For fans of Jennifer Holm (Penny from Heaven, Turtle in Paradise), a heartfelt and unforgettable middle-grade novel about an irresistible girl and her family, tragic change, and the healing power of love and friendship. In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.
Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.
Nest is Esther Ehrlich’s stunning debut novel. Her lyrical writing is honest, humorous, and deeply affecting. Chirp and Joey will steal your heart. Long after you finish Nest, the spirit of Chirp and her loving family will stay with you.
Praise for Nest:
"A poignant, insightful story of family crisis and the healing power of friendship."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"A stunning debut, with lyrical prose and superbly developed characters. . . . [Readers] will savor Nest and reflect on it long after its conclusion."--School Library Journal, Starred
"Ehrlich’s novel beautifully captures the fragile bond shared by Chirp and Joey and their growing trust for each other in a world filled with disappointments and misunderstandings."--Publishers Weekly, Starred
"Chirp’s first-person voice is believable; her poignant earnestness is truly heartrending. Ehrlich writes beautifully, constructing scenes with grace and layers of telling detail and insight."--The Horn Book
What authors are saying about Nest:
“Nest sings with heart and emotion. Simply gorgeous.”--Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times bestselling author of Turtle in Paradise
"Nest speaks to the heart. I wanted to put my arms around Chirp and never let go."--Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s and I'll Be There
"I loved the book! It's so tender and touching and real. Chirp is a marvelous character, and Joey's just plain lovable. I worry about him. Congratulations. The book is absolutely splendid and I hope everyone in the world notices."--Karen Cushman, author of the Newbery Medal, The Midwife's Apprentice and the Newbery Honor, Catherine, Called Birdy
“A remarkable work. Esther Ehrlich’s characters stand out so real and true: Chirp’s friendship with Joey is tender and moving, and truly unforgettable. One can see Cape Cod and feel Chirp’s love for the birds wheeling overhead. I wanted this story to go on and on. What a brilliant future this author has. I can’t wait to read her next book.”--Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery Honor–winning author
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Five stars, but recommend adult presence because of thematic elements.....
By D. Williams
NEST tells the story of Naomi Orenstein of Cape Cod, in about 1972. Naomi is eleven years old and lives there with her dad, a psychiatrist; her mom, a dancer; and her sister Rachel, about two years older than Naomi.Naomi is an average eleven-year-old. She has the typical love-hate relationship with school – sometimes a little more hate than love because of an uncertain-of-herself first-year teacher. She quarrels with her sister and her friends at times. She becomes friends with Joey, the boy across the street, whose family isn’t the best – and the youngsters do find mischief together. One thing Naomi loves and understands is bird watching; she knows the birds of her area very well, to the point of having the nickname “Chirp.”Then Naomi’s mom becomes ill, and everything seems to fall apart for the whole Orenstein family. Responsibilities within the family change.This novel is very well-written, and I can recommend it for the appropriate age group with one provision: Because of some of the thematic elements readers encounter, I would recommend that the intended readership (about ages nine through twelve) read it with an adult available to discuss these themes and how things have changed since the time this novel is set.Five stars, but adult presence advised.Who I am: I hold degrees in English and library science.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
A well written, interesting novel, but parents may want to read this first
By booklass
This item was given me for my review.Nest by Esther Ehrlich is a complicated novel to review as an adult reader. On one hand, it is an interesting story, reasonably well written, and complicated enough to cover issues that are worth delving into. However, as a mother with a chronic illness, Nest is not the kind of book I would necessarily choose for my child to read, and I will address this further down.Ehrlich is a wonderfully descriptive writer, her characterization is good, and she moves the plot along at a fairly even clip, and I think this is a novel that a mature reader or a child reading with an adult to help with the harder issues, might enjoy. Joey and Nest's relationship was interesting and touching, but I would have liked to have seen the development process. It seemed like there was a gap somewhere. Chirp's sister, Rachel, was a nice character to include. It was a nice change from the totally self-absorbed teen stereotype that seems so common. The drawbacks in the story, then, really are in the way the author handled the tougher issues.SPOILER ALERT:While Hannah, Chirp's mother, is acknowledged to have struggled with depression off and on through her whole life, that does not happen until later in the book. For the first part of the book, one is led to believe that Hannah's depression is instigated by her diagnosis of MS. Additionally, the treatments for MS at the time the book was written were limited, so the prognosis was even more grim then, but I wonder if the average middle school child is going to understand this? Issues of child abuse are also addressed but never resolved or given much hope. Not all children's stories need to have happy endings, and not all stories SHOULD have happy endings, but most should let the child walk away from the book with something that offers a bit of hope. I felt that Hannah's father came away as weak and ineffectual, and Joey's plight was just given a literary shrug. Portraying the father as loving but unable to solve all issues is fine, and probably preferable since this really is a coming of age story, but I could have used some more detail or insight on that. There is a difference between being ineffectual because the laws are against you and being ineffectual because you don't want to get involved. Given Joey's observation that "Grownups just do what they want," I suspect that it is more the latter, but I am not sure. I found certain aspects of the novel depressing without giving actual insights to the issues being covered. Just relating that these issues exist in a YA/Juvenile novel is not enough for me. I prefer to see that the reader can take something away with them that can be used later. Simply my preference. Nest is a worthy read, but parents may want to read the book first, especially if issues like suicide, chronic illness, child abuse and depression are hitting close to home.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful.Love Never Ends
By Janette Fuller
Eleven-year-old Naomi Orenstein is nicknamed “Chirp” because of her love of birds and bird-watching. Her sister Rachel and her father are close, and Chirp enjoys a special bond with her mother, a former dancer. The story is set in 1972 on Cape Cod.Chirp's mother is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (M.S.) and is severely depressed as a result of her illness. Chirp copes with her mother's illness by spending time alone with her beloved birds and befriending a neighbor boy named Joey.This is a story about a family dealing with severe hardships. Chirp is a survivor and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.This was a very emotional book. It was written for middle school students and it deals with problems that many youngsters have probably been sheltered from. These issues included terminal illness of a parent, child abuse, running away from home and suicide.I believe the author presented this story in a realistic and sensitive manner. This book will make readers understand and appreciate the meaning of the love and devotion of family and friends.Chirp learned that bad things happen to good people but life goes on. The story illustrates the grieving process and the emotions that are felt by each of the family members. Love never dies.Highly recommended for middle school students through adults.I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.
