Wild Wings

Intermediate fiction
"Nothing prepared me for seeing her right in front of me. It
was as if the lochs and the mountains and the sky were folded deep
inside of her, as if she was a small piece of this vast landscape and
none of it could exist without her."
Callum, protagonist of Gill Lewis' Wild Wings, knows he is in
the presence of a treasure. A pair of ospreys have built a nest on
his family's land. He and his new friend, Iona, have watched them
from a distance. Sadly the female osprey is in serious danger. With
one of her feet entangled in fishing wire, she swings weakly from a
tree. Callum and Iona know they must get help. But the raptors'
location must remain a secret. People could sell their eggs for a lot
of money.
There is so much good about Wild Wings this humble reviewer does
not know where to start. There's the story line, of course, which is
quite absorbing. It is interwoven beautifully with much information
about the life of a magnificent bird of prey and its amazing
migration. Lewis writes with a voice of deep respect but never a bit
of preachiness.
The human drama is equally compelling. Rob's friends he's grown
up with can't see why he's spending time with Iona. She's quite poor
and different. The grandfather she lives with is considered crazy.
There are rumors that her mother is a patient in a psychiatric hospital.
I highly recommend Wild Wings with one caveat. This book is
pegged for eight to twelve-year-olds. The unexpected death of one of
the main characters might make it a bit disturbing for a very
sensitive child of this age.
On a personal note, I went to a most excellent blood drive recently.
It was put on by the University of Maine (Orono) Upward Bound
students. In all my decades of donating I have NEVER seen a better
run blood drive.
A great big shout out goes out to our nation's Upward Bound students
and the people who work with these wonderful young people.
For readers who don't know, Upward Bound is a program that helps very
motivated young people get ready for college. These are kids who
otherwise may not have the opportunity. They also do a lot of public
service like the blood drive. It makes me very angry that's being
cut. Please let your legislators know it's not acceptable.
Liberals: it's the right thing to do.
Conservatives: this pregram gives you more "bang for the buck" than
just about any other in existence.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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