JoDee Neathery

Thrilled with the review from Donovan's Literary Services and Midwest Book Review for Wings Against The Wind. Available https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737392054
Wings Against the Wind opens with Lieutenant Monroe Cologne and Detective Bassett interviewing Paulina Dupont about the sudden death of her husband in what appears to be a household accident, but may be something more. Just two days earlier the new widow was slated to speak at a conference, her husband Andrew is planning to take advantage of her absence to share more magical time with his young love Gretchen Cassidy. It is her birthday, and he’s giving her a pendant and a rare history book.
As the truth emerges about a marriage’s sham, bookstore co-owner and Andrew’s stepbrother Knox Garland’s inadvertent discovery of Andrew’s affair, and a medical condition which seems to eliminate the possibility of foul play in Andrew’s death but raises other questions, sparks a series of connections and encounters that involve Paulina, Knox, Gretchen, and other characters in conundrums that continue to entwine their lives with history.
Heartbreaking stories from past and present dovetail as Paulina finds herself facing Knox’s health crisis and making promises to him that further entangle her in another’s life.

The landscapes change as different characters evolve, moving from Paris, France to Heidelberg, Germany and a small town in Texas. Gretchen comes full circle into acknowledging her role as a biological mother whose decisions have impacted her children Drew, Holden, and Hadley as she faces the lasting consequences her family’s decisions have had on her, as well. A messy custody battle evolves new questions and realizations.

JoDee Neathery creates an engrossing story of lives that intersect and impact one another, paying special attention to building different settings that support and challenge the characters in disparate ways. She draws intriguing comparisons between different lives and perspectives, follows a mother’s search for her children and redemption, and expands the story to embrace families and love that grows from different wellsprings of faith and experience.

As Gretchen’s character and world expands, readers become immersed in emotional cyclones that are sparked by life experiences and images even as seemingly innocuous as a flag and its story.

The intersections of personal life decisions, lasting impact, and history come together in a story which is satisfyingly complex, powered by personalities and experiences that range from being a tour guide at the Heidelberg Castle to facing the impact of a fractured family.

The result is a powerful story that sways back and forth in place and atmosphere, creating bonds and realizations that will spark in readers an involvement in the lasting decisions of the past that change the present and future generations alike.

Librarians will want to highly recommend Wings Against the Wind to those who enjoy literary fiction blended with strong characters whose choices and objectives move into modern times with impactful results.

Its fine portrayal of Gretchen’s changing world is compelling, realistic, and filled with unpredictable twists that stem from choices not entirely of her own making, creating a novel that is a delightful dance through cause and effect.
Wings Against the Wind

Wings Against The Wind Wings Against The Wind

NewInBooks featured literary fiction of Wings Against The Wind. Ebook discounted to $3.99.