Happy Monday! I am excited to be sharing a book review of Birds on a Wire by Katie Powner with you all today!

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Book: Birds on a Wire by Katie Powner

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Blurb:

A deeply moving contemporary story about family and foster care from a two-time Christy Award-winning author

When her newborn son, Providence, is taken by CPS, eighteen-year-old Bri Marshall is determined to do whatever’s necessary to get him back—with or without Providence’s father. But hurdles like no job, car, or family support complicate the process. Bri never expected to sink this low. What will it take to hold her baby in her arms again?

Thirty-nine-year-old Laura Gambler, facing the big 4-0, is managing new challenges with her own children when she’s asked to take in baby Providence. She could never have imagined the chain of events that agreeing to foster would set in motion—or the carefully buried pain from her past it would drag back to the surface.

Both women wrestle with doubts about the future and their ability to parent Providence, even as their love for him grows stronger every day. As their lives become irrevocably intertwined, the two very different women face the same impossible question: Who is the best mother for Providence? (cover and blurb from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Recommended Age: 18+

My Review:

My Overall Thoughts: This book was SO good! I think Powner did a beautiful job portraying the complexities of foster care, the characters were great, and I liked the easy-to-read yet powerful writing style.

Plot: The plot centers around Providence, a baby born to young parents who are addicted to drugs. Because of this, he is removed by DCYF and placed in a foster home. The book has dual POVs between Bri, Providence’s mom who is on a journey to get her life together so she can get her baby back, and Laura, a mother of three who has decided to start fostering and also faces some other challenges in her life as she begins homeschooling her son, helps her friend through a divorce, deals with family drama, and more. Bri and Laura’s lives become intertwined as they try to figure out what is best for Providence. I really liked the portrayal of foster care in this book as it showcased both the good and the bad. I also thought the homeschooling aspect was fun as I was homeschooled growing up. One thing I was confused about was that Peter’s teacher intended to have him go in special education just for a few months. As a special education major, I don’t think that would be very realistic. It’s a hard and long process to get into special ed, and it would be very rare for a kid to get out of special education in just a couple months.

Characters: I loved the characters! Laura was so sweet, and I loved reading about her heart to help others. Bri was also a great point-of-view character. She was a sympathetic character despite the bad choices she had made. It was good reading about how her and AJ, her boyfriend, worked together to do what’s best for Providence. I also liked the supporting characters, especially Providence!

Writing Style: I liked the writing style a lot! It was easy-to-read, but it was still very impactful and engaging. The pacing was good, not too fast or slow.

Themes: This book has strong themes about love and caring for others, evident through the way Laura and Bri love and want what is best for Providence and how Laura cares for her family. Very well-done! I also liked the parts at the end about God’s providence and guidance.

Content Notes and Trigger Warnings: Bri and AJ, her boyfriend, live together, and they had Providence out of wedlock. They smoke cigarettes, do drugs, and drink alcohol. Discussion of childbirth, postpartum recovery, and nursing. Discussions of child abuse. A couple gets divorced. Discussions of an abortion. Mentions of parents in prison. A child gets bullied. Some mild crude language (crap, screw up, etc.) and mentions of characters using profanity but none written out.

I highly recommend Birds on a Wire to anyone who loves contemporary Christian women’s fiction! Thank you for reading! I will be back next week with my September recap!