One Bird

One Bird by Kyoko Mori was published by Henry Holt and Company, Inc. in 1995.

Plot: This is a story of hurt and healing through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old girl, living in 1975 America. Megumi, the protagonist, experiences the divorce of her parents with extreme pathos: Megumi's mother decides to leave her husband because of years of consistent adultery and a hateful marriage. Megumi's mother also refrains from treating Megumi like an adult capable of dealing with the stress of the divorce--which infuriates Megumi all the more.The main conflict of the story arises out of Megumi's lack of understanding of love and family ties, but are resolved with the assistance of a veterinarian, who teaches her how to care and nurture injured birds.

Analysis: This story excels at showing how traditional families operate, and by juxtaposing those operations with dysfunctional families, the reader comes to understand how pain inevitably gives way to healing. Big themes include identity, tradition, family, cultural hegemony and expectations.

Teachability: I give this novel a 5 out of 10 for "teachability" for several reasons. First, this novel is exceedingly long for middle school readers, spanning over 200 pages with fine print. Also, the emotional weight that it carries doesn't align well with any specific teachable theme--besides perhaps identity (it is a female-oriented Bildungsroman). Finally, the book is (for whatever reason) set in 1975, although it was published in 1995, which positions the reader in a somewhat disorienting and foreign slice of (exceedingly Christian) American culture.