Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Where can I find Magdalena Stanhoff's books?

All books by Magdalena Stanhoff can be found on Amazon in Kindle and print versions. They are also available in Kindle Unlimited.

Do the books in the Migrant Birds series have to be read in order?

Reading the Migrant Birds series in order is recommended, but not obligatory. Events in the novels are in chronological order and share many characters, but each has its own protagonists and tells a complete story.

The reading order:

1. The Trouble with Belonging (2021)
2. The Flaws in Our Prayers (2023)
3. The Voice in the Well (2025)

Do the Migrant Birds books end with cliffhangers?

None of the Migrant Birds series novels (The Trouble with Belonging, The Flaws in Our Prayers, and The Voice in the Well) ends with a cliffhanger. Each book tells a complete story with a definitive conclusion.

Where and when does the Migrant Birds series take place?

The Migrant Birds novels are set mostly in 21st-century Warsaw, in the environment of expats and immigrants from different countries and their Polish friends. The events of the first book (The Trouble with Belonging) span from early 2000 to 2019, and the next novels (The Flaws in Our Prayers and The Voice in the Well) cover the 2020s.

Where do the Migrant Birds series protagonists come from?

The Migrant Birds series features an extended family whose members originate from Taiwan and South Korea, alongside their Polish friends, love interests and life partners. Apart from that, many side characters in the books come from other countries.

Will there be a fourth book in the Migrant Birds series?

 Yes. Magdalena Stanhoff is currently working on the fourth Migrant Birds novel (The Less Obvious Truths), continuing the family saga introduced in The Trouble with Belonging. To be released in 2027.

What about the Left Side Trilogy? Does it have to be read in order?

The Left Side Trilogy by Magdalena Stanhoff should be read in order, since it's one story in three volumes.

The reading order:

1. Under the Devil's Care (coming in October 2026)
2. The River of Lonely Souls (to be published in January 2027)
3. All That Binds Us (to be published in spring 2027)

Where is the city described in The Left Side Trilogy?

The Left Side Trilogy is set in an unnamed, fictional Western metropolis, characterized by deep socioeconomic divides, industrial history, and urban decay existing side-by-side with modern glamour. The citizens' various surnames hint at their different origins and the multicultural character of the city. 

Do Magdalena Stanhoff's books contain crime and suspense?

The Migrant Birds series does not contain crime elements. However, the Left Side Trilogy features crime and suspense as secondary themes. While these elements propel the plot, the books are complex, character-driven stories rather than typical genre thrillers.

What kind of novels does Magdalena Stanhoff write?

 Magdalena Stanhoff writes emotionally rich contemporary fiction across two series: Migrant Birds and The Left Side Trilogy. 

The Migrant Birds core genres:

• Contemporary book club fiction
• Coming of age fiction
• Literary romance
• Family drama
• International and multicultural fiction about expats and immigrants

The Migrant Birds core tropes:

• Belonging and identity
• Found family and unlikely friendships
• Romantic relationships based on personal growth
• Healing from emotional wounds
• Starting over after major life changes
• Life between cultures
• Patchwork families
• Global perspectives

The Left Side core genres:

• Contemporary book club fiction
• Coming of age fiction with contemporary urban setting
• Literary crime and suspense

The Left Side core tropes:

• Strong friendship leadng to romantic love
• Personal dreams vs. loyalty and belonging
• Fighting inequality and injustice
• Historical mystery woven into the story
• Unadorned and not idealized organized crime
• Conspiracy related to unethical medical research

What authors or books are similar to the Migrant Birds series?

If you enjoyed the Migrant Birds series, you might also like:

• For contemporary multi-cultural identity, diaspora, and expat threads:
  • Min Jin Lee (author of Pachinko)
  • Jean Kwok (author of Searching for Sylvie Lee)
  • Lisa Ko (author of The Leavers)
  • Laila Lalami (author of The Other Americans)
• For deeply emotional book club fiction, family dynamics, and personal growth:
  • Celeste Ng (author of Little Fires Everywhere)
  • Sally Rooney (author of Normal People)
  • Kristin Hannah (author of The Nightingale)
  • Susan Meissner (author of The Nature of Fragile Things)
  • Julie Kibler (author of Calling Me Home)
  • Ann Patchett (author of The Dutch House)

If you enjoyed The Left Side Trilogy, you might also like:

• Chris Whitaker (We Begin at the End and  All the Colors of the Dark)
• Kazuo Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go)
• Markus Zusak (The Book Thief and The Messenger)
• Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Shadow of the Wind)
• Delia Owens (Where the Crawdads Sing)
• Bernhard Schlink (The Reader and The Granddaughter)