Birdy Cleary

As she navigates her strange new town, Birdy collects a pile of secrets… and she’s not the only one who’s hiding things.

2007. Conrad, Maryland is still smarting from its economic collapse thirty years prior, and Birdy Cleary and her family arrive in town nursing wounds of their own. But there’s a miracle on Victoria Street—the Clearys’ new neighbors, the Doppelskis, just founded a microscopic and insular Catholic school, where Birdy reluctantly enrolls. She feels incompatible with her competitively devout classmates, but bonds easily with Dominic, the charming oldest of the Doppelski clan.

Birdy is soon disturbed to find Dominic has a malicious side, but that’s just one of her problems. She’s a devoted friend, but her loyalty sends her down a treacherous path. Then there’s Dominic’s father, whose saintly reputation conceals his devious nature. When Birdy’s deceptions collide with Mr. Doppelski’s, shocking secrets are exposed, and Birdy is left questioning where God is and who really serves him.

Depicting one young woman’s transformation over four years, Birdy Cleary is a gripping, poignant, and darkly humorous coming-of-age story for anyone who has sought truth in the face of hypocrisy, especially millennials who once braved painful youth groups.