Official Selection from the Ladies' Home Journal Book Club

The Bird Sisters

A novel by Rebecca Rasmussen

"Rasmussen's debut novel is full of grace and humanity. Her poetic prose creates an almost magical, wholly satisfying world. [T]his wistful but wise story is enchanting and timeless."
—Library Journal (Starred review)

About the Book

When a bird flies into a window in Spring Green, Wisconsin, sisters Milly and Twiss get a visit. Twiss listens to the birds' heartbeats, assessing what she can fix and what she can't, while Milly listens to the heartaches of the people who've brought them. These spinster sisters have spent their lives nursing people and birds back to health. But back in the summer of 1947, Milly and Twiss knew nothing about trying to mend what had been accidentally broken. Rebecca Rasmussen's masterfully written debut novel is full of hope and beauty, heartbreak and sacrifice, love and the power of sisterhood, and offers wonderful surprises at every turn.
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Reader's Resources

The Bird Sisters Discussion Questions
(downloadable PDF)
The Reading Group Center's Tips for Book Club Discussions
Q&A with Rebecca Rasmussen
(downloadable PDF)
Visit Read It Forward for more great reading resources.

About the Author

Rebecca Rasmussen teaches creative writing and literature at Fontbonne University. Her stories have appeared in Triquarterly magazine and the Mid-American Review. She was a finalist in both Narrative magazine's 30 Below Contest for writers under the age of thirty and in Glimmer Train's Family Matters Contest. She lives with her husband and daughter in St. Louis. This is her first novel. Visit her at TheBirdSisters.com.