Saturday, September 3, 2011

Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer

By Lisa Karon Richardson

Seeing as we've just celebrated our two year anniversary, it's especially poignant to get to review a former Inky's debut novel today. Anne Mateer's Wings of a Dream is available here. In fact, I downloaded it to the Kindle app on my phone and finished it in a single day. That doesn't often happen with me!

Rebekah Hendricks has big plans. Plans that don’t include the farming life she grew up with in rural Oklahoma. Secure in her conviction that she holds an aviator’s love, she jumps at the chance to head to Texas to nurse her aunt. A move that coincidentally puts her closer to the fellow she’s given her heart to.

Rebekah’s plans start to fall apart when she finds that her aunt was responsible for four young children whose father is off fighting the Kaiser. Then Aunt Adabelle passes away with one request on her lips; that Rebekah will care for the children until their father comes home. The path is more twisting than she ever expected, but in the end she finds the dream God has been dreaming for her.

On the surface it is a simple story, but Anne did a great job in layering different elements into her plot, and most importantly she crafted characters that pop off the page with realism. I really enjoyed the first person voice of the heroine, Rebekah. She’s no porcelain princess. Not in the least bit perfect, but her growth throughout the novel makes the story work. We know her and root for her to make the right decision, even when we’re not entirely certain what the right decision is ourselves.

Simple, elegant prose without unnecessary flourishes sets the perfect tone for the novel. And I really loved that this was a real historical. And by that, I mean, that the story couldn’t have been set in other time.

Wings of a Dream is not a typical genre romance, but it does include a very satisfying and sweetly woven love story. I highly recommend Anne’s debut novel!

Influenced by books like The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, Lisa Karon Richardson’s early books were heavy on boarding schools and creepy houses. Now that she’s (mostly) all grown-up she still loves a healthy dash of adventure and excitement in any story she creates, even her real-life story. She’s been a missionary to the Seychelles and Gabon and now that she and her husband are back in America, they are tackling a brand new adventure, starting a daughter-work church in a new city. Her first novella, Impressed by Love, part of the Colonial Courtships collection, is coming in May, 2012.


15 comments:

  1. Sounds awesome. I'm so excited for Anne. Somehow, I didn't realize the time period.

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  2. Thank you for your sweet words, Lisa. It's a nail-biting (literally!) experience waiting to hear how readers react to your story. I'm especially honored to have such a lovely review here on the Inkwell where I count you all as friends! :)

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  3. Looks like a great book, Lisa! Love the cover on it, too. Thanks for sharing the review.

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful story!!!!

    And I agree with Carrie, the conver is lovely. :-)

    Congratulations, Anne!

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  5. It really was a great read! No fluff or soft-peddling because Anne is a good friend! I hope you all will take a chance and pick it up!

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  6. Oooh, that sounds good.

    I think WWI has been mostly neglected in Christian fiction. I'm glad to see it's getting some attention. :)

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  7. Lisa! Great review! Anne! You did a wonderful job on this book!

    I read this book last weekend, and I totally agree with everything Lisa said. I loved the first person voice of the heroine as well, and I loved the entire feel of the book. I was so happy for the opportunity to read it, and can't wait for the next one!

    On the back of the cover is a little airplane soaring across the sky, and I think it's symbolic of Anne flying into the world of inspirational authors! because that's what she's done, and I have a strong feeling her career is going to soar. :)

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  8. DeAnna, I agree that this fascinating era has been largely ignored for a long time, and not just by CBA houses. I really hope that books like Anne's will start to open doors for more of the same. Especially since my suffragist story is set in the same time period!!

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  9. I've started the book, and I agree with Lisa and Suzie--it's wonderful. Anne has crafted a truly lovely story, with characters you root for.

    Nice review, Lisa! And congratulations to Anne!

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  10. Thanks for all your sweet comments about the book. They mean a lot to me, especially coming from other writers! :)

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  11. I LOVED this book. Haven't posted a review yet because Anne's going to be on my personal blog Friday, but I can't say enough good things about it. Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. Great job!

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  12. Oh my goodness, Jen! You made my cry! Looking forward to being on your blog this week. :)

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  13. I'm about a fifth of the way through this story and will go from here (keyboard land) back to the story shortly. I'm really enjoying it and, anticipating what Rebekah will be going through. A deep, poignant story with an exceptionally crafted heroine. I love the first person POV and setting. So nicely done. Just the perfect amount of beautiful prose.

    I agree, Lisa and Jen. You'll love this book.

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  14. I'm glad you're enjoying it to Deb and helping us spread the word!

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