Each Little Bird That Sings

Deborah Wiles has written a wonderful little book, Each Little Bird That Sings, about a young girl named Comfort Snowberger, self-described "Explorer, Recipe Tester and Funeral Reporter". The first line is unforgettable, " I come from a family with a lot of dead people," and continues on in Comfort's clear, sweet voice. You see, Comfort's family owns and runs the Snowberger Funeral home--her father is the mortician, her mother is the florist, and Comfort, her dog, Dismay, and her brother, Tidings, help out wherever they can. The Snowberger family motto is, "We live to serve."

At the beginning of the book, Comfort's great-great-aunt Florentine and her great-uncle Edisto pass away within months of each other, bringing loss into Comfort's life in a new and much more real way, even though she's attended 248 funerals in her young life. In the midst of all this growing up, her best friend, Declaration, and she have a terrible falling out, leaving Comfort feeling very much alone in the world. But something happens to make Comfort realize how strong she really is--all on her own.

I highly recommend this wonderful summer read--full of tidbits of truth about life, love and loss.

Excerpt from Chapter 1:

"I come from a family with a lot of dead people.

Great-uncle Edisto keeled over with a stroke on a Saturday morning after breakfast last March. Six months later, Great-great Aunt Florentine died -- just like that -- in the vegetable garden. And, of course, there are all the dead people who lay temporarily downstairs until they go off to the Snapfinger Cemetery. I'm related to them, too. Uncle Edisto always said, "Everybody's kin, Comfort."

Downstairs at Snowberger's my Daddy deals with death by misadventure, illness, and natural causes galore. Sometimes I ask him how somebody died. He tells me, then he says, "It's not how you die that makes the important impression, Comfort; it's how you live. Now go live a while, honey, and let me get back to work." But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me back up. I'll start with Great-uncle Edisto and last March, since that death involves me -- I witnessed it."

Favorite quote: There is always something good to come out of disappointment, Comfort. You'll see. Open your arms to life! Let it strut into your heart in all its messy glory!--Uncle Edisto