Laleh and the Language of the Birds - Softcover

Gurel, Perin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1957833289 ISBN 13: 9781957833286

Publisher: Wildling Press, 2026

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Laleh Lateef's world shatters when her ornithologist father vanishes from the bird sanctuary they called home. She's forced to live with her grouchy uncle, quiet aunt, and rebellious cousin Ivy, who delights in calling her "Bird Nerd." Life feels hopeless-until two crow brothers, Gold and Silver, begin delivering strange gifts.

When the gifts fit together into a magical device that lets Laleh talk to birds, she uncovers a breathtaking secret: Her father's disappearance is part of a larger menace haunting the sanctuary. And her uncle is the likely culprit.

With the sanctuary and its feathered residents in danger, Laleh and Ivy must team up-whether they like it or not-and follow the clues through an ancient Middle Eastern legend known as The Language of the Birds. Their destination: Avesia, the mythical sky realm of perfect bird habitats.

The catch? No one has ever reached it without wings.

About this title

About the Author

Perin Gurel is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Gender Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Born and raised in Istanbul, she is the author of two academic books and many articles on the cultural history of US-Middle East relations. One summer's day, Perin found a story her then eight-year-old daughter Marjane had begun writing on a piece of scrap paper. She had to know how the story would end, but Marjane refused to write more of it. Willful child! So it came to pass that Professor Gurel veered from the straight and narrow path of archival research and became a wild-eyed Wildling, who now raves about summoned wings, feathered devices, and nature's magic.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wildling Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1957833289
• ISBN 13: 9781957833286
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 236