We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

We Never Asked for Wings is a new novel from Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of The Language of Flowers which has been an extremely popular choice for both students and teachers.  Perhaps, then, my expectations were too high for We Never Asked for Wings?  Briefly, this new novel is the story of Letty Espinosa, and her two children Alex, 15, and Luna, 6. Letty’s own mother had essentially raised the children while Letty worked multiple jobs and explored a more “fun” lifestyle. But when the grandmother leaves for Mexico, Letty - and Alex - learn to take on increased responsibility and to develop more mature relationships.

There were parts of the We Never Asked for Wings which I really liked, but others that did not seem realistic. My biggest concern was that I had a hard time believing that a street savvy kid like Alex’s friend, Yesenia, would blindly follow his suggestions and risk discovery as an illegal immigrant. I also did not understand how neighboring schools could be so radically different, but perhaps that is more true in large urban districts? If that is the case, Diffenbaugh still owed her readers more explanation and justification for that disparity.  (See non-fiction Mission High for one perspective and data from Pew Research Center for more statistics on US students and schools).

Overall, it felt like Diffenbaugh was trying to address too many social issues (teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, bullying, absent dads, immigration, alcohol abuse, educational inequality) and so relied on stereotypes and clichés instead of fully developing or nuancing fewer of these situations. Book group readers will certainly pick up We Never Asked for Wings and likely point out the tough choices characters face and how they hurt themselves by not sharing more information with each other, which is similar to events in The Language of Flowers. 

Vanessa Diffenbaugh said that she struggled with writing this second book and is looking forward to her third – so am I. Diffenbaugh is an extremely talented author who is willing to explore important problems and to be an advocate for those in our society who are more vulnerable. 

Whispering Shadows by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Jan-Philipp Sendker has become one of my favorite authors and I was eagerly anticipating his newest work, Whispering Shadows, which is a mystery story set in Hong Kong and mainland China. An ex-pat, but longtime Hong Kong resident, Paul Leibovitz, is asked to look into the disappearance of a young American business executive.  He turns to a close friend, Zhang, a homicide detective in Shenzhen, and together the two of them attempt to learn what has happened. Their search for truth is dangerous, particularly when opposition from local officials leads to some definite tension and suspense.

In addition to the Asian settings, what I like best about Sendker’s writing is the personal reflection and soul searching shared by his characters and that was evident again in Whispering Shadows as Paul and Zhang each battles with an inner voice amid distractions of everyday life.  In this case, secrets and events are tied to happenings from the time of the Cultural Revolution and there is plenty of opportunity to debate the meaning of trust, past choices involving betrayal, and the essence of true friendship. Having been told that this book is intended to be part of a trilogy, I am once again already looking forward to another title from Jan-Philipp Sendker.

Starred review from Booklist; other titles by Sendker: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and A Well-Tempered Heart.