The Bird King Summary
G. Willow Wilson

The Bird King Overview

G. Willow Wilson's novel, The Bird King, tells the story of 17-year-old Circassian slave girl Fatima and her search for freedom from the cultural, political, and religious strictures which seek to squash her identity. Through Fatima's profound friendship with the court cartographer Hassan and their escape from bondage together, Wilson explores complex themes regarding faith, bravery, fear, friendship, and self-reliance. By subverting the traditional hero's journey with her uncanny heroine, Wilson's narrative suggests that the individual's strength comes from within, that this power might be harnessed in the face of impossible and perpetual dangers.