Nest

Nest by Esther Ehrlich is the story of Naomi Orenstein who is fondly called 'Chirp'. Chirp is the narrator of her story. She has a sister, a mom who is a dancer and a dad who is a psychiatrist.

Chirp is very close to her mother. Chirp loves bird watching near the salt marsh lanes. She is a bookworm and likes to live in her bubble , observing birds with her binoculars. Her life goes for a toss when her mom gets diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and then later depression. The story is about how a sixth grader copes up with the changes as 'home' no longer feels the same.

Chirp has a neighbor cum friend Joey.

Their bond and chemistry is something that I loved and I yearned for their moments together.

Chirp and Joey are classmates too. The classroom sessions are funny with a bunch of kids and a teacher who doesn't listen to either.

I liked the story telling . Even though the story deals with a serious topic like depression it doesn't just slip into gloomy/dark side of life . The author has maintained a balance by flipping back and forth between Chirp's home and classroom sessions.

I loved the writing for the aura it created with the subtleties in expression. Especially those related to the sounds of nature and mundane sounds of life . Like you know that the author has felt it profoundly before it was put to paper. I loved the bird facts too that Chirp blurts out from time to time. The book is 300+ pages but it felt like 100 pages plain sailing read.

Would Chirp's mother survive depression?.

Read the book to know about the birds who cling on to each other as they try to protect their nest from one of the worst storms.