Songbirds
"Living on the island of Cyprus, Nisha is far from her native Sri Lanka. Though she longs to return home, she knows that working as a 'maid' for a wealthy widow is the only way to earn enough support for the daughter she left behind. Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the illegal market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and marrying Nisha. But one night, Nisha makes dinner, an aromatic dahl curry, for the family that pays her: Petra and her daughter; Aliki. Then, after she cleans the kitchen and tucks Aliki into bed, Nisha goes out on a mysterious errand and vanishes. When police refuse to pursue the case, Petra takes on the investigation herself, a path that leads her to Nisha's friends-other workers in the neighborhood-and to the darker side of a migrant's life, where impossible choices leave them vulnerable, captive, and worse."
Songbirds by Christy Lefteri is based on a real-life crisis that takes play in Cyprus in modern day times. I chose this novel after I had read Where the Crawdads Sing for the first time, craving a little more murder-mystery and romanticism.
Much to my surprise when browsing my local Barnes & Noble, this book is not that. It has taken me over a year to fully digest. I've restarted it 3 times before finally committing to finish it. It is a dark tale and offers social/political commentary to the plights of migrant workers. It is heavy and honest; ugly and frustrating. It offers exclusive perspective into a class of people who have been regarded as subhuman for as long as they've been exploited.
Reading, in real time, as Petra recognizes the human she had working for her. Only after Nisha had disappeared does she realize that she was one with the family, a member through and through.
The ending to this one is not satisfying, but that is precisely the point. The injustice of our world is always just behind the curtains, stalking the lives of some like ghosts. This one has me praying for revolution and equality for all, but cynical of the reality.