Birdie & Jude by Phyllis H. Moore
A
moving novel of loss, regret, denial, and discovery on Galveston
Island, from the author of Opal’s
Story and The
Ember Months.
Birdie
has lived to regret many of her decisions, but she doesn’t regret
offering a stranger, Jude, shelter from an approaching hurricane.
Their serendipitous meeting will form a bond that will change their
lives forever.
In
a character driven story with memories of the protests and inequality
plaguing the 1960's, Birdie’s reached middle age and questions her
life. Jude is striking out on her own, but has been derailed by a
fatal accident claiming her only friend. Although their backgrounds
and lives are vastly different, they recognize something in the other
that forges a friendship.
As
their relationship solidifies, they share glimpses of their pasts.
Birdie is a product of the '60's, an aging hippie, with a series of
resentments. She had a sheltered childhood in an upper class family.
Her parents longed to see her make the Texas Dip at the Mardi Gras
ball. Jude, however, entered foster care as an infant. Her parents,
victims of a murder/suicide, left her and her siblings orphaned and
separated.
There
is something about their connection that strikes Birdie as familiar.
Can souls know each other in different lives? Birdie struggles with
the awareness that she has had regrets and hasn't lived an authentic
life, while Jude faces an uncomfortable truth about her own. It has
all the feels.
What Makes a Character Feel Real in Fiction?
By Phyllis H. Moore
The story and characters are what most people remember about fiction.
All of the characters must have a unique personality and they must be
believable. The question for me with Birdie
& Jude was, do we have to like them?
As I thought about Birdie, her little dog, Ollie, her past and
present family, and her friendships, I knew she would have some
resentment and anger. I also knew she would believe she’d been
misunderstood for most of her life. So, for me, Birdie’s challenge
was to accept herself, just as she was, and to be able to forgive
anyone who misunderstood or judged her. That was her quest, her
yearning in this story. That’s what made her vulnerable and real.
The truth is, none of us are likeable all of the time. We all have
days when we don’t even like ourselves. However, Birdie is a
curmudgeon, often expecting the worst in most situations. It was
important to provide some of Birdie’s history so readers could
understand why Birdie developed some of her negativity. Her day to
day life described how she moved around her neighborhood and walked
to the beach. She was viewed as a local character, an older woman
with quirks who most people forgave and were willing to look after.
Even her nephew, the brunt of most of Birdie’s criticism, ignored
her complaints and focused on her strengths.
One of my editors for this story didn’t like Birdie. They loved the
story and the message, but Birdie irritated them. I didn’t mind
those comments, because for me, that made Birdie more realistic. She
was someone I invented, but she could evoke feelings in a reader who
met her flat on a page, naked as she was. How can a person be
irritated with someone who doesn’t really exist? I was proud of
myself for being able to create that feeling.
As irritable as Birdie could be, we were also privy to her thoughts
and her opinion of others. The insight into what she cared about, her
feelings about discrimination, and her experiences with her parents
give us a glimpse of what formed her frustrations. Throughout it all,
Birdie maintained a dry sense of humor. She made choices to live a
life for other people and not embrace her own passions. That is where
the beginning of her resentment began to brew. In my mind, Birdie
developed a passive-aggressive attitude toward her family. She went
through the motions for them, choosing to be the fragile, compliant
daughter, but she didn’t have to be happy about it. The only thing
she liked about Mardi Gras was hiding behind the mask.
One
of the themes in this story about Birdie and her friend, Jude, is
that souls might have a chance to reunite. Maybe we all get a chance
to reinvent ourselves for another life. We learn our lessons in the
present and when we know better we get another chance to prove
ourselves. I know I’m counting on it. Birdie is real for me and I
have a feeling in her next life she really won’t care if anyone
likes her, she’ll be her authentic self and make the choice to do
what’s right for herself.
I
always have liked the underdog, the vulnerable, the odd ball. I like
Birdie in all her dysfunction and moodiness, and I hope readers can
see a little of themselves in her while they cheer for her awakening.
Phyllis H. Moore wants to live life experiences
more than once: doing it, writing about it, and reading about it. The
atmosphere of the south draws her in and repels her. The characters
are rich with dysfunction and redemption, real. She’s had two
careers and two retirements. Both careers gave her inspiration for
her novels: The Sabine Series, Sabine,
Billy’s
Story, Josephine’s
Journals and Secrets
of Dunn House, Opal’s
Story, Tangled,
a Southern Gothic Yarn, and The
Bright Shawl, Colors of Tender Whispers, The
Ember Months, Birdie
& Jude, and an anthology of spooky short
stories inspired by real places and events, The
Bridge on Jackson Road. In 2018 she also released
a new genre for her, A
Dickens of a Crime, a Meg Miller Cozy Mystery. She has
authored one nonfiction book, Retirement,
Now What? Phyllis has been published by
Caffeinated Press in the anthology, Brewed
Awakenings 2, Fifteen Tales to Jolt Your Mind Awake.
She blogs on her web site http://www.phyllishmoore.com.
Follow her on Pinterest
and Facebook.
Phyllis is a retired social worker and former owner/operator of a
small bed and breakfast. She’s lived in the rural areas and cities
of south Texas. She currently lives on Galveston Island with her
husband, Richard.
