Cover screenshot by K. Reyes 3/2021
Bibliographic Information:
- Title: If These Wings Could Fly
- Author: Kyrie McCauley
- ISBN: 9780062885029
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
- Copyright Date: 2020
Genre / Format of the Title:
- Magical Realism, Romance, Speculative Fiction [Book]
- trigger warning: domestic violence
- William C. Morris Debut Award Winner, 2021
- Grade 7-12 (TeachingBooks.com, 2020)
Plot Summary:
Leighton is a senior in highschool, straight A-student and writer for her high school newspaper in Auburn, Pennsylvania. Lately, her little town has been beset by crows which seem to grow by the thousands every week. Leighton, her mom, and two sisters live in constant fear of their father whose anger often explodes into fits and rages that so far has not hurt anyone but has certainly broken a lot of dishes, cracked walls, windows, and glass.
Yet somehow, the house seems to heal itself so that in the daytime, everything looks normal, the violence of the night before quietly hidden. And the crows, one in particular, seem to know what is happening inside the house. Fortunately, Leighton has a good friend whom she can depend on and a new boyfriend who is kind and driven just like her and these relationships and her school life are the only refuge she has from her unsafe and violent home life.
Leighton is a senior in highschool, straight A-student and writer for her high school newspaper in Auburn, Pennsylvania. Lately, her little town has been beset by crows which seem to grow by the thousands every week. Leighton, her mom, and two sisters live in constant fear of their father whose anger often explodes into fits and rages that so far has not hurt anyone but has certainly broken a lot of dishes, cracked walls, windows, and glass.
Yet somehow, the house seems to heal itself so that in the daytime, everything looks normal, the violence of the night before quietly hidden. And the crows, one in particular, seem to know what is happening inside the house. Fortunately, Leighton has a good friend whom she can depend on and a new boyfriend who is kind and driven just like her and these relationships and her school life are the only refuge she has from her unsafe and violent home life.
Author Background:
Like her protagonist, McCauley grew up in rural Pennsylvania. She received her BA in Sociology from American University and MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently lives in rural Pennsylvania with her two young children, and multiple pets (McCauley, 2021). Her Goodreads author blurb states that she used to be a waitress, ACLU intern, and nanny (Goodreads, 2021). If These Wings Could Fly is her debut YA novel. She has a second book called We Can be Heroes, slated for release in September 2021 (McCauley, K. [@kyriemccauley], 2021).
McCauley lists domestic violence advocacy as one of her interests and her website includes a resources section to help those who want more information or who find themselves needing help in safety planning or domestic violence advocacy.
Like her protagonist, McCauley grew up in rural Pennsylvania. She received her BA in Sociology from American University and MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently lives in rural Pennsylvania with her two young children, and multiple pets (McCauley, 2021). Her Goodreads author blurb states that she used to be a waitress, ACLU intern, and nanny (Goodreads, 2021). If These Wings Could Fly is her debut YA novel. She has a second book called We Can be Heroes, slated for release in September 2021 (McCauley, K. [@kyriemccauley], 2021).
McCauley lists domestic violence advocacy as one of her interests and her website includes a resources section to help those who want more information or who find themselves needing help in safety planning or domestic violence advocacy.
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items:
This was a tricky one to assign a genre as the premise and plot is realistic but the story has elements of magic and science fiction. This was also a very difficult book to read because the topic of domestic violence is so sensitive and so strangely taboo that I rarely encounter it except as a side note in YA plots. The story revolves around Leighton’s family’s domestic violence and the constant fear they experience. One who has never experienced this will often ask, “why don’t they just leave?” as Leighton’s boyfriend Liam does, but the answer isn’t as straightforward as it would seem to an outsider. And it is this grey area that McCauley mines and gives readers a glimpse into the mind of the victims of domestic violence. There is nowhere else to turn to anymore and Leighton’s mother always forgives the father and every so often puts up a weak attempt to defend her children.
As the story progresses the number of crows grows exponentially until the town decides its own extreme methods of extermination which prove useless and violent. McCauley weaves the wing motif throughout and we begin to associate the crows with positive, protective powers for Leighton and her sisters while the townspeople only see their destructive and detestable presence. There is some magical realism involved in the narrative but it’s so subtle that one wonders if it’s all Leighton’s imagination or if the house really does have a spirit of its own, just as the crows seem to have one of their own as well.
This was a tricky one to assign a genre as the premise and plot is realistic but the story has elements of magic and science fiction. This was also a very difficult book to read because the topic of domestic violence is so sensitive and so strangely taboo that I rarely encounter it except as a side note in YA plots. The story revolves around Leighton’s family’s domestic violence and the constant fear they experience. One who has never experienced this will often ask, “why don’t they just leave?” as Leighton’s boyfriend Liam does, but the answer isn’t as straightforward as it would seem to an outsider. And it is this grey area that McCauley mines and gives readers a glimpse into the mind of the victims of domestic violence. There is nowhere else to turn to anymore and Leighton’s mother always forgives the father and every so often puts up a weak attempt to defend her children.
As the story progresses the number of crows grows exponentially until the town decides its own extreme methods of extermination which prove useless and violent. McCauley weaves the wing motif throughout and we begin to associate the crows with positive, protective powers for Leighton and her sisters while the townspeople only see their destructive and detestable presence. There is some magical realism involved in the narrative but it’s so subtle that one wonders if it’s all Leighton’s imagination or if the house really does have a spirit of its own, just as the crows seem to have one of their own as well.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Domestic violence is a serious topic that should be addressed openly. The library can sponsor a domestic violence awareness week, including displays of books that address these issues or cover some of these themes, and that culminates in having speakers from our local AWARE shelter present resources and have an open discussion during our Advisory period.
Domestic violence is a serious topic that should be addressed openly. The library can sponsor a domestic violence awareness week, including displays of books that address these issues or cover some of these themes, and that culminates in having speakers from our local AWARE shelter present resources and have an open discussion during our Advisory period.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Leighton must escape small town Auburn and her angry dad before she is destroyed. Her house certainly seems to heal itself. But she needs to save herself because she can't heal herself. She also can not leave her sisters behind. Maybe her writing and a few thousand crows can help.
Leighton must escape small town Auburn and her angry dad before she is destroyed. Her house certainly seems to heal itself. But she needs to save herself because she can't heal herself. She also can not leave her sisters behind. Maybe her writing and a few thousand crows can help.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Someone could argue that this book is too violent and the depiction of the father’s rage, extreme. But this story is very realistic and there are people who live in constant terror of the violence perpetrated by those closest to them. Reading about this does not solve the issue but it could open a door for discussing this still taboo (for many) subject. We have students who have been taken into CPS custody, students who live in fear of their parents’ violent rages, students who do not know that it’s not normal to live in constant fear because this is all they’ve known. Books like this might be the catalyst for action or might offer solace for their hidden torment.
Someone could argue that this book is too violent and the depiction of the father’s rage, extreme. But this story is very realistic and there are people who live in constant terror of the violence perpetrated by those closest to them. Reading about this does not solve the issue but it could open a door for discussing this still taboo (for many) subject. We have students who have been taken into CPS custody, students who live in fear of their parents’ violent rages, students who do not know that it’s not normal to live in constant fear because this is all they’ve known. Books like this might be the catalyst for action or might offer solace for their hidden torment.
Reason for Inclusion:
I initially chose this because it was an award-winning book and I wanted to know what made this book a winner. I decided to include it because the story is too important not to be shared.
I initially chose this because it was an award-winning book and I wanted to know what made this book a winner. I decided to include it because the story is too important not to be shared.
Click her picture to read the interview.
REFERENCES
Goodreads. (2021). Kyrie McCauley (Author of If These Wings Could Fly). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14109124.Kyrie_McCauley.
McCauley, K. (2021). About. Kyrie McCauley. https://www.kyriemccauley.com/about.
McCauley, K. [@kyriemccauley]. (2021, Feb 21). Thrilled to share that my 2nd book is coming this fall from @KTegenBooks [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/kyriemccauley/status/1360261512896655360
TeachingBooks.net. (2021). If These Wings Could Fly. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74293.
McCauley, K. (2021). About. Kyrie McCauley. https://www.kyriemccauley.com/about.
McCauley, K. [@kyriemccauley]. (2021, Feb 21). Thrilled to share that my 2nd book is coming this fall from @KTegenBooks [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/kyriemccauley/status/1360261512896655360
TeachingBooks.net. (2021). If These Wings Could Fly. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=74293.
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