September 10-21

Set in the 1930’s, Chandra Prasad’s debut novel tells the story of Adele, a sixteen-year-old girl destined to live out her life in the tiny Connecticut quarry town in which she was born.  When her brother Charles is killed in a quarry accident, Adele decides to impersonate him and enrolls at Yale in his stead — an educational privilege that is simply unimaginable for a woman in that era. As Adele encounters bigoted professors, wealthy bookworms and dashing WASPS, she begins to see her true self emerge — in however unlikely a package. On Borrowed Wings is a lovingly researched social history, tinged with the intrigue of gender-play and the pathos of a coming-of-age novel.

Looking for more? Check out Chandra Prasad’s backstory for On Borrowed Wings.

Sept 10: Making Things Up found lots to think about. “Which is more revolutionary: pretending to be someone you’re not, to prove you can do what others can do; or being yourself, but striving to be a trailblazer?” And Baggage and Bug says “Prasad does an excellent job of developing Adele’s character and her interaction with those around her. The story is not simply one of a girl deceiving others in order to obtain the same rights as a male, but also a story of racism and classism … This is a great read, especially for those who enjoy historical fiction.”

Sept 11: Bleeding espresso says “Prasad does a great job of painting the scene, making the reader part of an old quarry town in Connecticut, feeling what it was like for small town girl Adele to stand on the stone steps of mighty Yale and caress them just to feel closer to her father.” And Left-handed Trees says “On Borrowed Wings is an ambitious novel, weaving together history, gender, and coming-of-age narrative threads, while maintaining an accessible charm to keep readers turning the pages just to see if things will all work out for the daring protagonist.”

Sept 12: Our Little Slice of Heaven liked the writing more than the story. And The Life & Times says “Every so often I start reading a book that I just cannot put down. The plot is so engrossing, the characters so real that I become obsessed with following the story … On Borrowed Wings was one of those books. I just finished it, and let me tell you I did not want it to end.”

Sept 13: Wavybrains says “Adele Pietra, the narrator & heroine of On Borrowed Wings captured my heart because not only does she crave learning even more than she craves approval, but she does so at time when few women dared to dream.” And An Accident of Hope would have liked the book to be more complicated, but says “I give the book 4 stars out of 5 for making me think, and for being beautifully researched and written, but not pushing hard enough.”

Sept 14: So a Blonde Walks Into a Review says “If Oprah were still selecting books for her book club, I think this one would’ve made it in. The writing flows so smoothly with intelligent prose and it leaves you with a deep message on women and history.” And The House at My Corner says “impressive writing, plot and character devleopment.”

Sept 17: They Grow in Your Heart says “Prasad has written a lovely coming of age novel.” And secretburning says “It would have been so easy (and predictable) for this to turn into a Cinderella story, but the author resisted that lure. Adele grows in unexpected ways, and it seems to me that by posing as a man, she finds her true purpose as a woman.”

Sept 18: Hamster Boy found the book to be a bit difficult, but says “Knowing how hard things were for women during those days, you come to have a deep respect for the main character and her perseverance. She makes several differences in some lives and at the expense of losing what’s left of her family, she carves out a future for herself.” And CPA Mom says “I was captivated by this book from beginning to end. Each time I picked it up, I did not want to put it down.”

Sept 19: Against All Heresies couldn’t get past her pragmatic nature, but says “I will definitely look for other titles by Chandra Prasad because I think she shows promise and she will hopefully keep writing.” Women and Horses says “Chandra Prasad is a gifted writer. She fully fleshes out the character of Adele and her school mates … Adele knows what she wants, but also knows that getting it isn’t going to be at all easy.”

Sept 20: Jumping Monkeys says “I’m really glad that I had a chance to read this book. Not least of all because it’s refreshing to read something that has nothing to do with parenting young children or technology. It’s a simple story, but very well-researched and literary.” And Jenn’s Journal says “I wanted to know more.  I wanted to know if she could do it.  I wanted to know who, if anyone, found out her secrets.  I wanted to know how her life turned out.”

Sept 21: Major Bedhead says “This book was great on so many levels. It would make a terrific book group book because there are so many topics to delve into for discussion: race, class and gender identity, to name but three.” And What Was I Reviewing? says “What a story! It crept up on me. I was about 50 pages into the book before I realized that I was hooked. From that point I could hardly put it down. The moody mysterious suspenseful tone of the book, combined with a strong sympathetic main character makes this book a perfect escape!”

This entry was posted on Friday, September 7th, 2007 at 11:36 am and is filed under Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.