WINGS

Looking back to the summer of 1960 when he was ten, Nick relates the story of Marcy, a baby mockingbird he rescued and nurtured into saucy confidence. Her progress brought joy to those around him; his efforts and sacrifice bought him personal growth and a maturity and strength, which he reflects upon in his detailed memories of the gentle, straightforward world of his widowed mother. The serious issues in his life are placed in context of the importance of putting forth a good effort. His feelings about his Dad’s death in the Korean War, and his Grandfather’s mindless suffering in the skilled nursing facility, stir his sense of place in the world. Loizeaux reveals loss, loneliness and the value of kindness and differences through adept characterizations of the people in Nick’s neighborhood. The gentle pace moves forward with daily routine and Marcy’s progress to an inevitable conclusion. The flowing narration, alight with visual detail, is reflected in Bowman’s soft pencil illustrations, aglow with clear sentiment. Loss settles on the page with a longing that only time and reflection can heal, and that only a top-notch writer can create. (Fiction. 9-12)