The Wings That Fly Us Home: A Novel [Paperback]

Dayna Dunbar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

Aletta Honor’s psychic gift for reading people’s futures seems to have vanished overnight. What is curious is that the disappearance coincided with a mysterious visit from a Native American who came bearing an eagle feather and a cryptic message. Then there’s the cousin Aletta never knew she had (a young political revolutionary on the run), who suddenly appears at her doorstep and shares a shocking secret about their family.

One thing’s for sure: Aletta’s poised for change. Her no-good alcoholic ex-husband is stirring up trouble, a new lover turns out to be bad news, and she can’t bear another day of lying to unsuspecting customers. As Aletta digs deeper into her family history, her mission becomes clear: If she ever hopes to regain her clairvoyance, she must go to New Mexico to uncover her great grandmother Adelaide’s fascinating but troubling past. So with some kooky friends dying for an adventure outside the confines of their small-town world, Aletta sets off for the southwest, where she will finally come to understand her special talent and the real meaning of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dunbar's sophomore effort provides the same warm, harmless entertainment as did her debut (The Saints and Sinners of Okay County) and once again features Aletta Honor, Okay County psychic and single mother of four. Between dumping her current beau, Eugene, hooking up with dashing, too-good-to-be-true Charlie Baxter and pacifying her hovering alcoholic mess of an ex-husband, Jimmy, Aletta barely finds time to give readings to her customers. A visit from a strange Native American bearing a cryptic eagle feather inexplicably strips Aletta of her intuitive ability, just as long-lost second cousin Vee arrives in town armed with a family secret that turns Aletta's world upside down. Vee's revelation spurs Aletta and friends Joy and Bobette to embark on a wacky road trip to dig up her ancestry, solve the feather mystery and hopefully restore her psychic skills. The simplistic, threadbare plot will be of little concern to those craving Dunbar's wholesome, homespun storytelling about the ups and downs of a colorful group of family and friends—all wrapped up with a heartfelt resolution. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Dunbar continues the saga of her gritty and effervescent heroine, Aletta Honor, first introduced in The Saints and Sinners of Okay County (2003). Aletta, a psychic reader in Okay, Oklahoma, is divorced and raising four kids, ages 3 to 15, on her own because her ex-husband, Jimmy, an alcoholic and a ladies' man, is no help at all. Suddenly and inexplicably, Aletta loses her ability to see into the future, and she thinks a mysterious Native American stranger may somehow be responsible. She enlists three friends to join her on an odyssey to New Mexico, an Oz-like journey to retrieve her mystical vision. Dunbar's marvelously quirky characters are only too happy to oblige, each eager to escape Okay's humdrum routine and various love-life disasters. A side plot involving Aletta's long-lost cousin--an ecoterrorist eluding the FBI--enlivens an already bursting saga with one more facet of mayhem. In her now-familiar Oklahoma twang, Dunbar expertly juggles multiple plots touching on alcoholism, women's rights, and Native American beliefs. Deborah Donovan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Ex-Library edition (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034546043X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345460431
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,158,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redemption and Discovery, April 22, 2006

By 

Louis N. Gruber "Author of Jay" (Lexington, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wings That Fly Us Home: A Novel (Paperback)

Aletta Honor is the warm-hearted struggling single mom and homespun psychic introduced in the author's previous book (Saints & Sinners of Okay County). She is dealing with the normal ups and downs of motherhood and failed relationships with men, when a new complication arises. Following the visit of a mysterious Indian from Arizona, Aletta finds that her psychic gift has vanished, leaving her to wonder how she will support her family.

A surprise visit from a distant cousin (who is a self-styled revolutionary running from the police) reveals that Aletta has a Native American ancestor and ultimately leads her on a voyage of discovery that will change her life. That's all I'm going to tell you about the plot. You will have to read the book.

Author Dayna Dunbar is a gifted and sensitive writer who brings every one of her characters to life. And every one of them--even the alcoholic ex-husband, Jimmy--has some redeeming features, some complexity that makes them interesting and believable. The characters are seeking redemption in different ways, some misguided, but all of them trying to better themselves. The writing flows easily, the story draws you in, and you keep turning the pages, wishing for more. The book concludes with a fascinating interview of Ms. Dunbar and a glimpse ahead to the next novel in the series.

This is a wonderful, uplifting book. I enjoyed it immensely and I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story to share, July 9, 2006

By 

Dana Taylor "Definitely Dana!" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wings That Fly Us Home: A Novel (Paperback)

"The Wings That Fly Us Home" is a delightful continuation of the story of Aletta Honor and the folks of Okay, Oklahoma. Dayna Dunbar creates a unique cast of characters all searching for themselves in different ways. From Aletta's pilgrimage to her Indian roots, to Jimmy's inner-confrontation of his alcoholism, "Wings" shows people struggling to understand why they do the things they do.

I especially appreciated the spiritual aspects of this piece and hope people take the time to see the depths Dunbar brings to the tale.

Highly recommended.

Dana Taylor ~ Definitely Dana!