Thank you Jennie Shortridge and Penguin for sending me a copy of her new book. I was first introduced to Jennie earlier this year when the MMBC read Eating Heaven (one of my favorite books read this year).
From OregonLive.com article: ...Portland is also the place where Shortridge found the inspiration for her new book, "When She Flew." It's set in a lightly fictionalized version of the city she calls Columbia and is based on a father and daughter who lived in Forest Park for several years before being discovered in 2004.
Like many people, Shortridge was "completely mesmerized" by the story of a man and his 12-year-old daughter, clean and well-behaved, who lived in a hidden camp and went into town for food and supplies. They were taken to live on a horse farm in Yamhill County by Michael Barkley of the Portland Police Bureau but slipped away after the man complained of media intrusions and worried that his daughter would be teased at school. Their whereabouts are unknown.
When She Flew is a fictional story, based on true events… twelve year old Lindy is spotted in the woods by a bird watcher. The novel follows a police search for Lindy and her father along with the aftermath of said search. As you read this book you not only read Lindy’s story but you also read the story from the view of Officer Jessica Villareal. The search and rescue forces Jessica to think through some life changing events in her own life and she starts to make some decisions about her future.
I absolutely fell in love with Lindy as she processed the events of the day and days after being found. You feel like you are in the woods with her as she describes her home, her cherished belongings, love for her father and the woods.
Take your time reading this one – Lindy is one of my favorite characters read in a long time.
Links worth visiting:- Interviews with Jennie
- Click here to read the MMBC discussion of Eating Heaven
- Author Q&A
Type: Fiction, 352 pages, Trade paperback
When She Flew is a fictional story, based on true events… twelve year old Lindy is spotted in the woods by a bird watcher. The novel follows a police search for Lindy and her father along with the aftermath of said search. As you read this book you not only read Lindy’s story but you also read the story from the view of Officer Jessica Villareal. The search and rescue forces Jessica to think through some life changing events in her own life and she starts to make some decisions about her future.
I absolutely fell in love with Lindy as she processed the events of the day and days after being found. You feel like you are in the woods with her as she describes her home, her cherished belongings, love for her father and the woods.
Take your time reading this one – Lindy is one of my favorite characters read in a long time.
Links worth visiting:- Interviews with Jennie
- Click here to read the MMBC discussion of Eating Heaven
- Author Q&A
Type: Fiction, 352 pages, Trade paperback
Synopsis:
Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she's wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.
But then Jess discovers a girl and her father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts-and curses-of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she's never dared. Because even though she's used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken...