Description

 The Yellow Birds

 (National Bestseller) National Book Award Finalist

In the opening lines of this gripping narrative, the reader is immediately transported to the harrowing reality of war. Set in Al Tafar, Iraq, we are introduced to the young soldiers, Private Bartle and Private Murphy, who find themselves in the midst of a brutal battle for their lives.

As the story unfolds, we witness their unwavering determination to protect one another amidst the constant threats that surround them – from the relentless insurgents to the physical and mental exhaustion that plagues them.

What sets this novel apart is its profound exploration of the impact of war on not only the soldiers but also on the mothers and families left behind. Through the author’s keen emotional insight, we are given a glimpse into the hidden struggles faced by those on the home front. The toll of war on these families is depicted with such raw authenticity that it leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

The bond between Bartle and Murphy, forged during their rigorous training, is tested to its limits as they navigate the horrors of war. Bartle, burdened with the responsibility of watching over Murphy, finds himself making choices that seem impossible in the face of such adversity. Meanwhile, Murphy’s grip on reality begins to slip, leaving him disconnected from the world around him.

“The Yellow Birds” is a groundbreaking novel that delves deep into the true costs of war. Its powerful narrative and profound insights make it destined to become a classic in the genre. Through its vivid portrayal of the physical and emotional toll of war, this novel forces us to confront the harsh realities that soldiers and their families endure, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.

About The Book

Kevin Powers, a native of Richmond, Virginia, had a unique journey that led him to become a renowned writer. He served in the U.S. Army in Iraq, specifically in Mosul and Tal Afar, during 2004 and 2005. After his honorable discharge, he pursued his passion for literature and studied English at Virginia Commonwealth University. He then went on to receive his M.F.A. in Poetry from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. His experiences in the military and his love for literature have greatly influenced his writing, making him a celebrated author in the literary world.

“Compelling, brilliantly written, and heart-breakingly true, The Yellow Birds belongs in the same category as Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead. Thus far the definitive novel of our long wars in the Middle East; this book is certain to be read and taught for generations to come.”―Philipp Meyer, author of American Rust

“A novel about the poetry and the pity of war…Powers writes with a rawness that brings the sights and smells as well as the trauma and decay of war home to the reader.”―Kirkus

“Reading The Yellow Birds I became certain that I was in the presence of a text that will win plaudits, become a classic, and hold future narratives of the war to a higher standard….a superb literary achievement.”―Chris Cleave

“Kevin Powers has delivered an exceptional novel from the war in Iraq, written in clean, evocative prose, lyric and graphic, in assured rhythms, a story for today and tomorrow and the next.”―Daniel Woodrell

“Powers has created a powerful work of art that captures the complexity and life-altering realities of combat service. This book will endure. Read it and then put it way up on that high rare shelf alongside Ernest Hemingway and Tim O’Brien.”―Anthony Swofford

“We haven’t just been waiting for a great novel to come out of the Iraq War, our 21st century Vietnam; we have also been waiting for something more important, a work of art that illuminates our flawed and complex and striving humanity behind all such wars. At last, we have both in Kevin Powers’ The Yellow Birds.”―Robert Olen Butler

“Thoughtful and analytical, the novel resonates as an accurate and deeply felt portrayal of the effects of post-combat syndrome as experienced by soldiers in the disorienting war in Iraq. “―Library Journal, starred review

“This moving debut from Powers (a former Army machine gunner) is a study of combat, guilt, and friendship forged under fire….Powers’s style and story are haunting.”―Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“The All Quiet on the Western Front of America’s Arab Wars.”―Tom Wolfe

“The Yellow Birds is harrowing, inexplicably beautiful, and utterly, urgently necessary.”―Ann Patchett

“A remarkable first novel…The Yellow Birds is brilliantly observed and deeply affecting: at once a freshly imagined bildungsroman about a soldier’s coming of age, a harrowing story about the friendship of two young men trying to stay alive on the battlefield in Iraq, and a philosophical parable about the loss of innocence and the uses of memory…Extraordinary.”―Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“This is a novel I’ve been waiting for. The Yellow Bird is born from experience and rendered with compassion and intelligence.”―Alice Sebold

“Kevin Powers’ The Yellow Birds is written with an intensity which is deeply compelling; every moment, every memory, every object, every move, are conjured up with a fierce and exact concentration and sense of truth.”―Colm Toibin