Bird in Hand by Christina Kline

Bird in Hand .
Author:  Christina Kline
Publisher:  William Morrow
Publication Date:  August 1, 2009
Paperback, 288 pgs.

From Goodreads:


Four people, two marriages, one lifelong friendship: everything is about to change.



It was an accident. It was dark, it was raining, Alison had ...more Four people, two marriages, one lifelong friendship: everything is about to change.


It was an accident. It was dark, it was raining, Alison had only had two drinks. And the other car ran the stop sign. But Alison finds herself trapped under the crushing weight of grief and guilt, feeling increasingly estranged from her husband...


Charlie, who has his own burdens. He's in a job he doesn't love so that Alison can stay at home with the kids (and why isn't she more grateful for that?); he has a house in the suburbs and a long commute to and from the city. And the only thing he can focus on these days is his secret, sudden affair with...


Claire, Alison's best friend. Bold where Alison is reserved, vibrant where Alison is cautious, Claire has just had her first novel published, a thinly veiled retelling of her childhood in North Carolina. But even in the whirlwind of publication, Claire can't stop wondering if she should leave her husband...


Ben, an ambitious architect who is brilliant, kind, and meticulous. And who wants nothing more than a baby, or two — exactly the kind of life that Charlie and Alison seem to have...


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After reading the first couple pages of Bird in Hand I knew I was going to enjoy it. I quickly got lost in the story of Alison, Charlie, Claire and Ben. 

Bird in Hand is the story of marriage, friendship, and what ifs.  I immediately was drawn to Alison, she seemed the weak one out of the four but honestly her tenacity to keep going through all that came at her really showed that she was the strongest.  The foursome were divided into the selfish, and the giving.  You right away after reading the first twenty five pages knew who the selfish were, and their behavior was plain gross and of the me, me, me variety but sadly this is the way of the world.  I couldn't help but be emotionally attached to some of the characters and found myself thinking Charlie and Claire deserve each other.  Good riddance!

Marriage is hard. It is ever constantly changing, and growing as are the people in it. Bird in Hand is the realistic view of what happens when one outgrows the relationship, and seeks something more.  Ms. Kline's writing is so engaging, you feel like you are peering through someone's window watching the raw realness of a marriage that is on it's last breath.

Bird in Hand is the first book i've read by Christina Kline, and it certainly won't be the last.  I read it in a couple of hours.  A really great book, it is definitely worth the read.

 Christina Baker Kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. In addition to Bird in Hand, her novels include The Way Life Should Be, Desire Lines and Sweet Water. She is Writer-in-Residence at Fordham University.

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Twitter: @bakerkline

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Thanks to TLC and Christina Kline.