3.5
Nightingale's Nest
By Nikki LoftinPublisher Description
A powerful novel about friendship and family that calls to mind Bridge to Terabithia
Twelve-year-old John Fischer Jr., or “Little John” as he’s always been known, is spending his summer helping his father with his tree removal business, clearing brush for Mr. King, the wealthy owner of a chain of Texas dollar stores, when he hears a beautiful song that transfixes him. He follows the melody and finds, not a bird, but a young girl sitting in the branches of a tall sycamore tree.
There’s something magical about this girl, Gayle, especially her soaring singing voice, and Little John’s friendship with Gayle quickly becomes the one bright spot in his life, for his home is dominated by sorrow over his sister’s death and his parents’ ever-tightening financial difficulties.
But then Mr. King draws Little John into an impossible choice—forced to choose between his family’s survival and a betrayal of Gayle that puts her future in jeopardy.
Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen story, Nightingale's Nest is an unforgettable novel about a boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders and a girl with the gift of healing in her voice.
Twelve-year-old John Fischer Jr., or “Little John” as he’s always been known, is spending his summer helping his father with his tree removal business, clearing brush for Mr. King, the wealthy owner of a chain of Texas dollar stores, when he hears a beautiful song that transfixes him. He follows the melody and finds, not a bird, but a young girl sitting in the branches of a tall sycamore tree.
There’s something magical about this girl, Gayle, especially her soaring singing voice, and Little John’s friendship with Gayle quickly becomes the one bright spot in his life, for his home is dominated by sorrow over his sister’s death and his parents’ ever-tightening financial difficulties.
But then Mr. King draws Little John into an impossible choice—forced to choose between his family’s survival and a betrayal of Gayle that puts her future in jeopardy.
Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen story, Nightingale's Nest is an unforgettable novel about a boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders and a girl with the gift of healing in her voice.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities12 Reviews
3.5
Molly 🤍
Created about 1 year agoShare
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Laura
Created over 1 year agoShare
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“It's easy to see why there's so much love for this book; for me it was less about the magical realism and more about the power of regret. The fact that the poverty and the potential abuse weren't the most important parts made it just a little bit more powerful a read - it's the power that adults have over children, and the choices children make because of that power imbalance, that is front-and-center. Basing the story on Anderson's "The Nightingale" may lead readers to go back to that story and question how many people ask others to make similar choices/bad decisions.
I also appreciated the fact that the author didn't feel compelled to place this story in the past to avoid using modern technology. It's there, but lightly and doesn't play that large a role.
ARC provided by publisher.”
S.Erickson
Created almost 8 years agoShare
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Annabel Axon
Created over 8 years agoShare
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Lindsey Ziegler
Created over 8 years agoShare
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“Sometimes compelling, other times very 2 d.”
About Nikki Loftin
Nikki Loftin lives and writes just outside Austin, Texas, surrounded by dogs, chickens, and small, loud boys. She is also the author of The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, which Publishers Weekly called “mesmerizing” and Kirkus called “irresistible.” You can visit her online at www.nikkiloftin.com.
Other books by Nikki Loftin
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