Tea with the Birds

You never find out what the loners of this world do at home, here you’ll get a better idea!

A story with very sharp observations of life!


The story tells us about a foreigner woman who lives by herself in a bedsit of a crowded neighbourhood, but she feels as lonely as anyone can ever feel.
She lives in her solitarily world until a newcomer rents a next door bedsit. Mr. Tamaoki, a clean and neat Japanese man. They lived the encounters of estrange neighbouring life and due to his silent living style she wonders what would that man would do for his living? She’ll find out the day Mr. Tamaoki invites her for tea at his home!

A short, wonderfully observed and skilfully written story that will have you glued to it until its last word!

I as a foreigner and having lived in England for a few years can very much relate with the woman in this story. I’ve felt the odd one out for months, because unlike her I was the only foreigner living in the street, so most of my neighbours had, not just curiosity about my life, but a story about it too! I just started fitting in that community from the moment I requested driving lessons from one of my neighbours. This driving instructor was the link between the English community and me. After a couple of years they actually confessed that despite of al things, I wasn’t much different of them!

I really enjoyed “Tea with the Birds”, as you probably already realise.
Reviewed by Ana Luisa Xavier