Browne, Mahogany L. Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe, A. Crown, 03/2025. 147pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-5934-8647-4. GRADES 6–12. OUTSTANDING.
Weaving together a chorus of voices speaking in a range of accents, styles, and lengths Mahogany Browne evokes the scared silence of the Covid pandemic in a powerful manner. Anchored by two main narrators with Jamaican accents whose narration/conversation frames the other chapters, the book follows teens in New York City as they lose parents, care for siblings, and worry about their grandparents staying alive long enough to be vaccinated. On top of all this they’re trying to navigate teen romance in this new landscape of infection and isolation. Browne’s power is in the simplicity with which she sketches unimaginable challenges and triumphs for the vulnerable yet strong children of the city. There is never an excess word, but the reader can sense the depths of despair and resilience beneath the text.
Lesley Mandros Bell—Independent