Birdie & Jude by Phyllis H. Moore
Published: 20th March 2018
Pages: 338
Available on Kindle
Order now from Amazon
Rating: 4/5
Blurb
A moving novel of loss, regret, denial, and
discovery on Galveston Island, from the author of Opal’s Story and The
Ember Months.
Birdie has lived to regret many of her decisions, but she doesn’t regret
offering a stranger, Jude, shelter from an approaching hurricane. Their
serendipitous meeting will form a bond that will change their lives forever.
In a character driven story with memories of the protests and inequality
plaguing the 1960's, Birdie’s reached middle age and questions her life. Jude
is striking out on her own, but has been derailed by a fatal accident claiming
her only friend. Although their backgrounds and lives are vastly different,
they recognize something in the other that forges a friendship.
As their relationship solidifies, they share glimpses of their pasts.
Birdie is a product of the '60's, an aging hippie, with a series of
resentments. She had a sheltered childhood in an upper class family. Her
parents longed to see her make the Texas Dip at the Mardi Gras ball. Jude,
however, entered foster care as an infant. Her parents, victims of a
murder/suicide, left her and her siblings orphaned and separated.
There is something about their connection that strikes Birdie as
familiar. Can souls know each other in different lives? Birdie struggles with
the awareness that she has had regrets and hasn't lived an authentic life,
while Jude faces an uncomfortable truth about her own. It has all the feels.
Review
When Birdie finds Jude laid on the beach covered in dried
blood and suffering from recent injuries Birdie is drawn to her and invites her
back to her house to clean herself up and shelter from the impending storm.
Birdie and Jude couldn’t be more different but quickly form a strong bond,
almost as if they’d known each other before.
Birdie an aging hippy has led a sheltered life after
refusing to follow her parents wishes of becoming a debutante. Battling her sexuality,
she’s still mourning the lost of her closest friend Henry. Now she is reaching
her later years she’s realised she’s wasted a lot of her life and is determined
to change things. Jude is in her twenties and after a fatal accident leaves
best friend Casey dead her plans for a trip to Europe. After spending most of
her life moving between foster homes Jude’s never really felt like anywhere was
home until she stays with Birdie, here she finally begins to feel settled.
It took me a while to get into this novel as its very
character driven and initially, I found Birdie a little eccentric, but I liked
how she took Jude under her wing and helped her feel safe. Ms. Moore has done a
great job a creating to very detailed female characters who are very real,
something which she should be very proud as so often characters can be a little
two dimensional, not Birdie and Jude they show us many differing character
aspects.
I did enjoy this novel of friendship and enduring spirits
but in places it did drag a little in the middle. There were a couple of places
where I wasn’t sure if Birdie was referring to the present day or memories from
the past which did confuse me. Birdie and Jude is a wonderful character driven
novel which explores relationships and society and the idea that spirits can
revisit us in different forms. If you want to really get to know your characters,
then I can highly recommend this novel.
Thank you to the author and Rachel’s random resources for
sending me a copy to review and inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Phyllis H.
Moore wants to live life experiences more than once: doing it, writing about
it, and reading about it. The atmosphere of the south draws her in and repels
her. The characters are rich with dysfunction and redemption, real. She’s had
two careers and two retirements. Both careers gave her inspiration for her
novels: The Sabine Series, Sabine,
Billy’s Story, Josephine’s Journals and Secrets of Dunn House, Opal’s Story, Tangled, a Southern Gothic Yarn, and The Bright Shawl, Colors of Tender Whispers, The Ember Months, Birdie & Jude, and an
anthology of spooky short stories inspired by real places and events, The Bridge on Jackson Road. In 2018
she also released a new genre for her, A Dickens
of a Crime, a Meg Miller Cozy Mystery. She has authored one nonfiction book,
Retirement, Now What? Phyllis
has been published by Caffeinated Press in the anthology, Brewed
Awakenings 2, Fifteen Tales to Jolt Your Mind Awake. She
blogs on her web site http://www.phyllishmoore.com. Follow
her on Pinterest and Facebook.
Phyllis is
a retired social worker and former owner/operator of a small bed and breakfast.
She’s lived in the rural areas and cities of south Texas. She currently lives
on Galveston Island with her husband, Richard.
Social
Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/phyllishmooreAuthor/
Purchase Links
