I was excited to try a new book called On Little Wings. I'm always looking for a new book and was thrilled to dive into this one. I was rewarded with a beautiful story that captured my attention and had me entangled in the world until the last page.
First the synopsis:
Jennifer must do the impossible – bring her mother home. When a family is torn apart by death, two sisters take violently divergent paths and the story of their family appears to end terribly and abruptly. Two decades later Jennifer never dreams that the photo she finds stuck between the pages of a neglected book will tear open a gaping wound to her mother’s secret past. Abandoning her comfortable life with her parents and best friend in the wheat fields of Nebraska, Jennifer’s quest for a hidden aunt leads her to the untamed coast of Maine where she struggles to understand why her mother lied to her for sixteen years.
Across the grey, rocky cove she meets Nathan Moore, the young, reluctant genius surrounded by women who need him to be brother, father, friend, provider, protector and now, first love. The stories, varied, hilarious, and heartbreaking, unfold to paint a striking mural of the shattered past. As Jennifer seeks to piece together her mother’s story, she inadvertently writes one for herself.
Across the grey, rocky cove she meets Nathan Moore, the young, reluctant genius surrounded by women who need him to be brother, father, friend, provider, protector and now, first love. The stories, varied, hilarious, and heartbreaking, unfold to paint a striking mural of the shattered past. As Jennifer seeks to piece together her mother’s story, she inadvertently writes one for herself.
This story begins with Jennifer just having heard a secret that had been kept from her all her life. She thought her mom had been an only child, only to find a photograph of her mother and her aunt. She was furious and left the house to go talk to her friend. On a whim, she and her friend decided to call her aunt and find out if her aunt even knew Jennifer existed. Her aunt was thrilled to hear from her and they enjoyed their talk on the phone.
Jennifer decided that she wanted to get to know her aunt, so with her mom's grudging permission, she headed off to Maine to meet the family she never knew she had. She met many people from her mother's past and learned more about her mother than she ever thought she would. She fell in love with the scenery, the way of life, and the people in the small town of Smithport and had a hard time leaving when the time came.
Along came Nathan, a shy, intelligent neighbor boy. He was tutored by her aunt and he would go and "read lines" each night with her aunt. It was a great way to share a line from a poem, story or anything else they'd read for the day and discuss what was on their mind. Jennifer got caught up in the line sharing and it helped her learn more about herself and those around her. Nathan captured her heart, even after promising her best friend that she wouldn't find a boyfriend while she was gone. She also met Little, a spunky old woman that lives next door. I loved Little. She was a great character that kept the story going with her wonderful tales she'd tell.
I have always been in love with Maine. It's a place where I want to visit someday. Having the story set in Maine just makes me want to go even more. The imagery in this book was amazing. You can hear the waves, smell the sea air, and feel the emotion running through the town - the sadness, anger, longing, and eventual peace.
Regina's website is here: http://reginasirois.com/
You can purchase her books on Amazon here: Paperback
and here: Kindle
