Birdie and Jay
A Novel
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Audible Standard 30-day free trial
Birdie and Jay
Buy for $20.73
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Narrated by:
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Eva Kaminsky
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Gerard Doyle
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By:
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Ella Joy Olsen
From the famed halls of the American Museum of Natural History to the opulent parties of Manhattan’s Gilded Age elite to a muddy dig site that may be hiding a groundbreaking discovery, Birdie & Jay is a captivating historical novel that will take you on an unforgettable journey.
Birdie, a young woman born into wealth, has a deep passion for art and science which leads her to a position painting landscape habitats at the new Museum of Natural History. Her mother - who sees this pursuit as a distraction from her daughter’s obligatory society functions - tries to forbid her from the museum, but Birdie’s dedication only grows once she meets Jay, an intelligent Irishman who’s yanked himself up by his dusty bootstraps to join the museum’s elite team of researchers.
Captivated by each other despite their class differences, Birdie and Jay steal away to Central Park each day, where they discuss the work of Darwin and other forces shaping their changing world. When the two are pulled apart for the summer - Jay to an expedition in England that could make or break his career, and Birdie to the mansions of Newport towards more acceptable suitors - both of them will have to fight for what’s right, and for a chance to be together.
A rich blend of the past, passion, and scientific truth-seeking adventure, Birdie & Jay is a powerful story that will transport listeners to an era of both extraordinary risk and glittering opportunity.
©2019 Ella Joy Olsen (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.Listeners also enjoyed...
Our favorite moments from Birdie and Jay
- Birdie and Jay
- By:Ella Joy Olsen
- Narrated by:Eva Kaminsky, Gerard Doyle
- Birdie and Jay
- By:Ella Joy Olsen
- Narrated by:Eva Kaminsky, Gerard Doyle
- Birdie and Jay
- By:Ella Joy Olsen
- Narrated by:Eva Kaminsky, Gerard Doyle
- Birdie and Jay
- Jay reads up on adventure and expeditions.
- Birdie and Jay
- Jay attends a high society dinner.
- Birdie and Jay
- Bea notices Jay and remembers him from the Museum of Natural History.
A search for truth in love and life
In Birdie and Jay, Ella Joy Olsen splendidly captures the grand opulence of the Gilded Age in Manhattan and Newport, with descriptions of people and places that are both nostalgic and grimly reminiscent of current struggles among the social classes. The love story at the core of this listen is everything—a version of Lady and the Tramp that involves an intellectually curious debutante, drawn to artistic pursuits frowned upon by her family, and an honorable paleontologist, born to Irish immigrants, who soon discover they have much more in common than that which divides them. For truth seekers and believers in science, the themes contained within this novel will resonate far and wide.
About the Creator
Ella Joy Olsen lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, a charming town tucked at the base of the massive Wasatch Mountains. She is the mom of three (young adult) kids, the mama of two dogs, and the wife of one patient husband. Her novels include: the Audible Original Birdie & Jay, the Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice Root, Petal, Thorn, and the 15 Bytes Finalist Where the Sweet Bird Sings. She teaches creative writing through Lifelong Learning at the University of Utah and she is part-owner of Salty City Writing Workshops, where she mentors writers and facilitates writing retreats.
About the Performer
Eva Kaminsky is a New York born and NYC-based actor and narrator. A 2014 Audie nominee and 2018 Earphone Award winner, she has recorded over 200 audiobooks in many different genres, though is most well known for her romance work. Eva can often be heard on various national television and radio commercials for products such as Intel, Neulasta, and Publix Supermarkets, and can be seen regularly on the big and small screen as well. She has spent over 25 years working professionally in theater, both on and off Broadway, and extensively in regional theaters all over the country. She was most recently the Year 2 cast of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child on Broadway.
About the Performer
Gerard Doyle’s 40 year acting career spans television, radio, and theater on both sides of the Atlantic, including national and international touring, London’s West End, and Broadway. He has recorded over 400 audio books, in genres ranging from mystery and suspense, fantasy, comedy, non-fiction, and young adult. He has been awarded many Earphones awards from AudioFile magazine, as well as being a several-time nominee and recipient of the coveted Audio Publishers Association "Audie" award.
Featured Article: The Gilded Age in History and Fiction
While fans of Julian Fellowes’s Gilded Age may be gagging on the luxurious costumes and sumptuous sets, part of the fun is sorting out fact from fiction in the HBO period drama. With a mix of invented characters and actual historical figures—such as society queen Caroline Astor and African American newspaper editor and civil rights leader T. Thomas Fortune—enthusiasts have plenty of resources available so they can learn the truth about the extravagant era when wealthy railroad magnates and other arrivistes were upending late 19th-century New York City society and culture.
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