Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone

Above Us Only Sky (2015) by Michele Young-Stone was a beautiful, emotional book. I loved the relationship between the main character and her grandfather, and the way the story kept referring back to the experience of the grandfather and his family during violent, dangerous times of upheaval when he was a child. 

The conceit -- that the women of this family had a genetic 'gift' of being born with wings (a gift that is of course viewed with suspicion and medical alarm) -- was a lovely one that was woven well into the story without it being the main topic. This wasn't a fantasy book, but rather a fiction book about family and heritage with a fantasy twist (sometimes called magical realism).

I'm excited to read Young-Stone's new book, Lost in the Beehive, coming out this April, which looks like it will focus on friendship and mental health issues with just a twist of magical realism very similarly to Above Us Only Sky.

“I felt guilty because I was upset by the loss of one friend when the Old Man had lost nearly everyone he loved. Loss, I soon learned from him, is not measured in numbers. It's not comparative. It's in here. I'm touching my chest now.”

Keep reading! Beth