Birdie and Jude by Phyllis H. Moore

In Phyllis H. Moore’s, Birdie and Jude, characters come to life and spark interest in the soul of the reader. Birdie, a lifetime resident of Galveston Island, keeps to a happy routine with her dog, Ollie.

Walking the shore on one of their usual excursions they pick up a visitor in distress. Not knowing much about the young woman, Jude, or her disastrous situation, Birdie invites her back to her home to shelter out the storm.

Through routine activities, the writer reveals glimpses of Birdies unique personality. Well loved by the community, Birdie has secrets and a strong desire to be left out of social graces, though she can fake it well enough for a few friends and her over protective nephew, Barry. Young and beautiful Jude also has a past and slowly reveals her situation to Birdie as they become fast friends.

The real part of this story is not in the daily lives of its characters or the events they are caught up in. This story transcends across time and has a warmth to it that stays with the reader long after the story is over.

Birdie and Jude has the sass of Rita Mae Brown mixed with the warmth and racial equality struggle of The Help. I strongly recommend this book for any occasion, but I picked it up on my vacation and couldn’t put it down. A wonderful page turner and hope for a future with loved ones past and present.