A very interesting and unique story.  If you are interested or drawn to this book, read it- but it was a bit slow for me.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An really interesting and sweet story. The writing is good. I liked the development of the characters who became much more likable over the course of the story.
At times, the characters were quite stereotypocal and classic prejudices were acted up for the sake of the story. I felt this gave an unauthentic sheen to the story as it reduced people down and failed to explore the complexity of the character and what led them to be a certain way. 
On the whole, a good book.

This novel follows an opera singer, Dawn, as her brother-in-law, Tariq, and his parrot move with her and her husband, due to a recent cancer diagnosis. This novel follows the relationship and friendship of Dawn and Tariq and how they bond over taking care of his parrot, Tulip. Additionally, Dawn gets tasked with teaching a whistling group called the Warblers, many of whom she befriends.

To be honest, there was so much going on in this novel that it is hard to eloquently explain a summary; however, I enjoyed the complexities. It was definitely different than other novels I have read, as it was mostly centered around a bird. It was fascinating to see the relationship between Dawn and Tulip develop throughout the novel the more time they ended up spending together. I also appreciated seeing the relationship between Dawn and Tariq grow - many stories bring up the effects that cancer has on immediate family members who have known the ill individual, but do not always bring up extended family who are not as close to the ill individual. I thought this was an interesting portrayal of that (similar to how Beth and William in the TV show This is Us end up becoming close).

Overall, I found this an entertaining and different read. The ending was eloquently put and I appreciated the way the author chose to end the novel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest review!

One of Bekhout's best novels, I've read. This is a first person POV with an true underdog story.  It's about caring for others, love and so much more.

Dawn was one of the most relatable characters I could possibly read right now during this crazy pandemic. Berkhout wrote her protagonist in a way that made each of her emotions SO relatable - her inner struggle, the community around her, the family and friends each adding just the right thing to her story to make this a fantastic read. 

Tulip the parrot is a total GEM, such a memorable character in the story, I don’t think I have EVER read a book with an animal written quite like him. 

Thank you NetGalley & ECW Press for a book with such an eye-catching cover, so I could be tempted to request it. I was honored to read this book with such strong human connections in exchange for my personal review. The incredible facts about birds, added so much to the story, to the overall theme of the book. 4.5 stars from me.

So much seemed to be right about WHY BIRDS SING by Nina Berkhout: terrific premise, interesting characters, and cultural divides that are daunting. However, the novel does not deliver on the fascinating question of how does a once-successful opera singer regain her voice both on-stage and in her real life when faced with a disastrous marriage, unrequited wonder, and the challenge of coming back after a horrific final performance. Instead, we are presented with the colorless slog through a closed-off, passive woman reacting in flat and ultimately predictable ways to both the horrors and wonders of the everyday world. I did not finish this book -- the only thing that kept me going was a bird, a blind man, and the possibility of a really fine writer pulling off a terrible story.  Possibly this solid writer might write something more dimensional; her craft is solid and the characters are vivid, but given this experience, I will not read it. I am sorry that it worked out this way -- and do not recommend this story.  I received an advance reader copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

Why Birds Sing is just a lovely life affirming novel that needs to be read especially when you feel everything is not going your way. It might just give you cause to reflex that all our journeys have unexpected twists and turns that may lead to a better place.

Dawn is an opera singer who has an embarrassing moment on stage that causes her to shut down and lose her faith in herself. Her and her husband are having issues and her mother in law who has very strict customs from her Indian heritage is stressing her out. Then her estranged brother in law comes to live with them while getting cancer treatment and has the nerve to bring his parrot Tulip with him!

To add to Dawn's stress she has been given the task to work with a group of quirky competitive whistlers The Warblers. A slight problem is she can't whistle. 

This novel is a quick read with distinct descriptive scenic prose. The characters are mostly likeably though we are seeing them through Dawn's eyes as this is her story. 

This book was a delight to read. Dawn is so relatable when she feels nothing is going right and yet feels selfish when she does not want to deal with the problems of others in her life. Through music, friendship, love and a very special parrot we not only learn why birds sing but why humans should always have a song in their hearts.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Learning how to appreciate the smaller things in life is something this book brings out. As most of us felt during quarantine, it’s important to slow down, look around, and enjoy the simple things and people around us. 


This book was heartwarming, joyful, happy, and sad all at once. Despite traumatic events, the main character kept going and it’s something I can personally relate to. It held my interest all the way through. I would recommend it to anyone!

This was a Beautiful story of life, on so many levels. Usually when a book has a tonne of characters I get confused and put off... Initially I did. But as I progressed, learning more about each of their vastly different lives and the cards they had been dealt, I invested in them all. It opened my eyes to the idea of perception of yourself and of others: that fight to stay as who you want to be or think you should be rather than seeing the great in an alternative. This story is ultimately about human connections, mixed with the power of music and essentially appreciating the beauty in nature. It is about going out of your comfort zone in order to grow because life is too short to hold back. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. I took my time with this, initially making me think it wasn't hooking me, but that was far from the case. I paced myself, slow was OK, because, as is in the story, it meant I took in the little details and learned from it.

This may not be a book for everyone, but as a bit of a deep thinker, and someone who often loses perspective and compares to others, I really enjoyed it. Slowing down and seeing your gifts in life is so, so important.

An opera singer who has “flamed out”, a suspect marriage, a brother-in-law with cancer and a remarkably interesting African Grey parrot that ties everything together made for a very enjoyable reading experience. Life can be so tricky – one day you are a sought-after Opera singer, the next day you are lucky to be teaching whistling. One day it is your fifth wedding anniversary the next day you are being assaulted by your brother-in-law’s Congo African Grey Parrot.  You just never know what the next day is going to bring but Dawn is about to find out and I went along for the ride.

Nina Berkhout has given each of her characters a distinctive voice which range from aggravating to laugh out loud funny. Her descriptions of the narrator’s operatic disasters are so cringe worthy that you cannot help but pity poor Dawn Woodward in the most positive way. She has drawn equally strong characterizations of the major and minor characters and it just all works so well. Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for a copy.

Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout is a novel centered around the life of an opera singer, Dawn, and her relationship with her husband's family as she struggles with a public career failure. Dawn wants nothing more but to have some space after this obstacle, but her husband throws a wrench on that plan when he invites his bother, Tariq, to live with them as he is treated for cancer. In addition, Dawn struggles with her relationship with Tariq's mother who expects Dawn to act in ways different from Dawn's way of life. Despite the stress as a caregiver, Dawn becomes closer with Tariq through a whistling club. There is loss, growth, and such much more in this book and the author provided a peek into some interesting hobbies which was delightful. It was a little slow, but overall a sweet read I can recommend!

Many thanks to the publisher ECW Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Although parts of the writing in this book is beautiful, other parts are a bit "methodical" for me, ie, she went up to bed, and on the way did this, then this, then that. I had a really hard time getting into this book. It just was not for me.

I loved this! I started reading on a Friday and finished on Monday because I couldn't put it down. It is unreservedly one of the best books I've read recently. Focussing on an opera singer who is having career problems, it brings together a band of misfits, who help each other see what they need. It reminded me of Bennett Sawyer's The Hard Truth About Sunshine, but was less contrived. Nina Berkout handles her material well, never mawkish or overdone, but moving and touching.. I don't know a lot about opera, and that didn't detract from the book. And now I knit more than I ever thought I would about domesticated parrots. All in all, a thoughtful, at times sad, sometimes uplifting and overall very satisfying book..

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

Sincere and full of heart, characters that are goofy but will charm your pants off,. It's also a love story full of beauty and speaks to the power of a strong community. This book will not allow you to stop until it's done but it will stick with you well after you finish reading

Why Birds Sing was a very surprising book. I had never heard of it from before and I was drawn by the cover and description.

This book is written in first-person-POV from the perspective of our main character, Dawn, who is an opera singer and also married to a man of Indian ethnicity. The character of Dawn is not something you come across often. The fact that she is an underdog in the music industry and also wrapped up in a culture she is not familiar with was truly well-written.

Dawn finds herself struggling with her mother-in-law, Mina, who has so many different expectations for her and her son. And I found Dawn's character responses to be very realistic. She was never disrespectful, but deep inside, she was struggling with it all.

To top all of this off, Dawn has to accept that her husband's brother, Tariq, will be staying with them because he is fighting an illness. Tariq is quite a character. He is an affectionate, romantic soul and pets a parrot, Tulip. I think this was my favorite part of the story. Seeing Dawn get attached to Tariq, Tulip (the parrot) was such a beautiful addition to what family, companionship, destiny, situations, and other things mean.

The novel beautifully interweaves different aspects of Dawn's life: her life and responsibilities in the music world, her caretaking skills with Tariq, her respect towards her mother-in-law, and eventually the feelings of loss due to different things she cannot control.

This book was unlike anything I've ever read. It was realistic, heartwarming, and very different. The sense of urgency during the whole book was masterfully depicted.

I definitely think everyone should read this. There's something for everyone.

"There would be no finale or requiem. We were here to find our music."

I honestly did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was so quirky and fun and I found myself wanting to be a friend for Dawn throughout the story.

I have no idea if whistling classes are a real thing, but if they are I want to take one. Especially if the group calls themselves the Warblers.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why Birds Sing is an emotional novel with a cast of interesting characters that will move you more than you thought possible. I enjoyed learning more about a form of music that I’m not familiar with (both opera and whistling), as well as the world of bird and their idiosyncratic ways. Overall, the pacing was a little slow for me and I had a harder time connecting with the characters. The writing was fantastic, though, and I was moved in places throughout the work. Thank you to netgalley for the eARC!

Trigger warning: cancer, death, illness.

I didn't expect to love this book, but I went in with enthusiasm and an open mind, and boy I'm so glad I did. This book is charming, with characters you genuinely root for and grow to love. It was a joy to read about their growing relationships, and the development that occurs over the months our main character spends teaching them. 

I loved the music aspect of this book. I'll admit, I hadn't heard of professional whistling before reading, but having googled and watched clips of it, I can see why the Warblers were so enthralled! With the addition of the opera elements, it is a dream to read for anyone who enjoys the performing arts or who partakes in the performing arts.

Berkhout has a writing style that is a joy to read. The descriptions are lovely, but not too complex as to make it difficult to follow along. The book was fast paced, and I found myself flying through the first 100 pages without realising how quickly the time went. Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this charming novel, and would happily pick up another book by this author.

✨Book Review✨
Nina Berkhout's inspiring novel, Why Birds Sing, is a remarkable story about learning to appreciate the little things in life.
💜
Dawn is a disgraced opera singer, wallowing in her misfortunes and current inability to sing. When she discovers that her brother-in-law, whom she barely knows, and his moody African Grey Parrot, will be moving into their home due to illness, she hates that her routine is about to be disturbed. To make matters worse, she's being asked to teach a class on whistling, an activity that she deems to be a complete waste of time. However, Dawn has a lot to learn about music, and people, if she is ever going to find true happiness.
💚
I would like to start by saying that I absolutely loved this story. I love birds and the songs they sing, so the many links and parralels made between birds and people warmed my heart. Throughout the entire novel, I could imagine the most beautiful bird sounds in the background, especially during the many descriptive scenes involving birds.
💙
At one point in the novel, the characters find themselves in Quebec, along the St. Lawrence River. These chapters are so beautifully written. I greatly enjoyed the descriptions of scenery and wildlife. Clearly, Berkhout has a soft spot in her heart for Tadoussac.
💛
I really can't think of a single thing that I didn't love about this novel. It is one of my favourite reads of 2020. Thank you @net and @ecwpress for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dawn doesn’t need complications in her life.  She’s busy brooding day after day over her flamed-out opera singing career, spending hours each day streaming her last, humiliating performance.  It wasn’t what she expected for herself, but she’s on hiatus now while her voice heals, and at least now she and her husband of five years, Ash, have time to start the family they’ve always wanted.  So the last thing she needs is her brother-in-law, Tariq, whom she barely knows, moving in with them.  Nor does she want to tutor a bunch of quirky, amateur whistlers in need of a coach.  

Tariq, who didn’t even attend their wedding, nor did he stay long at Ash and Tariq’s father’s funeral, shows up the very next day, with African Grey Parrot, Tulip, in tow.  And Dawn, who storms down to her agent’s office after meeting with the whistling group, finds out that her contract with the opera company requires her to work or she doesn’t get paid.  So, Dawn trudges back to meet with the amateur siffleurs (whistlers), angry and short-tempered in her dealings with them.  And, she gets roped into taking Tariq to his chemotherapy appointments, as her husband can’t cancel his twice daily stops at his aging mother’s house, both breakfast and dinner, for a visit. 
hat Tariq wished, without ever actually voicing his preference.

The novel is one of pain and loss, struggle and redemption, and finding that new path in life, as the one we thought we were on doesn’t always lead us where we thought.

#NinaBerkhout
#WhyBirdsSing
#NetGalley