Wingspan by Chris Bohjalian

A special thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Originally Wingspan was produced as a one-act play starring Grace Experience and K.K. Glick. It is the story of Emily, a young flight attendant who is about to embark on her first transatlantic trip. The only problem is that Emily is afraid of flying. Accompanying her on the flight is Karen, a veteran attendant. who is trying to help navigate her fears during a turbulent flight.

The two strike up a conversation and Karen discovers that a fear of flying is not Emily's only secret.

This is Bohjalian's first play and I don't suspect it will be his last. He is a master at dialogue and creating complex and interesting characters. Emily is both vulnerable and strong, she doesn't allow herself to get swallowed up by her fear.

Bohjalian's piece is a commentary on issues women face and the backlash that looms as a result of their decisions.

CHRIS BOHJALIAN is the author of twenty books, including The Guest Room; The Sandcastle Girls; Skeletons at the Feast; The Double Bind; and Midwives which was not only a number one New York Times bestseller, but an Oprah’s Book Club selection.

Bohjalian's work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and three novels have become movies (Secrets of Eden, Midwives, and Past the Bleachers) and The Flight Attendant has been optioned for a televisions series.

Chris lives in Vermont with his wife.

The Mermaid Girl by Erika Swyler

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A short, but mesmerizing story that is actually a prequel to The Book of Speculation.  I was absolutely hooked from the first sentence.

The story is a love story between Daniel and Paulina, the parents of the narrator of The Book of Speculation.  He fell in love with the mermaid from a travelling circus and fears she will leave.  "The problem with marrying the mermaid girl from the carnival was knowing that one day she'd swim away."

There is an inherent doomed aspect to the relationship.  Even though she was a circus mermaid and not a real one, it is as though she is just as restless as if she was once a real mermaid and is being called back to the ocean.

The love story between the two is so sad, he yearns for her, and she yearns for something else.  Freedom? Her past life?  Swyler brilliantly pens the fragile nature of their relationship and leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more.

ERIKA SWYLER is a graduate of New York University. She is a writer and playwright whose work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Born and raised on Long Island's north shore, Erika is also a baker, photographer and blogger.