Souls of a Feather (Paperback)

~ Charles Shirriff (Author) "Jay flopped into the middle seat on Air Canada flight 836 from San Francisco to Winnipeg..." (more)
Key Phrases: sentencing circle, first nation people, Han Sing, Red Dragon, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This novel continues the saga of Jay, a young man from northern Canada, as he and his friends make their way through the challenges and pitfalls of life in the metropolis of Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba. Follow Jay and his friends as they have encounters of the spiritual kind with the Bah?i Faith and a native (First Nation) shaman. Gain a personal insight into what it's like to live on a Hutterite Colony, to be an Hasidic Jew, or a New Age enthusiast.

Add to the mix Jay's problems with his girlfriend's wealthy father who plots to end their relationship, his gay friend Steve's efforts to educate the world, and you have an unusual reading experience.

About the Author

Charles (Bill) Shirriff and his wife, Wilma, reside near Winnipeg. They raised two children, Ken and Anita and have granddaughters, Sydney and Emma.Attending universities, and his teaching career, took him to Vancouver, Toronto, Swan River, Cranberry Portage, Flin Flon, Norway House, Moosonee, Connecticut, North Dakota and California. [e-mail]

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc (November 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595206263
• ISBN-13: 978-0595206261
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,071,916 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual look at some spiritual options., April 18, 2002

By	Randy Whitely (USA) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed Shirriff's first novel, "Spirits of a Feather", so of course I had to buy this one.

The story follows two years in a young man's life as he helps his girlfriend regain her health. He encounters major problems with her father who tries an imaginative scheme to get rid of him.

Interwoven in this plot are personal and close-up looks at some of his spiritual options. Specifically, the First Nations (native) spirituality is followed through from the first book (Spirits of a Feather), the Baha'i Faith, the Hutterite lifestyle and a few other minor experiences.

The Hutterite and Baha'i sections were obviously carefully researched so that the tone and feeling of the faiths is meaningfully portrayed.

I was struck by the underlying similarity among all the religions, particularly Baha'i and Native sprirituality, and to discover that many of our aboriginal peoples follow the Baha'i Faith as well as their own spirituality.

It's a good story, even without the spiritual component. The style is easy to read and humorous in places. It isn't until you have finished the book that you realize you have learned a lot about other people and their spirituality.

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable story about a young man connecting to his spiritual self, September 11, 2009

By	Feathered Quill Book Reviews (Goshen, MA) - See all my reviews

In this gentle sequel to Spirits of a Feather, we follow Jay, a boy from northern Canada, as he matures and develops an education in Winnipeg.

Jay remains devoted to his girlfriend throughout this story despite her father's continued efforts to break them up. This remains the main conflict throughout. In this story, we have a kinder, gentler Jay, one who is less opinionated and seems more open to the world.

What I found most interesting in the book were facts about a Hutterite Colony; how they originated in Russia and then originally migrated to South Dakota to escape military service mandated by the czar. Mr. Shirriff does a great job of illustrating the mentality of these pacifists without failing to humanize them.

Jay's maturity is especially evident with his acceptance of his gay friend Steve. In the first book, Jay was overtly hostile. In this story the relationship has taken on a sort of comfortable familiarity while Jay still manages to retain perhaps a bit of his "straight man" homophobia. Steve has thrust himself into the task of educating the world about homosexuality, and perhaps is somewhat satisfied with having changed the outlook of just one person. Jay makes great strides in coming to terms with his Ojibwa roots as well; mainly through his mentor, a droll shaman named R.B. Jay has adopted the eagle as his totem animal. It may be the effect of meditation as suggested by R.B., but Jay develops a tremendous connection with his spirituality during this time in his life.

The best part of the story, for me, was when Phil decided to adopt Arrow the dog. I had initially found Phil's character to be quite gruff, and for some reason the fact that he ended up with a dog was ultimately rewarding. I thought he needed one.

This story had many elements working toward one goal: the maturity and education of a young man. Jay manages to become engaged during the course of the book, an event I would never have believed during the first story. Despite all the different people and themes involved, the fact that they all seemed to work toward this common goal helped to unify the story quite well.

Quill says: An enjoyable story about a young man growing up and connecting to his spiritual self.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Spirits of a Feather, August 9, 2005

By	Laura Davis "Laura Davis" (Canada) - See all my reviews

Souls of a Feather
By Charles W. Shirriff

Souls of a Feather is the sequel to Spirit of a Feather by Charles W. Shirriff. Continuing in the same educational vein as Spirits of a Feather, but with a more literary bend, we are presented with the continuing saga of Jay. As Jay tries to establish himself in the adult world, he must come to terms with his values and his aboriginal roots. He also deals with the hostile and manipulative father of his girlfriend, and continues his quest for his own father.

If you have ever been curious about various religious philosophies, Souls of a Feather may give you some insight. Souls of a Feather will lift some readers out of their homogeneous worlds and show them how varied life really is. Again, this book would make an excellent reader for high school students.

Laura Davis (Professional writer and Reviewer)