Home › Family › The Big Black Bird

The Big Black Bird

by H

A family reshaped by loss

Regular price $15.78 USD
Regular price $21.04 USD Sale price $15.78 USD
Save 25%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

A family reshaped by loss

When fourteen-year-old Ben’s mother dies suddenly, he and his younger brother, Crumb, face a changed home life alongside their father, who is also grieving. The story is told through Ben’s experience as he adjusts to the absence of his mother, navigates the reactions of classmates and friends, and finds his relationship with his father changing. Memories of his mother remain part of the family’s daily reality, while the narrative also points toward the possibility of new experiences after loss. Family grief, sibling ties, and the process of adapting to a parent’s death shape this young adult story.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teen and young adult readers interested in family relationships and grief.
  • Readers seeking fiction about bereavement and adjusting to change.
  • Those interested in a young person’s perspective on a family’s shared loss.

Themes

BereavementFamily relationshipsSibling bondsAdapting to change

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Along with the shouts of the paramedics there was a type of pumping sound and a kind of clicking noise. In between that was a ghostly silence. Shout-pump-click-silence. Shout-pump-click-silence. Shout-pump-click-silence.

 

'Stand back. Clear.' And then, just before my dad left me in the hall and went back into the bedroom, I heard a softly spoken, 'There's nothing more we can do'.

 

The day that fourteen-year-old Ben's mother suddenly dies is a bright and sunny October morning, and leaves Ben, his younger brother 'Crumb' and their father to experience loss first hand.

 

Ben draws the reader into his world of learning to adapt to a completely new life, including dealing with the discomfort of classmates and friends, and establishing a different relationship with his father as he, too, struggles with his own shock and grief. Whilst memories of his mother constantly surface, Ben discovers that even if things are suddenly no longer the same as they once were, life not only goes on, but is filled with new and wonderful things.

 

Nominated for the Young Adult Literature Prize in Germany.

On the recommended reading list of 'The Silver Feather' (German Medical Association).

Listed as one of the seven best books for young readers (Deutschlandfunk - a German public broadcasting company).

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews