Reviews
Harris Henderson is a man with a mission. Almost single-handedly, he's built a sanctuary for injured birds of prey in the wilds of the South Carolina coast. But the birds aren't the only wounded creatures in this book. Harris is so involved with the birds he has lost much of his ability to connect with humans. And Ella Majors, a nurse Harris has employed to care for his daughter who has juvenile diabetes, is consumed with overwhelming guilt. There's a strong sense of place in this lyrical tale of two damaged souls who find healing with each other and although it's not often that education and entertainment are so closely intertwined, this tale is one of those rare exceptions, filled as it is with myriad facts about eagles, owls, ospreys, and many other birds of prey. Another unique feature of this remarkable work is Elijah, a character who hails from the African American Gullah tradition. Monroe's novel is a fascinating, emotion-filled narrative that's not to be missed.
~YA/M: A delight for teen nature-lovers.
A devoted naturalist and native of South Carolina's Low Country, Monroe is in her element when describing the wonders of nature and the ways people relate to it. In her previous book, THE BEACH HOUSE, she sprinkled information about loggerhead turtles throughout her romance. This time around she caters to bird watchers. Harris Henderson handles injured birds with ease at his birds of prey rehab center, but he has no idea how to manage his diabetic five-year-old Marion. Enter Ella Majors, a pediatric nurse turned nanny. As Ella cares for the girl, she becomes an integral part of the Hendersons' lives and, before long, Harris begins to see her as more than a plain caretaker. Hauntingly beautiful relationships between birds and people add texture to the story. Most notable are the connections among an elderly black man named Lijah and his eagle, Santee, and a rooster that appears to guard both the center and Brady, a troubled teen working off a community service sentence. Monroe (aka Mary Alice Kruesi) successfully combines elements of women's fiction and romance in this lyrical tale. While it follows a more romantic arc that her previous book, it has enough depth and sophistication to appeal to a broad base of readers. (July)
Without a doubt, Mary Alice Monroe has become one of the premier voices in contemporary women's fiction today. Her lyrical, emotional and gripping stories make for superb reading experiences.
SKYWARD is a soaring, passionate story of loneliness and pain and the simple ability of love to heal and transcend both. Mary Alice Monroe's voice is as strong and true as the great birds of prey of whom she writes.
Fa ebeeting wha dey een wi, hunnuh kin tun Skyward an' kno'.
For everything that's in us, you can turn Skyward and know.
Mary Alice Monroe has clearly discovered, and now eloquently shares, the subtle nuances of lives spent in the care of birds. In SKYWARD, the reader is given a moving glimpse into this privileged endeavor and into its profound impact on the human spirit.