The Yellow Bird Sings

“An absolutely beautiful and necessary novel full of heartbreak but also hope, about the bond between mother and daughter, and . . . sacrifices made for love.” —New York Times

In Poland, as World War II rages, a mother hides with her young daughter, a musical prodigy whose slightest sound may cost them their lives.

As Nazi soldiers round up the Jews in their town, Róza and her five-year-old daughter, Shira, seek shelter in a neighbor’s barn. Hidden in the hayloft day and night, Shira struggles to stay still and quiet, as music pulses through her and the farmyard outside beckons. To soothe her daughter and pass the time, Róza tells her a story about a girl in an enchanted garden:

The girl is forbidden from making a sound, so the yellow bird sings. He sings whatever the girl composes in her head: high-pitched trills of piccolo; low-throated growls of contrabassoon. Music helps the flowers bloom.

In this make-believe world, Róza can shield Shira from the horrors that surround them. But the day comes when their haven is no longer safe and Róza must make a choice: whether to keep Shira by her side or give her the chance to survive apart.

Inspired by the true stories of Jewish children hidden during the war, Jennifer Rosner’s debut is a breathtaking novel about the unbreakable bond between a mother and a daughter.

“Stunning.” —Booklist

“Rosner’s understanding of how art plays a role in our lives, even at the worst of times, is impressive.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A wrenching chronicle.” —Publishers Weekly

“Gripping, heartrending, and so very real.” —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Before We Were Yours