Little Bird: A Novel

In 1910, fearing escalating violence against the Jews in Russia, Feige’s father arranges for her to marry a wealthy cousin in New York City.

She will no longer be her parents' adored “little bird.” As she adapts to life in America, she goes from being an obedient daughter to a dutiful wife, even allowing her new husband to change her name to Fannie. Longing to make her own decisions, her husband’s cruelty finally pushes her to risk leaving him. She parlays her embroidery skills into a job and finds the man she believes is the love of her life. When he betrays her, she refuses to forgive him, disregarding advice to overlook men’s lapses. Finally, she meets a man who both loves and respects her. Can she give up her hard won independence? Little Bird is the story of a girl who finds the courage to forge her own path to womanhood.

About the Author

Barbara Viniar started out in academia, teaching Women’s Studies part time at the graduate and undergraduate levels and writing her doctoral dissertation on women’s moral development in contemporary fiction. After retiring from her second college presidency, she turned to creative writing. A chance discovery about her grandmother compelled her to imagine the story that became Little Bird.