On Hummingbird Wings

by Lauraine Snelling

"But Mother is always dying," is Gillian Ormsby's sarcastic response when her younger, favored sister tells her that she has to go take care of their hypochondriac mother. Much against her will, since she and her mother never have gotten along, Gillian arrives in California to find the garden and yard dead, the blinds all drawn, and her mother indeed in bed -- waiting to die. But when Gillian talks with the doctor, he assures her there's no medical reason behind her mother's state.

Now on a mission to restore her mother to health, Gillian insists Mother get out of bed, eat, exercise and hopefully, choose to live. She also sets about reviving the garden to its former glory, enlisting the help of Adam, a handsome man who owns a family gardening business with his father. Gillian is delighted when a pair of hummingbirds appear, and her friendship with Adam grows.

Soon, Mother's health improves, and one day she announces she and her friend Enzio are going on a cruise. Before Gillian has time to turn around, her mother is gone and she is left high and dry again, and wondering, what is she going to do with the rest of her own life?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Christian, Chick Lit, Contemporary

343 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2011

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author Lauraine Snelling has over 80 books published with sales of over 4.5 million. Her original dream was to write horse books for children. Today, she writes adult novels about real issues centered on forgiveness, loss, domestic violence and cancer in her inspirational contemporary women’s fiction titles and historical series, including the favorite, Blessing books about Ingeborg Bjorklund and family.

Lauraine enjoys helping others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the county. She and her husband Wayne have two grown sons, and a daughter in Heaven. They live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Basset named Sir Winston ob de Mountains, Lapcat, and “The Girls” (three golden hens).

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably just the sort of read I needed after my previous read. This is an easy read about family relationships with a bit of romance as well.
To begin with I wasn’t that keen on Gillian who is more concerned about her job than she is about family relationships, which means her mother, younger sister Alison and her family. The way Gillian sees, it Alison has always been the favourite so Gillian has left her to deal with keeping in touch with their mother. Then comes the phone call saying their mother is dying. Reluctantly since this is a familiar refrain from their mother, Gillian makes a brief trip home. As the story went on, it was Gillian I warmed to most and Allie who ended up annoying me with her whining. I began to suspect that there was an underlying issue in Allie’s marriage that made her the way she was.
While I enjoyed reading this novel I was left feeling that in at least two cases, that of Dorothy, the mother and Alison, behaviour changed too drastically without adequate motivation for the sudden shift. I did like some of the other characters, namely Adam, the love interest and his father was a sweetie. Since this is Christian fiction there is a bit of talk about church and prayer for guidance etc. There is no bad language and the romance is kept at a chaste level. So it was a pleasant read, but I thought the motivation of characters could have been explored in more depth. However, it does raise some questions about what things are most important in life. Loved the cover of this book.

[Laurie Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I teethed on Grace Livingston Hill books, so it was a pleasure to dive into the pages of ON HUMMINGBIRD WINGS by Lauraine Snelling, a modern day author whose writing is lightly reminiscent of days gone by—even though the setting is present day.

A story about relationships, two sisters, now in their 40s, are each under the impression that their mother likes the other one best. This, a direct result of undeniable manipulation by their 73-year-old mother. The friction this causes between the siblings—not to mention the handsome, single man who lives two doors down—is what keeps readers turning the page.

[Donna Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice relationship portrayals.

[Avery Yoder · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light, mildly Christian story about family relationships. It was hard to get into and even harder to follow. Gillian is the successful, career driven older sister who has little time or understanding for her younger sister. Allison was an annoying, whiny woman who wouldn't talk without sulking or complaining and who gave every impression of being an unhappily married woman and then suddenly becomes nice towards the end. When we finally meet her family, we find that they're nice and normal and her husband is pretty cool, with no signs of any difficulties. It was a strange, abrupt turn.

Gillian's Mom spends the first half of the book angry, depressed and convinced she's dying. Yet, practically overnight she suddenly snaps out of it and goes off on a cruise with her friend. Again, a strange, abrupt turn of events.

The entire story was somewhat disjointed and just didn't flow well. My copy is an ARC and perhaps some of these structural issues are resolved in the final copy. I did love the San Francisco Bay Area setting. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and I know the areas described here, well. The nostalgia was nice, but this is a light diversion, nothing more.

[Kerstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a rare bird, pun intended😀. The genre of contemporary Christian fiction is littered with young women left at altars, men who can’t commit, who against all odds end up married anyway.
How refreshing to meet Gillian and Adam who have built successful lives and are mostly content with being single. Snelling not only builds an authentic romance but also accurately depicts that it is often the unmarried sibling who cares for widowed or aging/ill parents. Both Gillian and Adam have to figure out how to build a relationship while being caregivers. I also enjoyed the honesty that it is not easy to give up a lifestyle where you can come & go as you please. Often authors gloss this over with “I love you so much that I want to spend every moment with you” when in reality you do have to be willing to negotiate what you are willing to give up. Gillian and Adam are able to do this without all the sappy rhetoric.

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

On Hummingbird Wings by Lauraine Snelling (2011)
344-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-340

Genre: Christian Fiction, Christian Romance

Featuring: Aging Parents, Sisters, Imaginary Deathbed, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Stroke, New York City, New York; Martinez, California; Homecoming, Dogs, Workaholic, Overbooked Homemaker, Quadragenarian, Multiple POVs, Prayers, Bird Feeders, Plants, Neighbors, Disjointed Story, Thanksgiving, Reading Group Guide - Discussion Questions, Praise, Partial Bibliography for Lauraine Snelling

Rating as a movie: PG/PG-13

Books and Authors mentioned (Praise): The Last Odd Day by Lynne Hinton, Beyond the Blue by Leslie Gould, Garden of Dreams by Leslie Gould, One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling

Memorable Quotes: He extended his hand. “Good to meet you. Your mother has often mentioned you.” Gillian hoped she caught the look of surprise that must have at least made it to her eyes. She shook his hand. “Thank you. You said she had a little TIA?” “Yes, a very small stroke in other words.” “I see.” Gillian understood about TIAs but was still having trouble associating that with her mother. “Maybe more than one but nothing to be concerned about. Why?” His blue eyes looked right into her. “She refuses to get out of bed. She says she is dying.” Gillian kept the eye connection with the doctor. “Allie called me because she could not get Mother to cooperate.” He switched his attention to Allie. “How long has this been going on?” “Two, three weeks. I wanted to call you, but Mother was adamant.” “Ah, I know what you mean about adamant. But where did this idea she was dying come from?” “Mother has been dying all her life. Or at least she has said so.” Gillian dropped into the conversation. “I know she has a low threshold for pain, but dying?” “She’s also a drama queen.” And a narcissist of the first order. He half shook his head, and then rolled his lips together, as if keeping a smile inside. “Your mother can be a most charming woman.” “When she wants to.”

“Did you enjoy being read to? I know I do. That’s why I either buy or rent audio books. I have several if you would like to hear one.”

An old adage says that as you age you will become more of whoever you were when younger. If you don’t like things about you now, what are you doing to change those dislikes before you get locked into bad habits?

My rating: ⭐️⭐️🌸🐦🐕🐩🪴🌁✝️

My thoughts: 🔖32 of 344 Page Chapter Four - I was hoping the topic would be cheerful.
🔖168 Chapter Eighteen - I don't like the casual use of demons in Christian Fiction, especially as a flirty metaphor. These sisters are both annoying to me. I see unnecessary conflict. I'm hoping to stick this out and finish soon.

I've enjoyed her historical fiction, but this was surprisingly boring. Once you start to see some smidgen of a plot the conflict between MC (Gillian) and her mother, who won't get out of bed, and the hostility from her little sister, just ceases without warning or resolution. You would assume there are missing pages, but MC is just as baffled by the change and doesn't know what caused it, other than a miracle from God, which isn't confirmed. Even when she flat-out asks her sister about her behavior, we don't get a straight answer. It was like she decided to throw the plot away midstory and shift directions, like a book to screenplay. I didn't like it and the ending was flat for me. The discussion questions were the highlight of the book. I liked the cover and title but this story didn't have much to offer. I picked this book up because I loved Under Northern Skies, I may give her modern stories another chance next year, but this year I'm going to stick to the historical fiction titles.

Recommend to others: No. Maybe if you need a book with a bird in the title.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for Night Owl Reviews

On Hummingbird Wings by Lauraine Snelling is a heartwarming and thought provoking look at a fortyish woman’s reflection on life and her choices. I was completely captivated by Ms. Snelling’s storytelling and with the characters she created. It really made me think about the choices we make daily, the sacrifices they might require and our ability to start over.

Gillian Ormsby is a great character; she’s in her mid forties, still in great shape and attractive. She’s also dedicated all of her life to her career. At the start of the story, she’s on a deadline when her sister calls to talk about their mother and her claims of dying. Gillian really doesn’t want to deal with her mother, they’ve never gotten along. She does realize though that she hasn’t been home in a long time, five years in fact. She takes the red-eye to California to deal with her over the top mother and sister and plans to return to New York in a couple of days. She’s given up a lot to get where she is and she’s looking forward to an early retirement and the start to her own life. I really liked how Ms. Snelling pointed out that to get to the top; Gillian gave up a lot, her family in California and the chance for love and a family of her own.

When Gillian arrives home and realizes the situation is as dire as her sister threatened, she’s angry about her sister’s inability to handle things and takes charge. Only things aren’t as easy to take care of as Gillian expects; everything takes time – something she doesn’t think she has, until she discovers her job has suddenly ended and she’s now unemployed. Deciding to use her time off, there’s the possibility her previous boss will find a job for them both when he comes back from his month long vacation, Gillian begins taking care of her mom and restoring her mother’s garden. As both neighbors and friends of her mother help Gillian get things back on track, she realizes she not only left behind her family, she’d also left her faith in God lapse. She begins to wonder when that happened.

While Gillian is the focus of the story, the secondary characters are really important. From Gillian’s mother, who is somewhat difficult at first but improves greatly when she realizes she’s loved, to Adam Bentley, the neighbor’s son, who helps Gillian with her mother and the garden, and becomes more important to Gillian when they begin to date and fall in love. Throughout the story, Ms. Snelling, weaves parts of Gillian’s rediscovery of her faith and her reconnection to her family. Gillian grows both inside and out and soon she’s more comfortable with the life she’s living in California than with the life she left in New York.

Will Gillian decide to stay in California with her family and new friends when a job opportunity in New York opens up? Will Adam be willing to accept whatever decision Gillian makes, even if it requires a long distance relationship or his relocation? And will Gillian’s slow path back to her faith in God and her trust for his direction in her life be a part of her future? Read On Hummingbird Wings, I highly recommend it.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about learning to deal with life changes and adjusting yourself accordingly. Gillian is a successful New York career woman who finds herself going home after all these years because her mother has stopped eating and won't get out of bed. There is nothing physically wrong with her mother. Gillian steps into a new role as a caretaker to her mother until she can get back on her feet.

Meanwhile, Gillian's sister, Allie, is suffering from a midlife crisis. This part of the story is never clearly resolved. Allie is younger and has two teenagers. She lives in a picture perfect home with a picture perfect husband but she is unhappy. Why? There is a little hint that she wishes she'd been career minded, too. Anyway, Allie doesn't want to be the primary caregiver anymore.

It's a pleasant read. I liked it fine. I found it a little slow for my tastes and the characters lacked the depth I would have preferred. There is nothing I disliked about the book. It's just kind of forgettable.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the beginning I thought relationships among the mother and her 2 daughters was interesting, but in the end I didn't feel there was much depth or resolution. Mom says she is dying so one daughter flies across the country to help. She's there for a total of about 2 weeks, pretty much force-feeding mom and getting her up out of bed once a week to shower. Mom's never been like this before, although she has been manipulative in the past. Daughter comes home from errands one afternoon to find mom and mom's male friend, packed and leaving on a 2 week cruise. HUH??? Mom was barely out of bed - where did this come from? The other daughter has her own issues but they're never explained. Most of the book you think her husband is a jerk but towards the end when you actually get to meet him, he seems ok. Another HUH? Just thought the whole thing could have been better in delving into family relationships.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was an ok love story but I should give it less stars cuz of the God talk. So annoying. Why is it religious writers always have to push their beliefs on others? A religious book should be marketed as such, not hidden with nothing mentioned anywhere on the jacket. Makes me question her agenda. Her writing was ok, but I won't read her again.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet, feel-good book, but not very realistic.

[Mary E Trimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Hummingbird Wings, a novel by Lauraine Snelling, is a charming story about the power of love in relationships and in nature.

When Gillian Ormsby’s younger sister calls saying their mother is dying and that she must come home, Gillian is skeptical. “But Mother is always dying,” is her sarcastic reply. Still, Gillian, 46, feels she must at least take a bit of time off from her high-powered job in New York and fly to California to at least try to help. She and her mother have never been close, nor as a matter of fact, has she and her sister had a close sisterly relationship.

She finds her widowed mother in bed, claiming she is dying. She just wants to be left alone and die in peace. Gillian is appalled to see her mother’s beloved garden dried out, the hummingbird feeders empty, the grass dead beyond salvation. In checking with her mother’s doctor, Gillian learns that her mother is not ill, that she has simply lost the will to live. She needs to eat nourishing food, get out of bed, exercise, and hopefully choose to live.

Gillian attempts to feed her mother nourishing food. She tries to restore order in the yard, formerly a thing of beauty. She cleans and fills the hummingbird feeders and hangs them in front of her mother’s bedroom window. She selects a few plants with the help of Adam, a handsome neighbor who owns a family gardening business. There’s definitely a spark of interest between Gillian and Adam, but there are more important things to attend. Another neighbor, Enzio, a widowed family friend, is more than willing to visit her grumbling mother, even read to her.

In the meantime, Gilliam’s high-powered job in New York has vanished–the company suffered a hostile takeover. So now what is she to do? Should she return to New York to apply for another job, or should she stay in California to be close to her mother? And then there’s Adam, and perhaps hope for a relationship there.

I’ve read several series written by this fine author, but this is the first stand-alone novel. I enjoyed On Hummingbird Wings. The novel emphasizes the power of the mind and the close relationship between physical and mental health. The budding romance between Gillian and Adam has promise, but it’s a natural relationship that doesn’t need graphic scenes to entice the reader. I highly recommend this novel for those who enjoy reading about everyday people who meet and deal with challenges common in our present-day society.

[Kristin Cioppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading challenge for 2022 "pick a book with a bird on the cover"

I had this book on my shelf so I figured I would give it a try.

I am so glad I did. It was a sweet story about a mother who suffered a TIA and got depressed and scared, and kind of fell in to a funk. Her 2 daughters come together to get her back up on her feet.
this story touched at my heart strings for many reasons:

1 am the caregiver in my family. I have taken care of more family members than I can count and I am actually good at the medical stuff with no medical training. ( I am a hairstylist by trade) But in this story Dorothy, the mother, pulled at my heart strings a bit when she wanted to give up. I lost my mother 7 years ago and there is not a day that goes by that I wish she was still here.

What comes out of getting back on your feet again, in a garden with hummingbirds, sisters reuniting their relationship, ( I have a sister also) and I love to garden I felt like this story was right up my alley. Also a few love stories tied in as well!

I gave it 5 stars and I would like to read something else by her to see if it is similar or compares.

Questions in the back of the book ask what am I most grateful for? Health, family, friends, faith.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a sweet Christian fiction about a woman who leaves her high powered NYC job for a brief period to go back to Martinez, California to take care of her mom. She recently had a very minor stroke and now refuses to leave her bed and says she's dying. Our main character, Gillian, gets there and sees that her sister isn't actually taking care of her mom very well and that her mom is severely depressed. There is a guy next door that leads the romance storyline with Gillian and honestly I wish it wasn't there. This book had the bones of a women's fiction book about a woman reviving her relationship with her mom as well as God. She gets an opportunity to reassess what she wants out of life and I loved that. I thought the romance distracted from it and felt rushed and inauthentic. Our main character was both a buttoned up, cold business woman, and a woman who cried over a dead hummingbird. I think that duality is authentic, but the way we were shown it felt unreal. I loved the Christian elements, mentions of prayer, and the way she found her way back to God, but this book definitely had some flaws.

[Jacquelyn J Tarpinian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros and cons

I liked the book but gave it a 4 star because of its predictability. I knew from the get go about the outcome. I would have liked to have seen Dorothy's and Enzo's relationship bloom a bit more and she become a bit stronger before the surprise. It would have been more realistic having been on 17 cruises myself. All the packing..getting there...it is hard fir a couple older people when you are strong. Making decisions with pros and cons is a great way to make decisions. I liked the way Gillian handled her mother.

[Marty Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story!

Being called home to tend to her mother, Allie, was at a loss as to how to help her mother and, how quickly she could return to her job. As it turned out, she saw that her company had a hostile takeover, she had no job to get back to.
After going back to clean or her desk and settle things at her old office, Gillian, decided that she would take a month and to back to see if she could help her mother.
This story follows her for that month and how her life changed from the 70+ hour weeks, to dealing with her mother.
I really enjoyed this story very much.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Sisters who compete for their Mother's attention..

I have so enjoyed most of Lauriane Snelling books but this one is weak in character development. Also the faith that she portrays in other books is simply good morals and doesn't affect the lives or the struggles of the characters. Nice ending...but predictable.

[Joyce Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books that I have read with Laurarine Snelling as the author

☺The main character made the right choices at the very ending of the book. How wonderful that this one came to check on her Mother and she did some very good things as she tried to help her Mother and bring her back to a normal life.

[Kathy Knutsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dependency by Allie and Gillian’s mother was seen and responded differently. Maybe is was just their style or maybe it was their birth order. Success and trials remained the focus. All the while, both girls are negotiating problems and decisions of their own. Priorities make their mark on decisions and the outcome is rather surprising.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. An easy read with a nice flow . A true feel good book , with lots of positivity and joy.
Christian themed and humorous. Lauraine Snellingis a great storyteller that has written over 60 books. I chose this one because it is a stand alone novel, not a Trilogy like a lot of her other books.

[Judi Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauraine Snelling does it again with her book On Hummingbird Wings.
This is a story of life’s defeat, family coming to aide, new beginnings and and old life wanting you back.
I truly enjoy Laurine’s books and will look forward to reading more of them.
Thank you, Lauraine for sharing your talent with us all.

[Susan Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Hummingbird Wings was a charming, light Christian read about aging parents and family relationships, gardening, and the San Francisco Bay area. It was nice to read about a couple of 40 year olds, both as care givers but also exploring what life might hold for them next. I look forward to reading another book by Lauraine Snelling.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and deep read with a light touch here and there so it didn't get too heavy. I really loved Gillian's character. Even though our lives are vastly different professionally, I could relate a lot to her emotions and way of thinking through things.

I liked how the key and supporting characters are all well developed. Even the simple extras have a bit more than most novels afford.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. First of all, I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and went to church in Pleasant Hill, so recognized all the California locations mentioned. Some of the characters were challenging to like at first, but as they matured and as relationships changed, they became good friends. I was sad when the book was over and wouldn't mind a sequel :-)

[Barbi Sherrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a must read! It has a lot of humor and an all around great story. Some things in the story were kind of pushed to the side and forgotten, but otherwise, yet another awesome novel by Lauraine Snelling. She never disappoints in her ability to write and entertain her readers.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not up to my usual 4 stars, but it was a light, easy feel good read after some pretty heavy subjects lately. There are some characters who experience loss, but several of the characters find love despite circumstances not really being conducive to falling in love. It was a happy story in the end. (And that’s why I was generous with stars.)

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful read! Gillian goes home to help restore her mother's help, but what actually occurs is much greater. Gillian finds her own life being restored.. in her relationship with her mother and sister, a new love, a new dream and most of all her faith.

[Sonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Snelling book to date. I've read about 40 of them in the last two months. This one just didn't seem to have the same heart her other books have had. I did love that it took place in my own hometown area!

[Lori Goroski · Rating 4 out of 5]

the cover of this book convinced me to read it. the first half was good , but not so much later. there were hummingbirds and some gardening in it . the storyline was odd for me.l couldn't identify with the characters.