Book Review: The Secrets of Flight
The Secrets of Flight by Maggie Leffler
Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her Jewish heritage. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is haunted by a lifetime of secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she’s presided over for a decade, but when a new member walks in--a fifteen year old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah--Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason.
Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her Jewish heritage. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is haunted by a lifetime of secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she’s presided over for a decade, but when a new member walks in--a fifteen year old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah--Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason.
She hires the serious-eyed teenager to type up her story of a daring female pilot during WWII who gambled everything for her dreams--and both their lives take flight in unexpected ways.
At times laugh-out-loud funny and at others heart-wrenching, this is a story of identity, betrayal, love, hope, and forgiveness.
When I first came across this novel, I thought the cover was intriguing and it looked like a perfect book choice for my women's studies course that I started this year. In addition the two points of view in the novel would make it an interesting novel to discuss in my Advanced Placement Literature class.
As I have been doing with recent book reviews I have been sharing, I will include two writing/discussion questions for using this novel with students.
1) How does the author's use of multiple points of view help build the novel in an interesting way for readers?
2) Using Chapter 2: 23 Things About Me by Elyse Strickler, mimic the style that Elyse uses to write this list and create your own list of 23 things.
3) How does the relationship between Mary and Elyse lead to fundamental changes for each of them?
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Maggie Leffler is an American novelist and a family medicine physician. A native of Columbia, Maryland, she graduated from University of Delaware and volunteered with Americorps before attending St. George’s University School of Medicine. She practices medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and sons. The Secrets of Flight is her third novel.
Check out the rest of the stops on this tour:
May 2: Straight from the Library
May 3: OMGReads
May 4: Full Moon Dreaming
May 5: The Recipe Fairy
May 6: CBY Book Club
May 9: Around the World in Books
May 10: Independent Authors
May 11: Rogue's Angels
May 12: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
May 13: Room With Books
May 16: Two Ends of the Pen
May 17: Booksomereads
May 17: Wench's World
May 18: Kovescence of the Mind
May 18: Nickie's Views and Interviews
May 19: Readeropolis
May 20: EskieMama Reads
May 23: Long and Short Reviews
May 23: Writers and Authors
May 24: Reading Is My SuperPower
May 25: Stormy Vixen Book Reviews
May 26: The Avid Reader
May 27: Queen of All She Reads
May 27: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
May 3: OMGReads
May 4: Full Moon Dreaming
May 5: The Recipe Fairy
May 6: CBY Book Club
May 9: Around the World in Books
May 10: Independent Authors
May 11: Rogue's Angels
May 12: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
May 13: Room With Books
May 16: Two Ends of the Pen
May 17: Booksomereads
May 17: Wench's World
May 18: Kovescence of the Mind
May 18: Nickie's Views and Interviews
May 19: Readeropolis
May 20: EskieMama Reads
May 23: Long and Short Reviews
May 23: Writers and Authors
May 24: Reading Is My SuperPower
May 25: Stormy Vixen Book Reviews
May 26: The Avid Reader
May 27: Queen of All She Reads
May 27: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
