Review for Flying with Kites from Molly Ovenden
Reaching the end of an emotional read, I closed this book with goosebumps creeping on my arms.
On multiple occasions while reading the novel, I was on the verge of tears, if not already wiping them away. I grew very fond of the characters and became emotionally entwined with them in their struggles to survive. Survival is a common theme in Flying with Kites with each character coping as he or she knows how to best. The main character, Katya Gjikolli, a Kosovan English teacher displays admirable amounts of strength, perseverance and confidence to survive, not only during her escape to freedom from the brutality in the 1990s’ war in Kosovo, but also in starting fresh as an asylum seeker in her English life which she found in a Newcastle council tower block. Although I was quite young during this war, I recall that it dominated the news. This story of Katya and who she encounters brings a fresh, personal perspective to a harsh war that I doubt is a distant memory for those affected.
While there are accounts of violence, sex and drug use I felt that none are overly explicit and are often implied with just enough detail for the reader to fill in the blanks. With much insight into the personalities for each of the characters, there is a depth which allows the reader to believe they might be able to anticipate the character’s next move. Reynolds uses foreshadowing to a degree that left me turning the pages as quickly as I could read in order to discover the purpose of the hint–I did not feel that any of it is given away too soon. The use of dialects, food, clothing and setting descriptions as well as the use of all five senses created well-rounded and believable characters with a strong sense of place. The title imagery features as a backdrop alongside the storyline as a peaceful consistency and I believe that my high school creative writing teacher would be proud of the title: it certainly means more at the end than it does in the beginning.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author Alan Reynolds and learning some of the context to this, his first, novel’s creation. If I had not met him, I probably would not have picked up this book. I generally lean toward light-hearted non-thrillers, but I am so glad to have read Flying with Kites. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes to get their pulse up whilst reading, but also to any writers who want a solid character study.
On multiple occasions while reading the novel, I was on the verge of tears, if not already wiping them away. I grew very fond of the characters and became emotionally entwined with them in their struggles to survive. Survival is a common theme in Flying with Kites with each character coping as he or she knows how to best. The main character, Katya Gjikolli, a Kosovan English teacher displays admirable amounts of strength, perseverance and confidence to survive, not only during her escape to freedom from the brutality in the 1990s’ war in Kosovo, but also in starting fresh as an asylum seeker in her English life which she found in a Newcastle council tower block. Although I was quite young during this war, I recall that it dominated the news. This story of Katya and who she encounters brings a fresh, personal perspective to a harsh war that I doubt is a distant memory for those affected.
While there are accounts of violence, sex and drug use I felt that none are overly explicit and are often implied with just enough detail for the reader to fill in the blanks. With much insight into the personalities for each of the characters, there is a depth which allows the reader to believe they might be able to anticipate the character’s next move. Reynolds uses foreshadowing to a degree that left me turning the pages as quickly as I could read in order to discover the purpose of the hint–I did not feel that any of it is given away too soon. The use of dialects, food, clothing and setting descriptions as well as the use of all five senses created well-rounded and believable characters with a strong sense of place. The title imagery features as a backdrop alongside the storyline as a peaceful consistency and I believe that my high school creative writing teacher would be proud of the title: it certainly means more at the end than it does in the beginning.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author Alan Reynolds and learning some of the context to this, his first, novel’s creation. If I had not met him, I probably would not have picked up this book. I generally lean toward light-hearted non-thrillers, but I am so glad to have read Flying with Kites. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes to get their pulse up whilst reading, but also to any writers who want a solid character study.
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