Birdie & Jude

Moore’s insightful novel centers on a meaningful connection between two women of different generations. Hurricane Gino is heading toward Texas, and Birdie Barnes, an older woman, is living on the island of Galveston. While walking her dog on the beach before the storm hits, she finds 26-year-old Jude, who’s just been released from the hospital after a car accident that killed her friend. Jude’s injuries don’t appear to be life-threatening, but Birdie invites Jude back to her home to rest and shower because, “I’m tired of looking at that clump of dried blood in your hair.” The two share stories as ferocious winds shake the shutters, and each senses she knows the other. Birdie, never married, has lived on the island her entire life, while Jude has moved through foster homes since she was four years old. Birdie is close to her only living relative, her adult nephew, Barry, while Jude’s only friend, Casey, died in the car wreck that injured Jude. When Birdie decides to go on a cruise with friends after the hurricane has passed, she asks Jude to house-sit, and the subsequent meeting between Jude and Barry is fateful. Birdie’s beautiful home and the beach town are lovely settings for the connections between women struggling with questions about their life choices. Moore brings depth and emotional punch to this utterly absorbing story of magically entwined lives. [em](BookLife) [/em]