Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Searching... Silver Falls Library | JF EHRLICH | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | J FICTION EHRLICH | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | J Ehrlich, E. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stayton Public Library | JF EHRLICH | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
For fans of Jennifer Holm ( Penny from Heaven, Turtle in Paradise ), a heartfelt and unforgettable middle-grade novel about an irresistible girl and her family, tragic change, and the healing power of love and friendship. In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi "Chirp" Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp's mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.
Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.
Nest is Esther Ehrlich's stunning debut novel. Her lyrical writing is honest, humorous, and deeply affecting. Chirp and Joey will steal your heart. Long after you finish Nest, the spirit of Chirp and her loving family will stay with you.
Praise for Nest :
"A poignant, insightful story of family crisis and the healing power of friendship."-- Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"A stunning debut, with lyrical prose and superbly developed characters. . . . [Readers] will savor Nest and reflect on it long after its conclusion."-- School Library Journal , Starred
"Ehrlich's novel beautifully captures the fragile bond shared by Chirp and Joey and their growing trust for each other in a world filled with disappointments and misunderstandings."-- Publishers Weekly, Starred
"Chirp's first-person voice is believable; her poignant earnestness is truly heartrending. Ehrlich writes beautifully, constructing scenes with grace and layers of telling detail and insight."-- The Horn Book
What authors are saying about Nest:
" Nest sings with heart and emotion. Simply gorgeous."--Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times bestselling author of Turtle in Paradise
" Nest speaks to the heart. I wanted to put my arms around Chirp and never let go."--Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s and I'll Be There
"I loved the book! It's so tender and touching and real. Chirp is a marvelous character, and Joey's just plain lovable. I worry about him. Congratulations. The book is absolutely splendid and I hope everyone in the world notices."--Karen Cushman, author of the Newbery Medal, The Midwife's Apprentice and the Newbery Honor, Catherine, Called Birdy
"A remarkable work. Esther Ehrlich's characters stand out so real and true: Chirp's friendship with Joey is tender and moving, and truly unforgettable. One can see Cape Cod and feel Chirp's love for the birds wheeling overhead. I wanted this story to go on and on. What a brilliant future this author has. I can't wait to read her next book."--Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery Honor-winning author
Author Notes
Esther Ehrlich was born and raised in Boston and spent childhood summers on Cape Cod. She graduated from Vassar College. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Nest is her first novel.
Reviews (6)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Naomi Orenstein is an 11-year-old Jewish girl living on Cape Cod in the 1970s. Her obsessive observations of native birds earns her the nickname Chirp. She has a psychiatrist father, dancer mother, sometimes rebellious teenage sister, possibly abused friend Joey, and an unlikable teacher. After receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Naomi's mother falls into a depression that leads to institutionalization, then suicide. Family and community dynamics force Chirp to escape into her personal "nest," then run away with Joey to try to hold onto memories of her mom. The author's rich characterization brings listeners into Chirp's world and breaks their hearts. Narrator Jenna Lamia uses careful articulation to portray a young girl trying to cope with huge changes and adds a level of passion when describing the birds on the Cape. Her use of a hard Boston dialect for Joey is sometimes uneven, but she keeps the various voices for the family members and teacher distinct. VERDICT The pacing may be somewhat methodical for fans used to plot-driven action, but those who enjoyed Jennifer Holm's Turtle in Paradise (Random, 2010) will enjoy meeting Chirp.-Deb Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
First-time author Ehrlich's achingly realistic depiction of family love and loss is set on Cape Cod during the early 1970s. Chirp Orenstein's mother, Hannah, is a vivacious, talented dancer until a leg ailment forces her to slow down. When Hannah is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she falls into a deep depression, fading to an almost unrecognizable shadow of her former self. No one-not Chirp, not her older sister, not their psychiatrist father-can make Hannah feel better. Chirp keeps her sadness and feelings of helplessness to herself except when she's with her friend Joey, a neighbor who spends a good deal of time trying to avoid his violent father and seems to understand what Chirp is going through. Ehrlich's novel beautifully captures the fragile bond shared by Chirp and Joey and their growing trust for each other in a world filled with disappointments and misunderstandings. Allusions to songs and trends of the era and references to Chirp's strong Jewish heritage accentuate and ground the story. Ages 8-12. Agent: Susan Golomb, Susan Golomb Literary Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In this debut novel set in the late 1960s, Naomi "Chirp" Orenstein's sixth-grade teacher tells her, "Your mom is a very lucky lady to have such a responsible girl." Chirp is very responsible, but her mother is feeling anything but lucky. She's been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and sinks into a severe depression, ultimately committing suicide. It's an overwhelmingly sad story, but the sadness never feels gratuitous, only immutable, just like the Cape Cod seasons and the ebb and flow of life in Chirp's beloved salt marsh. Ehrlich's characters are all fully developed: the dancer mother in anguish over not being the parent she wanted to be; the psychiatrist father's well-meaning but hapless response to the situation; and--most of all--Chirp's best friend Joey, who has his own issues at home. Chirp's first-person voice is believable; her poignant earnestness is truly heartrending. Ehrlich writes beautifully, constructing scenes with grace and layers of telling detail and insight. She offers Chirp (and readers) no trite and tidy resolutions, just a dawning understanding that her "nest" of family, friends, and salt marsh will give her the support and sustenance she needs to move forward. dean schneider (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A little girl's world disintegrates after her mother's illness and severe depression result in family tragedy.Nicknamed "Chirp" because she loves bird-watching in her native Cape Cod, 11-year-old Naomi's devoted to her free-spirited mother, who's always been a dancer. Unfortunately, her mother's inability to cope with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis leads to her hospitalization for depression. Ironically, Chirp's hyperanalytical psychiatrist father seems clueless about what's happening emotionally to his family, while her older sister blames him for sending her mother away. Meanwhile, Chirp quietly withdraws, finding comfort in her birds and the unlikely companionship of her neighbor and classmate, Joey, whose own family has "significant issues." When her mother returns and commits suicide, Chirp's shocked, bereft and in deep denial, until Joey helps her find her way. Chirp's first-person account of how she and her family react to the events leading to her mother's funeral presents a nuanced chronicle of loss. Ehrlich's ability to get inside Chirp's head, to create beautifully rounded characters and to flesh out details of life for this Jewish family in 1972 Cape Cod adds to the overall realism. Frequent textual references to wild birds and relevant children's books provide interesting depth.A poignant, insightful story of family crisis and the healing power of friendship. (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
On the muggy banks of Cape Cod, 11-year-old Naomi (aka Chirp) is happiest scampering around the salt marsh, binoculars in hand and watching for birds unless, that is, she is having an impromptu dance party. When Chirp's mother suddenly grows ill, the joy is sucked from their home, and Chirp takes refuge in her birds and a new friendship. Very much a character-based story, Nest is driven by emotion and reflection. Chirp's keen observations, à la Harriet the Spy, allow readers to see the world through her eyes, and the seamless integration of her passions (birds and dance) into the tale truly bring her to life. Ehrlich sets her story in the 1970s and creates a strong sense of time and place, though some pop-culture references will zoom over young readers' heads. This is a heartfelt debut, marked by its gentle strength and positive message of family and friendship, particularly in the face of tragedy. Chirp proves a memorable heroine who will settle comfortably in the birdhouse in your soul.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2014 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
A book called "Nest" with a main character called Chirp might seem almost too cute. But Esther Ehrlich's debut middle-grade novel is anything but saccharine; in fact, its ambition is to be rigorously realistic about tragedy in a child's life. That so grave a work would festoon itself with whimsy speaks to the book's virtues and its potential limitations. This is a book to take seriously, that has a lot to say. But is it for the child readers it's targeting? Eleven-year-old Naomi Orenstein lives with her psychiatrist father, her mother and her older sister in Cape Cod; they are year-rounders in a town mostly populated by summer folk. She's nicknamed Chirp because of her special fascination with birds. But Chirp's nest is far from idyllically secure. Once a graceful and fun-loving dancer, Chirp's mother, Hannah, is hampered by a draggy leg and twitching eye; it's multiple sclerosis, and because this is 1972, the prognosis is much worse than we would expect today. While her father strategizes with doctors and her older sister, Rachel, listens to Dylan and smokes pot, Chirp alternately resorts to magical thinking and tries to behave "like everything's normal." Meanwhile, Hannah spirals into a depression so severe that she must be institutionalized and undergo electroconvulsive therapy. The greatest strength of "Nest" is Chirp's clear, strong, believable voice. First-person present tense brings us close to her from the outset, and Ehrlich never hits a false note with this endearing, vulnerable, utterly authentic little girl. She notices and understands much more than the adults give her credit for. Determined to keep up her despondent mother's spirits, fiercely protective of her father - he's got "a wife in the nuthouse and an oldest daughter who has turned nasty" - Chirp tries to be "extra cheery so he doesn't feel bad." But Chirp is certainly (and wonderfully) not too good to be true. At one point, she wonders about her father, "Should I be mad at him like Rachel" is? Despite her initial insistence that she's "a good girl," she eventually joins her unlikely friend Joey in some cathartic rock throwing. When they shatter windows in a deserted house, Chirp notes, "All this breaking makes me feel like something's getting fixed inside me." Chirp's ultimate act of rebellion, and healing, comes only after her mother's suicide. Inspired in part by "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," Joey and Chirp plan a "big adventure," a pilgrimage to Boston to ride the swan boats. The Boston swan boats, of course, figure prominently in two classic children's books about birds - "Make Way for Ducklings" and "The Trumpet of the Swan"; Chirp herself wants to develop Harriet the Spy's skill of "careful observation," and she compares a harsh teacher to "Miss Minchin in 'A Little Princess'" while taking inspiration from Dickon in "The Secret Garden," who "believes in fresh air and everything that's wick, which means alive and green and growing." These plentiful literary allusions make Chirp a more interesting heroine and "Nest" a more textured book, but they can also feel a bit strained. The same quality of overreaching characterizes the circumstances in which Chirp learns of her mother's death. My most significant qualm about "Nest," however, is its suitability and appeal for 8- to 12-year-olds. A parent's incurable physical illness is one thing, her severe mental illness another and her suicide still another. This trifecta of tragedy makes "Nest" heavy perhaps beyond its young readers' capacity to bear. That heaviness is also in part due to Hannah, who dominates the book in a way that dulls rather than deepens the story. Lugubrious scenes underscoring her depression, frightening depictions of her physical decline, a harrowing visit to the mental institution where she's staying: So centrally focused on Hannah's agony is "Nest" that I found myself wondering whether it originated as an adult novel. But after Hannah's death the novel takes flight - Ehrlich does a beautiful job of conveying both Chirp's grieving process and her growing bond with Joey. Its achingly poignant last few scenes and exquisite last sentence convey a simultaneous sense of closure and promise, of something "alive and green and growing." PRISCILLA GILMAN is the author of "The AntiRomantic Child: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy."