A revolutionary story of empowerment and redemption, Like a
Bird is the highly anticipated debut novel from Fariha Róisín,
author of the poetry collection How
to Cure A Ghost
Taylia
Chatterjee has never known love, and certainly has never felt it for
herself. Growing up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, with her
older sister Alyssa, their parents were both overbearing and
emotionally distant, and despite idyllic summers in the Catskills,
and gatherings with glamorous family friends, there is a sadness that
emanates from the Chatterjee residence, a deep well of sorrow
stemming from the racism of American society.
After
a violent sexual assault, Taylia is disowned by her parents and
suddenly forced to move out. As Taylia looks to the city, the ghost
of her Indian grandmother dadi-ma is always one step ahead, while
another more troubling ghost chases after her. Determined to have the
courage to confront the pain that her family can't face, Taylia finds
work at a neighborhood café owned by single mother and spiritualist,
Kat. Taylia quickly builds a constellation of friends and lovers on
her own, daring herself to be open to new experiences, even as they
call into question what she thought she knew about the past.
Taylia's
story is about survival, coming to terms with her past and looking
forward to a future she never felt she was allowed to claim. Writing
this for eighteen years, poet and activist Fariha Róisín's debut
novel is an intense, provocative, and emotionally profound portrait
of an inner life in turmoil and the redemptive power of community and
love.