Ahern, C: Lyrebird

Life is in two parts: who you were before you met her, and who you are after.On the edge on Ireland's west coast, rugged mountains meet wild sea and bright blue lakes. Deep in the forest, surrounded by farmland, a girl lives alone in a small stone cottage. Then, into her peaceful landscape comes a documentary crew.Solomon's skill is sound. He records, he listens, he hears. And when he meets the girl - Laura - he discovers that she has an extraordinary talent: an ability to mimic sounds. It's a gift that earns her the nickname Lyrebird. A gift like nothing he's ever experienced.From that point, Laura's life is turned on its head. When the documentary crew offers her a way forward, a bridge to another kind of life, she takes it.But while Solomon knows the world will love Laura, will it free her to spread her wings - or will it trap her in a gilded cage? Like all wild birds, she needs to fly free...Lyrebird is a thoughtful, beautifully drawn and deeply moving story of secrets, the bonds of family, and of how we learn to be who we really are.