Like a Bird

A revolutionary story of empowerment and redemption, Like a Bird is the highly anticipated debut novel from Fariha R is n, author of the poetry collection How to Cure A Ghost
One of Vogue and Refinery29's Most Anticipated Books of the Fall

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 caf 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 R is n'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.

Author: Fariha Róisín
Publisher: Unnamed Press
Published: 09/15/2020
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.40w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781951213091


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/27/2020
Library Journal 07/24/2020 pg. 1
Foreword 08/26/2020
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2020

About the Author
Fariha Róisín is an Australian-Canadian writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Vice, Fusion, Village Voice, and elsewhere. Her work often explores Muslim identity, race, pop culture, and film. It also examines the intersection of queerness and being a femme of color while navigating a white world. She is the author of the poetry collection, HOW TO CURE A GHOST, and the guided journal, BEING IN YOUR BODY.