Cindy Birdsong who is Sundray Tucker's sister, had already joined Mary Wilson and Jean Terrell onstage and on the "Floy Joy" album cover, as Birdsong's pregnancy became visible. After a brief hiatus, Birdsong returned to the Supremes in November 1973, replacing a pregnant Laurence and remaining with the Supremes until she retired in February 1976, frustrated with her dealings with Mary Wilson's then-husband Pedro Ferrer, who was serving as the group's manager; coincidentally, a few days before Birdsong's official departure, Florence Ballard died of cardiac arrest at the age of 32 while experiencing a financial and personal recovery. During that period, Birdsong
Birdsong (novel) Sunday Telegraph", "The Times Literary Supplement", "The Spectator" and "The Scotsman". American and other international press reviews were similarly positive. The novel's popular reception was similarly positive. "Birdsong" came 13th in a 2003 BBC survey called the Big Read, which aimed to find Britain's favourite book. It received an "Also Mentioned" credit in "The Observer" 2005 poll of critics and writers to find the "Best British book of the last 25 years" (1980–2005). "Birdsong" was listed in "The Telegraph" as one of the most consistently high selling books of 1998–2008, continuously in the top 5,000 sales figures. Reviews of the