The Birdcatcher - BookWyrm

Hardcover, 207 pages

Published March 6, 2022 by Beacon Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-8070-2994-7
OCLC Number:: 1289918818

(1 review)

Set primarily on the island of Ibiza, the story is narrated by the writer Amanda Wordlaw, whose closest friend, a gifted sculptor named Catherine Shuger, is repeatedly institutionalized for trying to kill a husband who never leaves her. The three form a quirky triangle on the white-washed island.

A study in Black women’s creative expression, and the intensity of their relationships, this work from Jones shows off her range and insight into the vicissitudes of all human nature—rewarding longtime fans and bringing her talent to a new generation of readers.

1 edition

Aaron reviewed The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones

Shifting look at relationships

4 stars

I picked this up after seeing reviews of the work, but this is my first experience with the author. The book is written mostly (as far as I can tell) from the perspective of a writer who befriends an artist and her husband. The book charts their relationship, and is full of unstable identities (people known by multiple names), as well as shifts in time. The book consists of a series of very short chapters, contributing to the sense of instability. The narrator's voice is bracing and direct. I came away from the book pondering why people remain in relationships and what we take from or give to each other.