DISCOVER THE HEART OF BELONGING IN “GOLDIE BIRD” BY PATTY IHM
DISCOVER THE HEART OF BELONGING IN “GOLDIE BIRD” BY PATTY IHM: A STORY FOR ANYONE WHO’S EVER SEARCHED FOR THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD
Sometimes, the hardest part of growing up is letting go of the way things used to be.
Delkab, Illinois — Our Galaxy Publishing is proud to announce the upcoming release of Goldie Bird, the emotionally resonant and beautifully crafted middle-grade novel by Patty Ihm, a celebrated author, teacher, and mother to many. With her gift for storytelling, Ihm brings readers of all ages a timeless coming-of-age story about love, loss, friendship, and the search for identity.
In Goldie Bird, eleven-year-old Goldie navigates the turbulence of growing up: her sister leaving for college, her mother’s grief over losing her great aunt, and her own sense of feeling adrift. But through an unexpected friendship with Kip, a boy with a knack for adventure, and her growing bond with a new friend, Kate, Goldie begins to uncover the beauty of connection and the bittersweet nature of growing up.
Ihm, a former early intervention therapist and teacher, weaves her rich personal experiences into the fabric of Goldie Bird. With decades of nurturing children through foster care and parenting, Ihm offers authenticity and depth to the characters and their challenges, bringing unparalleled insight into family dynamics and the delicate process of self-discovery. “We write from our feelings, our observations, and our experiences,” says Ihm. “Goldie Bird is full of pieces of my own life, but I think there’s a bit of Goldie in all of us.”
One of the novel’s most poignant moments comes from Goldie’s reflections on life’s intertwined struggles and joys:
“It didn’t seem like the rain had washed the hard stuff away, at least not this time.”
For Ihm, Goldie’s journey mirrors universal experiences. “What young person—or person of any age—doesn’t want to feel important, loved, and like they belong?” she asks. These timeless themes, coupled with Goldie’s adventures, make the novel an unforgettable read for children and adults alike.
About Goldie Bird by Patty Ihm:
Eleven-year-old Goldie’s world is changing fast, and most of it is out of her control. Loneliness overcomes her as her beloved sister, Elise, goes off to college, and the recent loss of her great aunt consumes her mother’s emotions. Goldie feels adrift and out of place.
But when she joins her mother for a trip to Heritage where her late aunt lived, Goldie forms an unlikely friendship with Kip, a sweet boy with an infectious sense of adventure. Kip shows Goldie the carefree thrills of birch bending and secret caves where the two bond over common experiences and escape the complexities of the adults around them.
As she reluctantly returns to her life, Goldie must adjust to being a middle schooler as things at home become more challenging. Despite her deep love for her sister and mother, Goldie feels unsure of where she fits in their lives, forcing her to grapple with the bittersweet aspects of growing up and letting go of the way things used to be.
With her frequent letters from Kip and her new friend, Kate, by her side, Goldie tries to navigate all that comes her way on the quest for acceptance and belonging. In this timeless, coming-of-age novel, Goldie symbolizes the universal experience of deep familial connections, friendship, and self-identity.
About Patty Ihm:
Patty Ihm is a writer, former early intervention therapist, and teacher living in Illinois on a farmette where she is a mother to many; three biological, six adopted, and 18 children she and her husband have offered their home to as foster parents—some for a day and some to stay forever. Goldie Bird is Patty’s debut coming-of-age, middle-grade novel published by Our Galaxy Publishing. She is also the author of Isn’t That Enough? Musings of Motherhood and the Meaning of Life, a memoir published by Our Galaxy Publishing in 2022, and Ode to a Boy, a self-published work dedicated to her now grown sons.
Fueled on coffee and the soul-cleansing therapy of the written word, Patty tends to thirty-something chickens, a mix of hens and roosters, nine bee hives, and a thriving garden. In the quiet parts of the day (and sometimes amidst the chaos of life), Patty finds pockets of time to write and share her experiences with others.
To learn more about Patty and her books, visit her website: www.pattyihm.com