I drifted towards the back of the workshop, my attention caught by a menagerie of shorebirds – a godwit, several sandpipers, curlews, dotterels, herons and varities of plover. For a heart-stopping moment the display tricked my eyes. It seemed the birds had flown into the room via a secret passage and, like children, settled before… Continue reading Compulsive Reader: Review of The Birdman’s Wife by Sue Bond

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/review-the-birdmans-wife-by-melissa-ashley-and-the-atomic-weight-of-love-by-elizabeth-j-church-20161103-gshg3x.html The first point I noted about The Birdman’s Wife is that Elizabeth Gould, not her husband John, the famous ornithologist, painted the pictures of birds I knew and loved as a child. While Elizabeth was credited by her initials, alongside John’s, for creating over 650 hand-coloured lithographs for a number of publications, including The… Continue reading Review: The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley and The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church by Dorothy Johnston

Published on October 13, 2016 written by Heather Title: The Birdman’s Wife Author: Melissa Ashley Genre: Fiction (historical) Release Date: 1st October, 2016 Rating: ★★★★★ “Artist Elizabeth Gould spent her life capturing the sublime beauty of birds the world had never seen before. But her legacy was eclipsed by the fame of her husband, John Gould.… Continue reading Book Review – ‘The Birdman’s Wife’

The Birdman’s Wife is the debut novel of Melissa Ashley, published by Affirm Press. It has arrived on the literary scene accompanied by a good deal of promotion and publicity – and for good reason. The Birdman’s Wife is a fascinating historical study, a meticulous and well-documented scientific report, an emotional story, and an engaging… Continue reading Review: The Birdman’s Wife by Cass Moriarty

What AusRom Today thought: Detail rich, and perhaps rather heavy at times, The Birdman’s Wife is overall a rather compelling read which highlighted the historical tendency for women to be relegated to stand behind their husbands regardless of how much they contributed to his fame. Throughout the novel it is clear that Melissa Ashley’s research is… Continue reading REVIEW: Melissa Ashley’s ‘The Birdman’s Wife’

What a delight it is to read stories of historical figures passed over by history probably because they were women. An even greater delight when they are told well, as is very much the case with Melissa Ashley’s The Birdman’s Wife. Elizabeth Gould was indeed a remarkable woman. “Inspired by a letter found tucked inside her… Continue reading Isobel Blackthorn review: The Birdman’s Wife

The spoiler alert in this book review is that it is based on a real-life woman: Elizabeth Gould, the wife of an eminent ornithologist / taxidermist, John Gould. If you look up John Gould, you’ll find his Wikipedia entry, which says, “A bird artist”, describing his monographs as “illustrated by plates that he produced with… Continue reading The Birdman’s Wife – Book Review by Kali Napier

Inspired by a letter found tucked inside her famous husband’s papers, The Birdman’s Wife imagines the fascinating inner life of Elizabeth Gould, who was so much more than just the woman behind the man. Elizabeth was a woman ahead of her time, juggling the demands of her artistic life with her roles as wife, lover and helpmate… Continue reading The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley

Paper, Ink and Glue. Note: I got this book as a netgalley advance copy and I’m exceedingly grateful for that. Some of the books I get as advanced reading copies are nice. Some I can’t bear to finish. Some, I can’t put down and I want to shout about them from the rooftops. The Birdman’s… Continue reading Book Review: Melissa Ashley, The Birdman’s Wife (spoilers)