Seventy-year-old Goldie Sparrows faces declining finances, questionable health, and a late husband who torments her from the beyond. She seeks refuge in her butterfly garden, which is filled with voices and memories from long ago.Jocelyn Anderson is a struggling writer who finds escape from her custody battle in the journal of her late mother-in-law. As she gets pulled through the pages of time, … pages of time, Jocelyn discovers her own husband has a hidden history she knows nothing about. Is this secret now Jocelyn’s to keep?
Krystal Axelrod is living a life she never dreamed she could have. And yet the demons of a dysfunctional childhood and mean girl culture from her cheerleading days cast their shadow over her ability to feel whole, capable, and worthy. Does Goldie hold the key to Krystal’s path to freedom?
A masterfully crafted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and the risks we take in the pursuit of justice.
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Wow! This is a wonderful novel chiseled by a truly talented author! Simonetti has created an emotionally moving, heart capturing story of friendships and secrets. I stayed up long into the early morning hours reading this one, getting to know more about Jocelyn, Goldie and Krystal.
These three women were chiseled beautifully,flawfully and truly came to life for me. Their stories were woven together uniquely and my heart loved every minute of their lives. As someone who is divorced and went through a custody battle myself, my heart really went out to Jocelyn! Goldie’s garden was one I wanted to escape and never leave! Following Krystal’s journey was very eye opening for me!
I absolutely loved this debut novel! Simonetti is an author who I will add to my keeper shelf with this book and her future releases. The style is unique and her words are truly touching. This story played out like a movie on the big screen for me, and I loved that feeling. This is most definitely a 4 star worthy novel that should not be missed!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*Suzanne Simonetti
The characters in The Sound of Wings were so vivid and personable that they simply jumped off the page and into my heart.
They all had their flaws which only endeared them to me further. This is a story of love and family whether it is the family we choose or the one we were born into. Life, love, and finding joy where one can are the overriding themes and message here. In the times we’re living in, it’s a message that we can all use.
If you are a fan of women’s fiction, of books that will make you love the characters and wish the book didn’t end, then The Sound of Wings is for you.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.
Suzanne Simonetti is a beautiful writer and I couldn’t put her book “The Sound of Wings” down. The three main women characters she created will stick with me and I know I will miss them deeply. She has a way with description that is so visual, and authentic, and her humor made me laugh out loud several times. I loved every word of this book!
Three women from different social backgrounds, united by their shared interest in the creative arts, have their fates collide at an auction. Bound by their insecurities, their encounter reveals the dark secret they have buried inside themselves. The secrets slowly come to light as their friendship solidifies. However, it is not only the bond they share that proves therapeutic to those women, but also that flutter of wings, signaling the everlasting presence of the vital forces in their lives.
The author of the book, Suzanne Simonetti, expertly depicts the anxieties and uncertainties of the human mind through the voices of women of various ages, experiences, and circumstances. From the struggling writer who fears losing his son’s legal custody to the ‘real-life Cinderella’ of Cape May Krystal Axelrod. Each character in this women fiction novel is on the hunt for their individuality. The motherly affection contributes an important part in the story, cropping up through Jocelyn, Goldie, and Pearl, the housekeeper.
In addition to focusing on its human characters, this psychological thriller also explores and depicts animal faculties. The statement “Her babies always knew where to find the love and could easily decipher whether they were in companies of allies and foes” provides the reader with an interesting glimpse into animal nature observed by the author. In titling The Sound of Wings, which begins and ends with the arrival of monarch butterflies, the author does an excellent job of conveying the sentiment behind the work’s subject matter. The concept Suzanne Simonetti has associated with butterflies and their arrival will fascinate readers.
The Sound of Wings, by Suzanne Simonetti, enumerates the practicalities of life with its mystical elements. The theme of self-belief, or lack thereof, runs throughout the book and the characters. Characters displayed courage and determination through their interactions with each other. The pace of the narrative will appeal to people who enjoy slow-paced novels that spend time really developing their characters and telling their stories. This women’s fiction novel will prove to be a page-turner if you enjoy mystery fiction, with plenty of drama and a drizzle of occult and spiritualism.
What a beautiful and heartfelt novel. I can just see myself in the town of Cape May. The way it’s painted in the story just sounds like a small town I’d want to live in.
I loved each of the women… Goldie, Krystal and Jocelyn. I like hearing about their pasts that make them the women they are today. They each have a lot to overcome and they form a friendship that is golden. It proves that age has nothing to do with who you heart can grab onto.
I felt the most for Goldie. The guilt and secrets she had to hold close to her. But I love the choices she made and the way she helped watch over someone in spite of it.
The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonetti is a beautifully written debut novel.
I love butterflies, and I enjoy how they play such a unique role in this story.
This women’s fiction novel alternates between two time periods , the present and the past which I enjoyed and helped tell the story better.
The characters are complex, complicated, flawed and well fleshed out.
There are three unique characters that seemingly don’t interact until the story unfolds.
I love the garden setting in this story and would say that the garden is actually another character of its own.
I enjoyed the secrets that were revealed as the story played out. I was truly surprised by some of the twists and turns. I enjoy the concepts discussed of family, friends , love and faith.
This was a wonderful debut novel that I can highly recommend.
The inside of this book is as beautiful as the cover. This is a story of three women that are brought together by certain circumstance in their life and they form a bond like no other.
I loved all three characters as they each had their story to tell. I was shocked as several secrets unraveled…as I wasn’t expecting it…a good twist that I did not see coming…I definately have a soft spot in my heart for Goldie, as her story had me to glued to the pages. The characters are so well developed that I felt like I knew all three.
Of course as the cover indicates…butterflies are also woven into this story. Goldie’s sanctuary is her butterfly garden.
There is nothing as beautiful and as graceful as a butterfly in my opinion. A heart warming story of friendship, family and life. This wonderful story will stay in my mind for a long time.
This is a story about women – three very different women – living in coastal town, who become unlikely friends. Told from different points of view, the characters are vividly described and revealed by Simonetti and I cared deeply about all of them. The overlapping plots lines and narrative threads are beautifully entwined and make for a captivating read. The seaside setting is also charming, and I loved the butterfly garden. A story of families, friendship, and betrayal – what’s not to love.
This was beautiful! The characters, their histories, and their growth were written well. There were close relationships among some of the characters. And there were others that were just beginning. There were many touching and inspiring moments throughout the story. The butterflies have a special meaning to the story.
I’ve learned that in life there are no coincidences. And, I live my life open and curious as to who will cross my path each day. A successful book invites the reader to experience the world in the same way. In the Sound of Wings, Simonetti brought me into her imaginative world and unveiled characters who I wanted as friends. From the beginning to the end, I wanted to learn more as their connections and relationships grew. I could see the beauty of Cape May and when I finished the epilogue -I knew I loved and was going to miss Goldie most of all she felt like the kind of caring mother that I had! And the magic of the butterfly garden- I love butterflies! Loved this story and did not want it to end. Can’t wait to read this author’s next one- I’m hooked! A must-read!!!
A vivid and compelling storyline with a sweeping, cinematic feel, THE SOUND OF WINGS is a tale with appealingly flawed people and an exquisite sense of the ordinary becoming extraordinary. Not to be missed, Simonetti’s penned one of the most deeply pleasurable stories I’ve read in a long time.
Would be a great choice for a book club discussion
The Sound of Wings was a beautiful written story about 3 women that all have secrets of their own and are haunted by their past. Their lives become intertwined and they each tell their own story. This is a beautiful and heartwarming story that you will enjoy from start to finish. This is a story of love, friendship secrets and motherhood. You will totally enjoy this story.
Loved this book and I highly recommend this and the author.
A book filled with lush sentences and deeply developed characters, who are trying to sort out relationships and grapple with their past. Deep, vivid, and emotionally rich, this book will tug at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more. Grab a cup of tea, curl up on the couch, and get ready to get lost in Suzanne Simonetti’s charming and heartfelt debut. Can’t wait for the next book by this talented author.
A few years ago, my family lost a loved one. I remember a few days before thier unexpected death our yard was swarming with monarch butterflies – it was quite unheard of. Our loved one even posted about all the “kaleidoscope” of monarchs in his yard and how beautiful they were. I didn’t hear the story of the monarchs representing departing souls until much later.
“Remember to look for the monarchs!”
All of this came flooding back to me when I began reading The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonette. This is the story of 3 women – Goldie Sparrows, Jocelyn Anderson, and Krystal Axelrod. Women on what seems like 3 distinctly different paths – but they converge in a way that is unexpected. Goldie is 70 and is having health problems that are affecting her daily life. Add to that finances that are very worrisome. Jocelyn is a writer and mother that is unable to focus on her writing due to a custody conflict with her son’s father. Krystal is the poor little rich girl that is trying to find her calling. This unlikely trio become friends and confidants to create a story that is hard to put down.
As the book begins and each chapter is from the point of view of a different character, it is a bit hard to string it all together. But as Simonette reveals the story of each character I started weaving it all together too. I very much enjoyed this book and would look forward to more Suzanne Simonette books.
My Review
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Sound of Wings” by Suzanne Simonetti, She Writes Press, May 4, 2021. On tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours
Suzanne Simonetti, the author of “The Sounds of Wings” has written an intriguing, captivating, emotional, and memorable novel. The genres for this book are Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline for this novel is set in the author’s present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her colorful characters as complex, complicated, each having its own set of problems.I love that the author vividly describes her characters and landscape. The setting does revolve around Butterflies, their roles, and their garden. It is almost symbolic and relatable to the characters. The author also mentions nature vs. nature.
At first, the readers meet three different women characters that don’t really know each other, but as the story continues, they are related and relevant to one another. Goldie Sparrows is seventy years old and is very creative and quirky. She loves animals, and seems to have a menagerie of live animals, and works magical wonders with clay. She is extremely creative. Working in her butterfly garden gives her peace and tranquility.
Krystal Anderson struggled to fit in with her dysfunctional upbringing. She has married a very wealthy and kind man, who would like her to be happy. She is very creative as well.
Jocelyn Anderson is insecure and worried that she will lose her son in court. Her ex-husband wants to see more of them. Jocelyn is a writer, and now married to a kind man, who has his own problems.
In this story, there are secrets and betrayals that will surface. There are twists and turns, and some intriguing surprises. Not everything is what it seems. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, children, sisterhood, love, faith, and hope. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and heartfelt story.
Interesting and entertaining book about 3 women at critical points in their lives. The twist at the end will surprise you.
Book Review: The Sound of Wings by author, Suzanne Simonetti
ARC
The Sound of Wings is a beautifully written, heartfelt story in which the author takes great care in delivering the message of friendship, love, strength and redemption~ a captivating narrative filled with hopes, dreams, humor and healing as well as mystery, while set amongst the historic, scenic and inspiring beauty of Cape May, New Jersey.
A journey that stirs the heart like the waves of the ocean, Ms.Simonetti leads you into the lives of three women, each as unique as the day’s incoming tide. Along with their most unusual connections, and the need to find their place in the world, they navigate their way through life’s mistakes, disappointments and despair and on to self-respect, self-worth, truth and acceptance. All which lead to the most beautiful of friendships that feed the heart and soul.
Among the story’s attention to detail as to the characters themselves, comes its descriptive and colorful flow of the area as the author introduces to the reader, refreshing snippets of the historical aspects of this beautiful beach town, the nation’s oldest seashore resort, also known as Cape Island.
I thank the author for my personal copy of The Sound of Wings. A wonderful story that I highly recommend to those looking for a most enjoyable and satisfying experience as to how life’s most difficult roads can lead to the most beautiful of destinations.
5 Stars
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Wild Sage Book Blog
The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonetti may have the reader planning a butterfly garden and watching for monarch butterflies in the next season. The story of three vastly different women who become unlikely friends is beautifully written.
Goldie Sparrows is experiencing some strange sensations in her seventy-year-old body which has her a bit worried. She lives alone in a Victorian townhouse located in Cape May. She is devoted to her pets and her art. Goldie has vivid memories of her beloved father-in-law Patrick and a huge secret about her deceased husband, Simon. She is experiencing some financial difficulties and must make sure her art studio becomes more profitable.
Joycelyn Anderson feels she is married to the most wonderful man who loves her, and Billy, her six-year-old son more than she could have believed. She wrote a successful first novel and is facing a deadline for the draft of the second book, but she is having a big problem. Since her son is spending the summer months with his father, Joycelyn cannot concentrate on the current book. She finds reasons to avoid the edits to her timeline and finishing the book. She seems obsessed with worrying about her son and makes some poor decisions that will cause distress for Bruce. One day Joycelyn is looking through the safe for the custody agreement for Billy and she finds an old notebook that had been written by Bruce’s mother years ago. The journal will lead to the understanding of how lives can intersect in the most unlikely of ways.
Krystal Axelrod is a newly married voluptuous beauty with low self-esteem. She knows her wealthy husband loves her just as she is, but Krystal keeps remembering her neglectful and abusive mother when she was a child. She cannot forget her high school days of being bullied by the school mean girls. Abe has had a fabulous home built for her to enjoy and spares no expense to make sure she feels loved. Soon Krystal will meet two women who will become dear friends and help her understand she is a person of worth.
I really enjoyed this book which weaves the stories of the women and their husbands, past and present, into a story of lasting friendships.
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.