When the Birds Fly South by Stanton A. Coblentz
"When the Birds Fly South" by A. Coblentz is a novel that explores themes of love, cultural dislocation, and the clash between personal desires and communal obligations. The story centers on Dan Prescott, an American adventurer who stumbles upon the hidden Valley of Sobul in Afghanistan, inhabited by the enigmatic Ibandru people. Dan falls deeply in love with Yasma, an Ibandru woman, and marries her, but struggles to understand the cultural significance of her people’s migratory practices. As winter approaches, he becomes increasingly possessive, compelling Yasma to stay with him instead of joining her tribe.
Throughout the narrative, Dan grapples with the mysteries surrounding the Ibandru, including their worship of the goddess Yulada and their inexplicable disappearances when the birds migrate south. His refusal to accept their customs ultimately leads to tragic consequences, as Yasma’s health declines when she remains at Dan’s side. Despite Dan's eventual realization of his mistakes, it becomes clear that the bond between them cannot withstand the complexities of their differing worlds. The novel culminates in a poignant and heartbreaking moment, as Yasma's fate is intertwined with the natural cycles that Dan has disrupted.
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When the Birds Fly South
First published: 1945
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—cautionary
Time of work: Three years in the early decades of the twentieth century
Locale: Afghanistan and the Valley of Sobul
The Plot
Stanton A. Coblentz’s When the Birds Fly South tells the story of a doomed romance in a hidden valley. An American adventurer, Dan Prescott, discovers the hidden Valley of Sobul and its mysterious inhabitants, the Ibandru, in the mountains of Afghanistan. During his stay in the valley, Dan falls in love with and eventually marries one of the Ibandru, Yasma. Unable to understand why the members of the tribe must travel south in the winter, Dan destroys his marriage when he forces Yasma to stay with him rather than going with her people.
The story begins with Dan’s first-person account of his eagerness to reach a rock formation that looks like a giant woman. When he attempts to reach what he believes to be a statue, Dan becomes separated from his comrade, Jaspar Damon, and nearly dies when he rushes through a thick fog. Dan is rescued by the Ibandru, the mysterious inhabitants of the Valley of Sobul. As he recovers from his injuries, Dan learns the Ibandru’s language and soon falls in love with a young woman, Yasma.
Dan soon finds himself confronted with several mysteries surrounding the Ibandru and their valley. He learns that they worship the goddess Yulada, represented by the colossal statue of the woman. Dan also is confronted with the strange disappearance of the Ibandru when the birds fly south for the winter. When he attempts to follow the Ibandru as they leave their village, Dan loses track of them as if they had vanished into thin air. Furthermore, when Dan tries to ask about these mysteries, the Ibandru avoid answering his questions or simply refuse to reply.
After the Ibandru have left for the winter, Dan attempts to travel to the feet of the statue. The onset of a sudden winter storm foils his attempt. When the Ibandru return, Dan decides to marry Yasma. Dan joins forces with her brother, Karem, to fool the Ibandru’s wise man, Hamul-Kammesh, into believing that Yulada has given her blessing to his marriage to Yasma. The ceremony takes place, and the young couple enjoy a few months of happiness before Yasma must leave again for the winter.
During his stay at Sobul, Dan comes to suspect that the Ibandru are supernatural creatures and even considers the possibility that they transform themselves into birds. He never sees the transformation and cannot confirm his suspicion. While he is alone for a second winter, Dan succeeds in reaching the statue of Yulada, only to discover that it is actually a rock formation that looks like a woman from a distance.
Dan’s happiness is restored when Yasma returns. As a third winter approaches, Dan forces Yasma to promise him that she will not leave him alone and will remain when the other Ibandru leave. Yasma keeps her promise, but as the months go by her health deteriorates, until she hovers near death. Realizing that he made a mistake, Dan finally frees Yasma from her promise. Yasma tells him that it is too late and that she will never return from her flight. The novel ends as Yasma dies and Dan sees a large bird flying to the south.