Sarah Addison Allen, the bestselling author of such books as GARDEN SPELLS and FIRST FROST, is back with OTHER BIRDS, her most magical, life-affirming novel yet.

Situated right off the coast of South Carolina lies Mallow Island, a fragrant, sugary village that was once famous for its marshmallow candy. Eternally preserved in Sweet Mallow, a bestselling cult classic by the mysterious Roscoe Avanger, Mallow Island is now part tourist trap, part beloved home to its small-town citizens. We arrive on the island with 18-year-old Zoey Hennessy; she recently has inherited a condo from her mother, Paloma, who died when she was still a child. Zoey's greedy father has never been kind about his relationship with Paloma or his preserved connection to her thanks to his daughter. So when she gets the chance to enroll in college across the country and take ownership of the condo, she practically flies at the opportunity…along with Pigeon, the mysterious invisible bird who has been her constant companion since her mother’s death.

"The book employs its magic --- the otherworldly birds, the ghosts and even the mystery of Lizbeth’s story --- flawlessly, letting it propel rather than carry the narrative, and balancing each act of magical realism with a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking truth."

When Zoey arrives at The Dellawisp condominiums, she is greeted by a stunning cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe and populated not only by the other condo owners, but also by the tangerine-beaked turquoise birds known as the dellawisps that seem to infuse the building with magic, even as they steal random objects from passersby like magpies. The building is fragranced by the brugmansia trees where the birds live. Greeted by Frasier, the building manager, she soon meets her other neighbors: crazy, paranoid Lizbeth Lime; her reclusive sister, Lucy; artist Charlotte Lungren; and award-winning chef Mac Garrett.

Between the dellawisps, Zoey’s neighbors and her own invisible roommate, The Dellawisp seems full, but it is not until Lizbeth dies in a freak accident on Zoey’s first night that the building’s other inhabitants are revealed: Lizbeth’s ghost; Camille, the ghost of a friendly elderly woman who cared for the town’s children when their own parents could not; and a third, unnamed ghost.

As Allen introduces readers to each of the main characters, alternating perspectives throughout, it becomes clear that each of The Dellawisp’s inhabitants --- ghostly and mortal --- is haunted by a story untold. For Zoey, it is the truth about Paloma and her plans for Zoey. Charlotte, a seemingly unflappable creative who is always on the run, is haunted by a violent, controlling past and the best friend she left behind. Mac’s ghost takes on a more active role: Camille was the mother Mac never had, and though she is beyond proud of all he has achieved, he is not ready to let her go, keeping her tethered to him and The Dellawisp.

And crazy Lizbeth? As the longtime assistant to the island’s most famous author, Lizbeth has been on the hunt for the story of her life, the one that she believes will push Roscoe Avanger back onto the literary scene and reveal that everyone, from her sister to her son, was wrong to underestimate her. Now she must continue her search from the afterlife, while Zoey and Charlotte begin the daunting task of cleaning out her hoarder condo to be sold.

But the connections these characters share extend far beyond the walls of The Dellawisp and exist neither on earth nor in the afterlife. They lie somewhere in between, where only birds can reach them. As Frasier explains to Zoey about the magic of the dellawisps, “There are birds, and then there are other birds. Maybe they don’t sing. Maybe they don’t fly. Maybe they don’t fit in. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be an other bird than just the same old thing.” As Allen proves in her tender and enchanting novel, each of her characters is an other bird. But seeing it will mean sharing their stories with one another, no matter how haunted or haunting.

Readers of Allen’s previous works already will be familiar with her trademark blend of magic and reality, fantasy and heart. But in OTHER BIRDS, she appears to have found the perfect balance. The book employs its magic --- the otherworldly birds, the ghosts and even the mystery of Lizbeth’s story --- flawlessly, letting it propel rather than carry the narrative, and balancing each act of magical realism with a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking truth. The characters are dynamic and relatable, while the setting acts as a final character --- immersing and grounding readers in the fragrant Southern air, the decadent smells and tastes of its kitchens, and, of course, the heady weight of its storied past and love stories for the ages.

All of these elements would be enough to make OTHER BIRDS a winner. But they are only the garnish on the truly riveting, extraordinary character studies at its heart, and the mysteries and bonds that tie them together. If you’re not a fan of Sarah Addison Allen’s works already, this will be the book to sway you. If you are, congratulations! You have just found your favorite book of hers so far.