Publication Date: January 25, 2021
It’s 1988 and Belinda is working in a nursing home after having had quite the career driven fall. Her new job is boring and a bit frustrating but the light at the end of that tunnel is her co-worker, Joe for whom she harbors a secret attraction though her insecurity stands in the way of hope. When thefts and worse start to happen at the nursing home, she turns to Joe. When she discovers something disturbing, she has to decide if she’ll go along to get along or if she’ll stand up for what is right and protect her residents.
I received this book for review from the Book Club Reviewer Facebook group.
A Little Birdie Told Me is a snapshot of the 80s. Scott puts great care into the narrative place in time. I graduated high school and started college in 1988. Scott winks at her readers through topical jokes that, given the popularity with young folk of the 80s, will unlikely become dated but could evade a certain audience but then the genre of women’s fiction itself can sometimes be a bit specific. Scott’s humor will have broad appeal. Despite the attention to background detail, A Little Birdie Told Me is a quick read that flows really well.
Belinda is a very real character in desperate need of a win. She is insecure and, following a bit of a emotional fall where she’s left college and has to reimagine her potential career path, a bit fragile. When Belinda’s loss of self leads her toward change, her best friend is that person who really isn’t one to cheer her on. Again, haven’t we all had that friend who likes to have us down so that they can feel better or more successful? Scott addresses very serious issues (abuse, subjugation, etc….) both with Belinda’s visceral relationship with Tracy and in the narrative with the residents with a light but effective hand.
Though not southern fiction, there is a lot of the feeling Fannie Flagg’s favorite characters in A Little Birdie Told Me. The residents are fun and quirky and, for the most part, generally loveable. Belinda herself is very likable, relatable and someone with whom the reader will enjoy spending time and cheer for her to win. Keep an open mind as to what winning might be. There are no sure things in women’s fiction but you will enjoy the ride.
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