Mouthful of Birds

by Samanta Schweblin

[mary]

This short story collection is filled with many disturbing tales that at their core all have a similar message. Schweblin creates many worlds in Mouthful of Birds. Some are dark, all are strange, and by the time any of the characters see what’s really happening to them, they have in a sense been left behind. These are sad stories about women who know that their lot is to be abandoned, men who know their lot is to abandon, and children who are powerless to change anything. In each story there is this feeling of being trapped in a fate not entirely of your making.