and the prejudice associated with it. It is incredibly real and raw, following the fictional story of Nisha, a woman who had no choice but to leave her two-year-old daughter, to go work thousands of miles from home. It’s a common reality, women migrating to places where prospects and wages are better so they can provide more adequately for their families. By day they keep the homes and raise the children of their employer, and by night, they raise their own children via tablet or telephone.

Narrated by Nisha’s Cypriot lover, Yiannis and her employer, Petra, we learn Nisha’s story through their memories following her mysterious disappearance. We read of her loves and her losses and the deep sacrifice she chose to make, alongside the growing concern and eventual search for her. When Petra and Yiannis, discover the authorities care nothing for missing migrant women (another storyline taken from reality) Petra and Yiannis have no choice but to take matters into their own hands.

I loved everything about this book. It is a beautiful piece of art that is full of hope, even amidst its sadness. Yiannis and Petra, each go on their own journey of discovery and their stories knit together with Nisha’s beautifully, and with such wisdom. It captures, so perfectly, the love between a mother and child, and how that bond can be as fierce and strong between a carer and child too.

I particularly appreciated how Yiannis’ work as a poacher offered more commentary on the blatant disregard for life – each bird a beautiful soul that keeps singing in the face of adversity.

Songbirds is a captivating mystery, expertly told and full of wisdom, love and hope. I think it will stay with me always – both its insight and the way it spoke to my heart – and I highly recommend it.

I was attracted to this book following the success of the author's previous book 'The Beekeeper of Aleppo' and I am very pleased that I did as it is beautifully written. This book is amazing, part mystery and suspense and part reflection on human relationships and the lengths people go to in order to survive.

Nisha is a house maid living in Cyprus looking after Aliki for widowed Petra. Nisha has left behind her own young daughter, Kumari, back home in Sri Lanka. Nisha is missing.

As Petra investigates Nisha's disappearance she starts to reflect on her relationship with those around her, specifically the one with her daughter. The grief of losing her husband has marred her relationship with Aliki, losing Nisha means she finally sees this.

She also discovers Nisha had a boyfriend, Yannis. Through him she learns more about Nisha and the others in her village who have left behind friends and families in order to provide for them.

Yannis has his own story interwoven in this novel. He is an illegal poacher of birds, something he got into following the financial crash. This is a heartbreaking trade and the stories of his poaching trips made me feel quite emotional.

Another amazing book by a very talented author.

Set in Cyprus, Songbirds is the story of Petra- a working mother, and Nisha- the maid she employs to look after her child. Both women are widowed, both are mothers- but in most other respects they couldn’t be more different. Nisha is living overseas in order to provide a better future for her daughter, maintaining their close bond with frequent phone calls home. Petra, on the other hand, can sense the growing distance in her relationship with her own daughter, Aliki, despite living in the same house. She struggles to find a connection with Aliki and has been content to let Nisha play a large part in bringing up her child. But when Nisha goes missing and Petra becomes involved in her search, she begins to see the maid, and her own relationships, in a new light.
On the surface, this novel is based around the disappearance of Nisha, but in reality it looks at relationships and how events in our past shape the people we become.
The vivid description was an aspect of the book I really loved, as was the clever narration through the eyes of Petra and Yiannis, Nisha’s lover. This is a beautifully written story about love, sacrifice and equality.

Petra has been widowed while she is pregnant, knowing that she will need help after the birth of her baby so that she can go back to work she employs a maid.
Nisha is also a widow and she leaves her home in Sri Lanka to look for work and send money home to her mother who is looking after her young daughter.
Nisha had now been living as a maid and looking after Petra’s daughter for nine years but she suddenly disappears without a trace.
A slow moving story about the plight of women and the depths they will go to so that their family can survive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I write this review with tears still on my cheeks from finishing this beautiful novel. Songbirds felt vastly different to me than Lefteri’s first novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo but like Beekeeper it is a beautifully written tale so tiny in its cast of characters and so huge in the global scope of the story and so, so relevant and important.
As with Beekeeper Songbirds deals with human migration, this time economic migrants rather than displaced refugees and in her forward Lefteri quite rightly states that the distinction drawn between these two groups as if only ‘real’ refugees are worthy of their human rights and not being exploited. Anyone who makes the decision to leave their family, their homeland and everything they know simply in order to feed their family is a vulnerable person who is at risk of persecution and harm and this novel brings this home with a sledgehammer.
The lives of Petra and Nisha are at once so similar and so vastly different as are the worlds their daughters inhabit it is a shame that Petra never realised this until it is too late. Nisha’s mysterious disappearance while terrible is the catalyst for Petra to finally break out of her grief and mother the daughter that Nisha has been raising for her for the last 9 years. Watching this bond grow at the same time as Yiannis and Kumari begin the tentative beginnings of their own connection is a beautiful thing and evidence of the humanity and heart that Christy Lefteri brings to her novels. She understands people, of all ages of character, all nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds, the characters are utterly authentic and with the power to move the reader. This makes waiting for her next book so very exciting. This book needs to be a GCSE set text as all young people need to see the issue of human migration through these rich characters rather than tabloid newspaper sound bites that they read on social media.

This book follows Nisha, a hard working lady with a 2 year old and a grandmother to provide for, but despite working multiple jobs in Sri Lanka she still struggles financially. Her best option is to leave her family and travel to Cyrus to become a maid and send back her wages.
But after 9 years working in her new country, she disappears.
I enjoyed that this novel is told from the perspectives of Petra - the lady she works for and Yiannis - her lover but overall i found it flat.

I know you shouldn’t complete but...I was fully immersed and emotionally invested in the story of The beekeeper of Aleppo, I was really excited when I received this ARC but unfortunately I am disappointed with it. I struggled to connect with the characters, I found it really slow and I was tempted to DNF, The only reason I continued to the end is because I wanted to know what happened to Nisha but to be honest I don’t feel it was worth it. Of course it is sad that in real life women have to migrate and leave loved ones behind in order to provide for their families financially but I didn’t feel the sadness and sorrow whilst reading this.

⚠️ Animal poaching (which I absolutely hated) , Miscarriage ⚠️

Oh gosh I loved this book! Based on a true story following the life of a refugee who had travelled to work as a maid to send money back to her own family!

It was heartbreakingly beautiful with such poignant moments and literally had me turning every page!

I thought this authors first book was excellent but this has completely exceeded it!

Would have loved a happy ending... 😥😥

I eagerly awaited this book by Christy Lefteri following her novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo .
I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint.
The story is set in Cyprus and it focuses on a missing maid, Nisha. As a refugee in a foreign land, the police have little interest in a missing person's investigation.
Her partner , Yiannis and her employer, Petra launch their own investigations to find her. The story is told from their points of view and how it affects them.

A heart breaking tale based on the real life plight of refugees and their invisibility in a world that wants to exploit them.

A current read which will really make you question how you look at different people who cross your path.

#songbirds #christylefteri #plightofrefugees #challenging