Birds of a Lesser Paradise

- Jim Shepard, author of"You Think That's Bad"

""Birds of a Lesser Paradise" is an astonishing debut collection, by a writer reminiscent of such greats as Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout and even Chekhov. Expertly delivered, Bergman's stories bloom from the minutiae of life. They confirm the inescapable power that nature--and our own biology--has over us."

- Sara Gruen, author of"Water for Elephants"

"A big-hearted collection of stories--each one a precise and compassionate study of human life, the changes and obstacles--all carefully housed under the miracles and marvels of nature. Megan Mayhew Bergman is a brilliantly gifted writer who recognizes and highlights life's fragilities in a way that will leave your heart aching while also finding those bits of hilarity and absurdity that bring uniqueness to each and every creature."

- Jill McCorkle, author of"Going Away Shoes"
"Readers will be shocked, amazed, and always entertained by the work of this accomplished writer of short fiction." --"Booklist"
"I predict that astronomers will soon be renaming the star Sirius to Megan Mayhew Bergman. "Birds of a Lesser Paradise" offers us a spectacular new voice in the world of American short fiction. The characters in these stories--each one--perform as beacons on who we are and how we should act, all without pretense or exhortation. This is a first-rate collection."

--George Singleton, author of"The Half-Mammals of Dixie"

"Bergman's excellent stories are hard-earned and well-honed. Her characters speak as if their very lives depend upon getting it right, getting it down, facing the toughest stuff that tumbles down with equal toughness and enduring resilience. A very fine and impressive debut."

-Brad Watson, author of "Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives"
"A top-notch debut... that deserves big praise. The beginning, one suspects, of a fine career." --"Kirkus"