hummingbird_house_henley
2001 Nominated

Hummingbird House

artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

When Kate Banner, an American midwife in Nicaragua, loses another patient – a young woman who had given birth only the night before on the bottom of a swamped wooden boat – she knows it is time to go home. Because to care for the children of war, you have to cut pieces of your heart. But traveling home leads her to Guatemala, where even children sometimes disappear.

Patricia Henley’s ‘Hummingbird House’ is a beautifully told story of a woman’s struggles to face new territories of love and war in the middle of her life. This is a moving and emotionally trustworthy tale of a human heart unbinding itself in the most unjust of worlds.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Patricia
Henley

Patricia Henley spent five months traveling in Central America and southern Mexico while writing ‘Hummingbird House’. She has published two collections of stories, ‘Friday Night at Silver Star’ and ‘The Secret of Cartwheels’. Carnegie-Mellon University Press published a book of her poems, ‘Back Roads’, in 1996. Her stories have been anthologized in ‘Best American Short Stories’ and ‘The Pushcart Prize Anthology’. ‘Hummingbird House’ is her first novel. She teaches in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Purdue University.

Patricia Henley spent five months traveling in Central America and southern Mexico while writing ‘Hummingbird House’. She has published two collections of stories, ‘Friday Night at Silver Star’ and ‘The Secret of Cartwheels’. Carnegie-Mellon University Press published a book of her poems, ‘Back Roads’, in 1996. Her stories have been anthologized in ‘Best American Short Stories’ and ‘The Pushcart Prize Anthology’. ‘Hummingbird House’ is her first novel. She teaches in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Purdue University.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find any translators matching your search. Please try using different keywords or check back later as we regularly update our collection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
United States
Publisher
MacMurray & Beck

RELATED FEATURES

News May 21 2026

2026 Dublin Literary Award Winner Revealed

Discover this year's winner!
Video May 16 2026

Brigitte Giraud – Live Fast Q&A

Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
Video May 12 2026

Laurent Binet – Perspective(s) Q&A

Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
Video May 8 2026

Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A

Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.