Meet Iain Reid: an overeducated, underemployed twenty-something, living in the big city in a bug-filled basement apartment and struggling to make ends meet. When Iain lands a job at a radio station near his childhood home, he decides to take it. But the work is only part time, so he is forced to move back in with his lovable but eccentric parents on their hobby farm. What starts out as a temporary arrangement turns into a year-long extended stay, in which Iain finds himself fighting with the farm fowl, taking fashion advice from the elderly, fattening up on a gluttonous fare of home-cooked food, and ultimately easing (perhaps a little too comfortably) into the semiretired lifestyle.

A hilarious and heartwarming comic memoir about food, family, and finally growing up, One Bird’s Choice marks the arrival of a funny, original, and fresh new voice.

Iain Reid would never in a million years consider being “one of those guys.” You know the ones, they’re out of school with no real job or ambition and back living with their parents. Suddenly, and almost without warning, he’s back with his parents at their farm tending the animals and working at a local radio station a couple days a week. With nearly no plans for the future and dwindling prospects at his current job will Iain’s summer stay at Mom & Dad’s turn into something more permanent? Is he turning into “one of those guys?” Only time and perspective will tell, in this very funny and introspective memoir from an unexpected narrator.

This is quite honestly one of the funniest stories I think I’ve ever read. When I initially decided to give it a try I knew it wouldn’t be exactly Chick Lit material, but I had high hopes for the funny factor and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I also wasn’t disappointed when it came to the romance side, though it was from an entirely unexpected source, his parents. They also contributed to much of the humor in the story with their banter back and forth being the center of many of the conversations in the book. During the first half of the book I found myself nearly in tears over many of their conversations as well as Iain’s interpretation of the situations. Hilarious.

What I found most endearing about his parents relationship was that though they lived seemingly very different lives, both his parents came together to form a whole and complete pair. In today’s age when many couples end their marriages early, for one reason or another, it was nice to see that there are still couples out there that can endure. It’s obviously not for everyone, and there are always going to be problems that arise that can’t be overlooked resulting in divorce, but it was nice to see a representation of the opposite. I loved seeing how they overlooked the silly things that might have bothered a young couple to see the person they fell in love with long ago. There’s even the story of how they fell in love! I won’t spoil it, but it’s absolutely adorable!

Overall, what I truly felt the book was about was Iain’s journey over the course of the year along with the way he reaches a balance within himself. In the beginning he absolutely loathes the idea of having to go back to live with his parents, but by the end though he’s not in love with being dependent in a way, he’s found a new way to look at life. He takes in the world around him and is able to focus on what he truly wants to do with his life, to write. I’d have to say I enjoyed more of the first half of the book with the humor at high levels, but I was still able appreciate much of the introspection of the last half.

For anyone who’s ever moved back home after leaving for a period of time or for anyone looking for an extremely funny quick memoir I’d highly recommend One Bird’s Choice. With so many struggling to find their path in today’s society I have no doubt that numerous readers will absolutely relate to Iain’s situation. Though you may not have parents with a farm that includes numerous sheep, cats & dogs, and one very odd “member of the family” in the form of a guinea fowl named Lucius, we can all relate to a point in our lives when we had to decide who we were going to be and what we wanted to do. I adored the humor of this light hearted memoir as well as the timeless love his parents had for one another and am positive others will share in my affections for this delightful book.

Thank you so much to the publisher, House of Anansi Press, and the author, Iain Reid, for send a copy of the book for review as part of TLC Book Tours!

Please stop by tomorrow for you chance to win a copy of this fantastic book!

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