Twenty-six years after World War III, Madeline, who lost her sight in a fire as an infant, lives a healthy life in a small Utopian community built as an anti-thesis to what initially caused the war, the history of which has been romanticized to keep the knowledge of sin, corruption and vice from the consciousness of its kin. When Grayland, a stranger from the outside world, stumbles upon the community, Madeline becomes intoxicated by his presence, sensing a connection to him that she doesn't understand. When he offers her the chance to experience the world she so desires to be a part of, Madeline follows him into a truth she's not at all ready to accept. Spiritually resonant and genuine in its conviction, "Year of the Songbird" deals with the power of addiction, sexual and spiritual awakening, the corruption of labels, how outside influences can devour even the strongest of convictions, and how weakness and vice are more easily attained than virtue and happiness. - Madeline of the Ark, R.H. 28