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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
3.5 stars ⭐️ It’s difficult to condense how this book made me feel. The health issues with her father were personally very triggering for me. I had to set down the book and walk away for a bit reading those portions. The author definitely poured her heart into this book. The family drama pulls you in, the familial loyalty & love keep you there. I loved her father’s character development. My favorite chapters were from her autistic son’s perspective. There is disconnect with the ending for me. It was an emotional, engaging, and kind of horrible read.
I didn’t actually finish this book. 150 pages in and it was a little traumatic since it pretty much described the relationship I had with my own father so I said no thx.
This touched me deeply. Loved the characters. This was a beautiful story of a family that through heartache finds acceptance, forgiveness, and love.
4.5
I ADORED this book! It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and it's one that will stick with me for years to come!
Flying at Night is a story of a woman dealing with her son being diagnosed with autism at the same time as her father suffers from a heart attack and brain damage. As someone who has a brother with a mental/physical disability I've always wanted to read or watch media that had that kind of representation and I felt like Brown's interpretation was well handled and realistic.
Piper's personal journey through her acceptance of her son, Fred's, diagnosis as well as her conflicting feelings towards her father was compelling and it showed that her life was not easy and she was struggling to deal with it. At the same time, I liked that she was called out on some less than desirable behaviors (mainly by her husband Issac) because it showed that Piper was human, but also that her reactions/behavior were wrong. Again, it's realistic; no one is going to handle tough situations with a smile on their face and do everything perfectly.
Some of my favorite parts in the book were the interactions between Fred and Lance, Piper's dad. It warmed my cold, black heart to see two people who felt like outsiders to connect and bond and just have a sweet relationship. Ultimately, my reason for not giving this book 5/5 stars is because I wanted to see more of this relationship instead of reading Piper standing off to the side watching Fred and Lance interact/bond.
I did receive an ARC copy thanks to a Goodreads giveaway, but I'll definitely be buying this when it comes out in April!
I ADORED this book! It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and it's one that will stick with me for years to come!
Flying at Night is a story of a woman dealing with her son being diagnosed with autism at the same time as her father suffers from a heart attack and brain damage. As someone who has a brother with a mental/physical disability I've always wanted to read or watch media that had that kind of representation and I felt like Brown's interpretation was well handled and realistic.
Piper's personal journey through her acceptance of her son, Fred's, diagnosis as well as her conflicting feelings towards her father was compelling and it showed that her life was not easy and she was struggling to deal with it. At the same time, I liked that she was called out on some less than desirable behaviors (mainly by her husband Issac) because it showed that Piper was human, but also that her reactions/behavior were wrong. Again, it's realistic; no one is going to handle tough situations with a smile on their face and do everything perfectly.
Some of my favorite parts in the book were the interactions between Fred and Lance, Piper's dad. It warmed my cold, black heart to see two people who felt like outsiders to connect and bond and just have a sweet relationship. Ultimately, my reason for not giving this book 5/5 stars is because I wanted to see more of this relationship instead of reading Piper standing off to the side watching Fred and Lance interact/bond.
I did receive an ARC copy thanks to a Goodreads giveaway, but I'll definitely be buying this when it comes out in April!
The plot of Flying at Night, the character driven debut novel by Rebecca L. Brown is a relatable one. It is about a family redefining itself and rediscovering itself in light of a medical crisis and a medical diagnosis. The book is touching, and the ending is a surprise to me. In hindsight, I can see it, but not in first reading the book. It leaves me thinking.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/06/flying-at-night.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/06/flying-at-night.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Rebecca L. Brown’s debut Flying at Night is an emotion-filled book with great insight into the autistic mind, confronting a childhood raised with an abusive parent, caring for a parent suffering brain damage after a heart attack, and living in an unfulfilling marriage, yet rising above the obstacles and finding growth and self-realization. Piper is the daughter of an abusive father, Lance, who was a Sully-like pilot who had saved lives while piloting through a plane crash. Piper has broken pieces from her childhood living under his abuse. She now is married and has a nine-year-old son, Fred, who becomes diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Piper and Fred are close, and Piper puts all her focus on helping her son maneuver the world, feeling like her husband, Isaac, isn’t present enough to assist. Then she is also left to care for her father who is brain damaged after a heart attack, and she sees quite a different person than the one she knew growing up. The story is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoint of Piper, Fred, and Lance. Between the skillful alternating points of views, delightful imagery, and story of flying through the various challenges, this book grabbed my heart.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy for an honest review.
Be on the lookout for this book due out April 10, 2018.
Read my reviews on my blog: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy for an honest review.
Be on the lookout for this book due out April 10, 2018.
Read my reviews on my blog: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com
Full disclosure; I know Rebecca Brown well enough that I was unwilling to read a draft copy for fear my nitpicky editor brain would miss the forest for the trees, zooming in on nonsensical tiny flaws and flying over the absolute beauty that is this book. I am now heartily, profoundly sorry I made that decision. I can’t imagine any editing errors that could have hidden the loveliness of Brown’s prose.
“Flying at Night” is wonderful, one of the best books I’ve read in forever, right up there with “Wonder,” “Remains of the Day,” and “All the Light You Cannot See.” Shall I count the ways? Yes!
The characters are wonderfully drawn. I have a solid picture of them all in my head, even though Brown provides only the sketchiest of descriptions. And that’s because their characters emerge seamlessly from their narratives, dialogue, and behaviors. And perhaps more critically, these are real people, folks you can love and dislike at the same time, people whose flaws you forgive because you see yourself, or a friend, or a relative, lurking inside.
The narrative is a small tale, full of complexity and simpleness, traveling gracefully in tiny steps to a rich and satisfying conclusion. Along the way we uncover dark stories, wince at missteps, and witness epiphanies. It’s a grand trip, one that leaves you wishing you’d taken photos along the way so you could pore over them later and marvel at the adventure.
Brown manages the tale with prose that doesn’t draw attention to itself, but instead serves to keep the story moving, paint Madison, Wisconsin in icy pastels, and let the characters emerge in all their complexity. Brown doesn’t tell you much of anything; rather, the people and the setting do that for you. In my mind, that is the hallmark of great writing.
Finally, there is Fred, and if you don’t fall crazy in love with this beautiful child, you are a lost soul. I will tell you nothing about this boy because . . .
. . . .YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!
“Flying at Night” is wonderful, one of the best books I’ve read in forever, right up there with “Wonder,” “Remains of the Day,” and “All the Light You Cannot See.” Shall I count the ways? Yes!
The characters are wonderfully drawn. I have a solid picture of them all in my head, even though Brown provides only the sketchiest of descriptions. And that’s because their characters emerge seamlessly from their narratives, dialogue, and behaviors. And perhaps more critically, these are real people, folks you can love and dislike at the same time, people whose flaws you forgive because you see yourself, or a friend, or a relative, lurking inside.
The narrative is a small tale, full of complexity and simpleness, traveling gracefully in tiny steps to a rich and satisfying conclusion. Along the way we uncover dark stories, wince at missteps, and witness epiphanies. It’s a grand trip, one that leaves you wishing you’d taken photos along the way so you could pore over them later and marvel at the adventure.
Brown manages the tale with prose that doesn’t draw attention to itself, but instead serves to keep the story moving, paint Madison, Wisconsin in icy pastels, and let the characters emerge in all their complexity. Brown doesn’t tell you much of anything; rather, the people and the setting do that for you. In my mind, that is the hallmark of great writing.
Finally, there is Fred, and if you don’t fall crazy in love with this beautiful child, you are a lost soul. I will tell you nothing about this boy because . . .
. . . .YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!