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When She Flew Kindle Edition

by Jennie Shortridge (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 84 ratings
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A new novel about faith, family, and finding the courage to do the right thing from the author of Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe.

Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she’s wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.

But then Jess discovers a girl and her father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts—and curses—of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she’s never dared. Because even though she’s used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken…
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Berkley
  5. Publication date
    September 29, 2009
  6. File size
    511 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this predictable but good-hearted novel, a father and his daughter—a damaged but loving Iraq War vet named Ray and a budding 12-year-old naturalist named Lindy—live happily off the grid in an Oregon forest until the day Lindy is spotted by a bird-watcher. Notified of a young girl wandering alone deep in the woods, the police assign dedicated officer Jessica Villareal to the case. Recently rejected by her own daughter and still smarting, Jessica sets out with the best of intentions for helping Lindy, but risks destroying the life Lindy and her father have built for themselves. Examining people willing to sidestep the rules in pursuit of a greater good, Shortridge's fourth novel (after Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe) recalls Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven; Shortridge even manages to finesse authentic performances from her population of familiar types: a pitiable war veteran, a conflicted cop and a poor but precocious youngster. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Examining people willing to sidestep the rules in pursuit of a greater good, Shortridge's fourth novel recalls Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven..." --Publishers Weekly

"A mesmerizing tale of love, damage, and resurrection, propelled by a girl whose gifts are a marvel of the human spirit." --Randy Sue Coburn, author of A Better View of Paradise

"Jennie Shortridge has done it again. Her novels are delightful and compelling stories of real-world characters in mildly dysfunctional lives struggling for wisdom. This one, the story of a courageous and independent woman cop and a remarkably insightful feral girl, will grab you from the start and warm your heart with its originality and honesty. You'll want to share this story with your friends." --Selden Edwards, author of The Little Book

"...A taut, beautifully rendered novel about an injured war veteran, his bright young daughter, and a street-smart police officer who has lost almost more than she can bear. When their lives become entangled, what results has all the urgency of a thriller and offers a moving exploration of parental love and the lengths to which one person will go to take care of another." --Marisa de los Santos, NYT bestselling author of Love Walked In

"A novel with real heart that takes the big issues of returning war veterans and child custody, the hard social choices that make us human, and explores them on an intimate scale. The voice of thirteen-year-old Lindy, interspersed throughout the story, is a welcome addition to the world of child narrators." --Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002QX44FG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; Original edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 29, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 511 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0451227980
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 84 ratings

About the author

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Jennie Shortridge

Jennie Shortridge

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I was born in North Dakota but spent most of my life in Denver, Colorado until my husband Matt and I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2002. We live on top of a lively, verdant hill in the city of Seattle with our three-legged cat, Baz.

I've been a full-time writer since 1995, and a working musician for even longer. My band, The Rejections, is made up of authors and their spouses, and we play for literary events around the Seattle area. In 2009, my friend Garth Stein and I cofounded a nonprofit collective of authors, called Seattle7Writers, that brought together the reading and writing communities and raised money and awareness for literacy and literary organizations. We retired Seattle7Writers in 2019, after giving it all we had for 10 years.

After writing five novels, I embarked on writing a memoir about trauma, mental illness, and family. As you can imagine, it's a difficult project, but I remain steadfastly working on it each day in my small home office, Baz sitting in the window, rain often pattering outside. I hope to have it ready for readers before too long.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
84 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

DianeRoseDuffy
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING - BASED ON TRUE STORY
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2013
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I had no idea this book was based on a true story until after I had already read the book. Knowing this now just makes the story that much more amazing and one that will remain in my memory for a very long time. An extraordinarily well written and emotionally packed book that deserves a 5 star rating without question. Police officer Jessica Villareal sort of reminded me of the character that Holly Hunter portrayed in that TV series entitled "Saving Grace". A cop who is just so down on her luck and in such despair that she lives her life tormented by bad past decisions. However, when she comes upon Ray who is a wounded war veteran and his bright 13 year old daughter Lindy, little does she realize that she will be at a moral crossroads. Does she stick with everything she has ever been taught in law enforcement and follow strict orders? Does she do what she feels is morally right? Can a brave act on her part to help this father and daughter provide redemption for her soul? This book was so mesmerizing that I could not put it down. Laws are put in place to protect children and that is understandable because there are so many abused and neglected kids that truly do need our help. However, once in a while there comes a time when those rules need to be looked at closely and humanity needs to come in to place and those rules should have the option to be bended or overruled in those certain circumstances. This is was what I interpreted to be the moral of this story. Sometimes it is ok for rules to be broken.
One person found this helpful
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Cara Lopez Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Never Wanted to Put it Down
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2010
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This sweet and compelling tale is based on real events. Its fast pace provides an interesting counterpoint to its quiet depth. I felt so concerned about the fate of the girl at the heart of the story that I never wanted to put the book down.

"When She Flew" focuses on a life-changing moment in the lives of two very different people: a girl on the threshold of her teens and a woman on the threshold of middle-age. Lindy is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her father in a camp in the Oregon woods. Her dad is a disabled Iraq War veteran who can't get a job. Lindy feels an affinity for birds, and it's while following one that she is spotted by hikers. Police begin a search for an apparent minor at risk. Officer Jessica Villareal is a 39-year-old cop who takes part in the search. When she finds the well-educated, well-cared-for girl, she must decide whether to place her in foster care, or return her to a father with mental issues who cannot provide a home with four walls.

I fell in love with young Lindy, almost a creature of nature herself, but with the best characteristics of humanity: intelligence, curiosity and compassion. Shortridge writes with a light touch that reveals the emotional contours beneath the surface of things, and Lindy is her strongest voice. When the girl and her dad are fleeing from police, she says, "I wished I could fly, but even if I were covered with feathers, I would not be able to avoid gravity." Meanwhile, Jessica is a mother at a crossroads in her estranged relationship with her own daughter. Lindy brings out Jessica's strong maternal instincts, but Jessica must decide if those instincts are compatible with those of a good cop.

By reshaping the true story and filling it with characters who feel like people I might know, Shortridge effectively dropped me in the middle of it all and showed me every point of view. I found myself stretching my definitions of family and home. I was reminded that life's most important choices require sacrifice. We both gain something and lose something, whether we take the risk to go our own way or the equal risk to reach out to others.
One person found this helpful
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fifi
3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book But Slow on Delivery
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2013
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It was the second novel I had read on this real like incident in Portland. I liked the view of the police officer.
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LKAgno
5.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying read!
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2009
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I've read Shortridge's other books, and enjoyed them, but When She Flew takes it to a whole new level. It's believable (based on an actual incident), has two equally-engrossing protagonists (one approaching 50, one a young adolescent). It seems rare to have nailed the 'voice' of two such diverse characters. The author does what I wish more would do: foregoes the "easy out" of an obvious villain. Maybe that's why this book is so satisfying--the characters all seem like people we really know (warts and all). I really recommend When She Flew--it's satisfying as an "entertainment" read, but also provides meat for the philosophical reader to chew on.
4 people found this helpful
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S. Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good one
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2009
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WHEN SHE FLEW is a poignant and compelling read, about a true incident. It is timely because of child abductions and kidnappings that have appeared in our news recently, and the complexity of emotions within them. It is heart-warming and compelling because of the love and care--misguided or not--at the center of the drama. The characters are realistic and interesting. The story, with no easy resolutions, will leave you touched and involved long after you put it down. Jennie Shortridge is a very talented storyteller, and this is one of her best.
5 people found this helpful
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Roxana Chalmers
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2018
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My favorite books are those I cannot wait to get back to. This is one of those.
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brewbooks
4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing is ours except time
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2010
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This was not my usual reading; our book club selected, I read the back cover blurbs and thought why not? I found it fast paced and a book that made me think about how we live our lives. Am I so much better off living in a house, driving a newer car, but with no time to read? Lindy and her father, who are living out in the woods of an urban park, have the time to dive deep into the world. I am reminded of Seneca, to paraphrase the philosopher: "Nothing is ours except time." In contrast, Officer Jess Villareal seems to live a harried life, disconnected from her daughter and grandson, moving through the world on autopilot. In the end, all the characters grow and expand. I think Jennie Shortridge has written a solid and thought provoking book, well worth reading.
3 people found this helpful
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