The Merit Birds

I was so excited for the publication of this book, since the author is my friend Kelley Powell.
I spent an entire morning reading it straight through.  It has been a while since I've had a book that I couldn't put down.  Then I lent it to my sister and she read it over the course of two evenings.  What a great read!

My favourite part of this book is the easiness of Kelley's writing and the way that it drew me into the story.  The mix of characters, so different from each other, all become connected.

The relationships between these characters become more complex as the story unfolds, with such highs and lows that I had to sit and think about how I felt at the end of the book.  It was beautiful.

If you buy the book today on Amazon, Kelley is offering some really neat free gifts with your purchase, including recipes used in the book, music and another amazing story she has penned!  Check out the synopsis below and then head to themeritbirds.com.
Let me know what you think!

"Eighteen-year-old Cam Scott is angry. He's angry about his absent dad, he's angry about being angry, and he's angry that he has had to give up his Ottawa basketball team to follow his mom to her new job in Vientiane, Laos. However, Cam's anger begins to melt under the Southeast Asian sun as he finds friendship with his neighbour, Somchai, and gradually falls in love with Nok, who teaches him about building merit, or karma, by doing good deeds, such as purchasing caged "merit birds." Tragedy strikes and Cam finds himself falsely accused of a crime. His freedom depends on a person he's never met. A person who knows that the only way to restore his merit is to confess. "The Merit Birds" blends action and suspense and humour in a far-off land where things seem so different, yet deep down are so much the same."