Yellow Bird

When her grandmother dies, Amanda receives a curious inheritance: a dilapidated farmhouse and a bookstore called the Yellow Bird. In a nearby town, Jeremiah "Cody" Stone is recovering from a war wound and pursuing a career as a musician. In their dreams, Amanda and Cody occasionally catch glimpses of each other%E2%80%94although they've never met. Both of them begin to view the other as an angel or guiding spirit. When a flood hits the town, this spiritual connection helps them survive. And when they finally meet in person, Amanda and Cody know that it is true love. Johnson's novel is difficult to follow. The stories of Cody and Amanda are woven together, but prove to be meandering and confusing. It's difficult to keep track of where the characters are, if they've actually met and if they have mutual acquaintances. This creates a sense of mounting frustration for readers, who won't be engaged enough in the characters to care about what happens to them.