Reviewed by "Wind Dancer"
"Spirits of a Feather" by Shirriff is a book I recently finished reading and that I really liked. It is the story of Jay, a young boy who leaves home because he can't take the abuse anymore and heads off for the big city (in this case, Winnipeg, Manitoba).
He has $11 in his pocket and nowhere to go. He is incredibly naive and (lucky for him) meets Phil who takes him in and begins the process of teaching Jay to open his mind and grow.
Jay's experiences with the gay community, vegetarianism, a native shaman, drug dealers, a medium and the family of his rich girlfriend teach him about the varieties of life and people and help him to heal his own prejudices and find his own way in the world; seeing people and not labels and stereotypes and exploring his own identity.
I liked this book because I have known a lot of Jays in this world - full of pain, ignorance and anger and I really enjoyed the characters his path crosses. I like to see stories of growth and release from our demons. - Wind Dancer
