IF I PROMISE YOU WINGS

After her best friend’s death, a 17-year-old French girl makes the leap to becoming a feather artist in a Parisian boutique.

Alix Leclaire can rarely express her feelings, whether it’s not wanting her father to leave for weeks at a time to pursue his musical ambitions or her frustrations with best friend Jeanne, who prioritizes boys and partying over their friendship. After Jeanne dies in a car crash, Alix pushes past her shyness and approaches Mademoiselle Salomé, owner of the boutique Mille et Une Plume, about an apprenticeship, soon setting herself on a path of romance. Flirtatious Raven, Mademoiselle Salomé’s son, brings an element of fun into Alix’s life, while Blaise, a boy from Alix’s past, grounds her with his cozy qualities and talent with the guitar. But even as the boutique begins to craft wings for the Moulin Rouge, feeding Alix’s dreams, she must figure out what she wants to do and who she wants to be with. Although the book has a slight overabundance of tragic backstories, the melancholy tone is balanced against vivid descriptions of the fashion elements and moments of spontaneity to create a romantic, theatrical mood. French is sprinkled throughout, firmly cementing the Parisian setting. While full catharsis remains just out of reach, readers will remain intrigued by the locale and atmosphere until the finale. Alix and Blaise are coded white; Raven and his mother have brown skin.

A prettily executed account of a young woman learning how to spread her wings.