VeganCleopatra

I did not know what to expect going into Silhouette of a Sparrow, especially since the reviews are mixed. However, I came to find that this novel was a bit of a gem. The story involves Garnet, a girl in 1926 who has been sent to stay at a lake resort with two family members she doesn't particularly like. The story greatly incorporates Garnet's love of birds and her creation of bird silhouettes out of paper. But overall I felt like it was a coming of age story, where Garnet learns who she is and who she wants to be.

I felt the relationship between Isabella and Garnet was believable and sweet and I rather rooted for the two. The incorporation of 1926 society was well done and it appealed to my historical fiction loving side. But my absolute favorite aspect of the story was Garnet's love for birds and her subsequent attempt at protecting them. The killing of birds for fashion's sake, such as feathers in women's hats (a common practice for decades which destroyed many a bird species), was an issue for Garnet and I liked that she tackled it with the hat shop owner. It is truly appalling how many birds have been killed for this practice in the past (although there are similar issues occurring today as well, such as trends for wearing feathers in your hair--which has led to increased bird deaths).

Overall I really liked Garnet and I felt like she was a believable lost girl of the 1920s. The book was well-written and included a number of topics without overwhelming the pages.