Birds of Paradise: A NovelA multilayered, beautifully textured novel about family and self, self-indulgence and generosity, against the vivid backdrop of contemporary Miami. In the tropical paradise that is Miami, Avis and Brian Muir are still haunted by the disappearance of their ineffably beautiful daughter, Felice, who ran away when she was thirteen. Now, after five years of modeling tattoos, skateboarding, clubbing, and sleeping in a squat house or on the beach, Felice is about to turn eighteen. Her family—Avis, an exquisitely talented pastry chef; Brian, a corporate real estate attorney; and her brother, Stanley, the proprietor of Freshly Grown, a trendy food market—will each be forced to confront their anguish, loss, and sense of betrayal. Meanwhile, Felice must reckon with the guilty secret that drove her away, and must face her fear of losing her family and her sense of self forever.This multilayered novel about a family that comes apart at the seams—and finds its way together again—is totally involving and deeply satisfying, a glorious feast of a book. |
Contents
Section 1 | 11 |
Section 2 | 36 |
Section 3 | 65 |
Section 4 | 80 |
Section 5 | 97 |
Section 6 | 125 |
Section 7 | 159 |
Section 8 | 176 |
Section 12 | 224 |
Section 13 | 238 |
Section 14 | 249 |
Section 15 | 270 |
Section 16 | 282 |
Section 17 | 303 |
Section 18 | 314 |
Section 19 | 343 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alma arms asks Avis Avis’s back beach Berry Bethany bird black breath Brian Brian closes cake can’t chair chest cookies couldn’t dark daugh daughter Derek desk didn’t doesn’t door Emerson eyes face feels Felice Felice’s Fernanda fingers French doors friends fronds front fuck gaze girl glances glass gonna guys hair hand Hannah he’d he’s head hear home house hurricane Hurricane Charley isn’t Javier kids kitchen know laughs lifts light little Little Haiti live looks love Marren Miami mother move neck never Nieves night Nina number okay open palms Parkhurst pastries phone place pulls Reynaldo right room says seems shakes she’d she’s shoulders sits skin skinhead slides smiles Solange sort sounds Stan Stanley Stanley’s stares stop street take talk tell There’s they’re things think thought tiny trying turns voice waiting walk want watching water What’s white window woman Yeah you’re