All the Little Bird-Hearts

A Novel

By: Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow

Narrated by: Rose Akroyd

Longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize, this poetic and often funny debut by an author with autism is written from the point of view of an autistic mother as she and her headstrong adolescent daughter are befriended by a glamorous, charismatic couple with dark ulterior motives.

I lived for and loved a bird-heart that summer; I only knew it afterwards.

Sunday Forrester lives with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Dolly, in the house she grew up in. She does things more carefully than most people. On quiet days, she must eat only white foods. Her etiquette handbook guides her through confusing social situations, and to escape, she turns to her treasury of Sicilian folklore. The one thing very much out of her control is clever headstrong Dolly, now on the cusp of leaving home.

Into this carefully ordered world step Vita and Rollo, a couple who move in next door, disarm Sunday with their glamor and charm, and proceed to deliciously break just about every rule in Sunday’s book. Soon they are in and out of each others’ homes, and Sunday feels loved and accepted like never before. But beneath Vita and Rollo’s polish lies something else, something darker. For Sunday has precisely what Vita has always wanted for herself: a daughter of her own.

An astute and poignant psychological portrait of a woman coming to terms with what love means, and why discovering our own unique gifts can save us.

Critic reviews

“A poetic debut which masterfully intertwines themes of familial love, friendship, class, prejudice and trauma with psychological acuity and wit.” —The Booker Prize Judges 2023

“A novel both delicate and strong, illuminating the disturbing and the extraordinary to be found in the every day. Sunday is a beguiling and beguiled narrator, and her story an examination of the disjunction between humans’ private and public selves. I loved it.”
—Maggie O’Farrell, National Book Critics Circle winner and New York Times bestselling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait

“Observations land with the startling yet welcome snap of good standup comedy. . .The result is a tightly focused story, set almost entirely in two neighboring houses on a quiet street, that’s also a gleeful skewering of social codes, a raw portrait of family life and a revealing account of neurodivergence. Sunday may shy away from attention, but Lloyd-Barlow makes her wary, vigilant and poetic voice the star in a mesmerizing debut.”
—The Guardian

—The Guardian

“What a glorious, unforgettable character Vita is. And I loved Sunday's voice too, so unique, right from the off. It showed me things about autism that will stay with me. A genuinely valuable book, but more importantly I enjoyed being inside its world.”
—Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley

“Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow's is a distinct and poetic new voice. This novel about the complex desires behind our closest relationships is undercut with the darkness of Sicilian folklore: the fisherman who promises away his child; the lover who is a wolf; a caged magpie; burning fields.”
—Clare Pollard, poet and author of Delphi

“Funny, lyrical, deft and devastating. Full of longing and love.”
—Amy Sackville, author of Painter to the King

Delicately beautiful novel

There is a lilting, ethereal quality to this novel that is quite entrancing. The narrator’s sensibility is constantly surprising - but always plausible. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the works of Virginia Woolf and Alice McDermott.

Terrific book! Beautifully narrated.

This is a unique, nicely written story. The main character is lovable, and those around her quite interesting.
Highly recommend.

The authentic human conditions

I liked the glimpse of eccentricities and some characteristics and thoughts that differ from neurotypical.

A really enjoyable listen

The neurodivergent main character, Sunday, focuses on accents and intintonation, so listening versus reading is key. I really enjoyed the voice actor's adoption of this unique habit. The story lags a little and my husband, who read the book, said he couldn't find the story line 50% in. When he listened to a segment with me he said, yes, listening would have definitely made this more enjoyable for me. This is the second book I've read by and about an autistic character and I'm very happy to learn more about this community.

Really enjoyed this

It’s so amazing this was written by a first time author and one that is autistic. The narration was so great! I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much without the fabulous narration.