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The Wind Will Catch You
In the tradition of Barbara Kingsolver and perfect for fans of Mostly Dead Things, in this powerful debut novel, a young woman searches for the truth about her childhood, and what she finds forever alters her beliefs about home, identity, and family.
Sky Fielder is a typical college student, except that she is a product of the foster care system, lives in a halfway house, and meets with her caseworker on a weekly basis. While failing to balance her grades and erratic social life, she receives a call from a hospital, asking her to make medical decisions for her brother Ben—who died more than a decade before.
The call must be a scam, and besides, Sky has a new life now. None of her classmates know about her desperate and feral childhood in West Texas, where her brother kept her mind off hunger with adventures along the riverbeds and cliffs surrounding their trailer—or about the rash decision that cost him his life and almost ended hers.
In fact, only one person truly knows Sky, because it’s her job. But Sky’s assigned caseworker, Laura, is an employee of social services, which surely means she can’t be trusted. As Laura helps Sky unravel the mysteries surrounding the man in the hospital, Sky remembers the risks it takes to love and be loved. When the past and the present collide and long-kept secrets are revealed, Sky must decide how far she’s willing to go to have a home and family again.
The Wind Will Catch You is an eye-opening, gritty, and hopeful novel by GLAAD media award nominee Michelle Theall about upheaval and resilience, forgiveness and family, love and unexpected allies, all set in motion by issues of social justice and a broken American foster care system.
Sky Fielder is a typical college student, except that she is a product of the foster care system, lives in a halfway house, and meets with her caseworker on a weekly basis. While failing to balance her grades and erratic social life, she receives a call from a hospital, asking her to make medical decisions for her brother Ben—who died more than a decade before.
The call must be a scam, and besides, Sky has a new life now. None of her classmates know about her desperate and feral childhood in West Texas, where her brother kept her mind off hunger with adventures along the riverbeds and cliffs surrounding their trailer—or about the rash decision that cost him his life and almost ended hers.
In fact, only one person truly knows Sky, because it’s her job. But Sky’s assigned caseworker, Laura, is an employee of social services, which surely means she can’t be trusted. As Laura helps Sky unravel the mysteries surrounding the man in the hospital, Sky remembers the risks it takes to love and be loved. When the past and the present collide and long-kept secrets are revealed, Sky must decide how far she’s willing to go to have a home and family again.
The Wind Will Catch You is an eye-opening, gritty, and hopeful novel by GLAAD media award nominee Michelle Theall about upheaval and resilience, forgiveness and family, love and unexpected allies, all set in motion by issues of social justice and a broken American foster care system.
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 19, 2023
20 people are currently reading
3538 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Theall
6 books53 followersAuthor of The Wind Will Catch You and Teaching the Cat to Sit. Editor at Alaska magazine. Voracious reader. Grizzly bear photographer. Inspired by the natural world and big landscapes. LGBTQ+ and foster care advocate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 19, 2023
Michelle Theall's eye-opening, gritty, emotional, powerful, and beautifully rendered debut, THE WIND WILL CATCH YOU— is a poignant, heartbreaking coming-of-age story of social injustice and those caught up in the broken American foster care system.
From tragedy, forgiveness, family, love, hope, redemption, and resilience, these characters will touch your heart and linger long after the book ends.
A young woman searches for the truth about her childhood, and what she finds forever alters her beliefs about home, identity, and family.
AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook was epic! A stellar award-winning performance by a favorite narrator, Lauren Ezzo— will have you hanging on her every word.
"We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." —Nelson Mandela
Set in Texas past and present.
Present Austin, Texas 2019: We meet college student Sky Fielder, living in a halfway house. She barely is getting by living on SNAP and drugs. She has a lovely, caring caseworker, Laura (23), a few years older than her—a few years into her job with social services.
While they meet at a local donut shop, Sky receives a phone call from a doctor at a hospital in Arizona that her brother Ben is in a coma and needs her attention with decisions due to his medical care. Sky thinks it is some scam because her brother died after a car accident years ago.
Past: 2007: Sky tells Laura about their past. Sky and Ben had lived on their own in a mobile home for years (after their parents died, and buried in their back yard) when Sky was 5, without telling the authorities until the officials got involved and social services.
The event was highly traumatic for both siblings when they were separated, and taken into the foster system. Later Ben tried to find Sky, and there was an accident. She did not think Ben lived or survived.
Their lives were heartbreaking, caught up in a lousy system. Sky was later adopted by a wealthy, controlling family, and Ben's tragic life in juvenile incarceration, prison, gangs, and his desperate search for his baby sister. Later, the events would unfold that have haunted Sky, thinking it was her fault.
Laura encourages Sky to reach out to the doctor in Arizona to determine if this is indeed her brother.
From Ben's journals, we learn what happened to him and his ongoing love for his sister. Do we always carry a piece of our past? The author beautifully infuses the past and present for an emotional, heartrending story of survival with a fabulous Epilogue!
Topics: Drug addiction, adoption, teen pregnancy, gangs, trauma, juvenile incarceration, the foster system, social issues, caseworker, LGBTQ+, family, and more.
THE WIND WILL CATCH YOU is an immersive, gripping suspense debut novel of literary fiction about family and how the most random people can enter our lives with devastating and beautiful consequences. For fans of author Catherine Ryan Hyde! (another favorite).
COMPELLING, beautifully conceived, executed, and incredibly touching. You will empathize with Sky and Ben as they struggle to survive coming out on the other side.
An author to watch! Michelle Theall has been added to my favorite author list, and I look forward to seeing what is coming next.
ADOPTION/FOSTER CARE: The author and her wife adopted their son from the foster system. She mentions in her author notes, the foster care and child welfare systems as one of the most significant failings in America. Even though the novel is fiction, she reiterates the horrifically accurate accounts of the lack of communication and resources between all parties and departments. These children desperately need love, consistency, shelter, food, and safety. She also provides ways to help within your local community.
Highly recommend!
Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ALC via NetGalley for an honest opinion. I also purchased the e-book.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 19, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books
From tragedy, forgiveness, family, love, hope, redemption, and resilience, these characters will touch your heart and linger long after the book ends.
A young woman searches for the truth about her childhood, and what she finds forever alters her beliefs about home, identity, and family.
AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook was epic! A stellar award-winning performance by a favorite narrator, Lauren Ezzo— will have you hanging on her every word.
"We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." —Nelson Mandela
Set in Texas past and present.
Present Austin, Texas 2019: We meet college student Sky Fielder, living in a halfway house. She barely is getting by living on SNAP and drugs. She has a lovely, caring caseworker, Laura (23), a few years older than her—a few years into her job with social services.
While they meet at a local donut shop, Sky receives a phone call from a doctor at a hospital in Arizona that her brother Ben is in a coma and needs her attention with decisions due to his medical care. Sky thinks it is some scam because her brother died after a car accident years ago.
Past: 2007: Sky tells Laura about their past. Sky and Ben had lived on their own in a mobile home for years (after their parents died, and buried in their back yard) when Sky was 5, without telling the authorities until the officials got involved and social services.
The event was highly traumatic for both siblings when they were separated, and taken into the foster system. Later Ben tried to find Sky, and there was an accident. She did not think Ben lived or survived.
Their lives were heartbreaking, caught up in a lousy system. Sky was later adopted by a wealthy, controlling family, and Ben's tragic life in juvenile incarceration, prison, gangs, and his desperate search for his baby sister. Later, the events would unfold that have haunted Sky, thinking it was her fault.
Laura encourages Sky to reach out to the doctor in Arizona to determine if this is indeed her brother.
From Ben's journals, we learn what happened to him and his ongoing love for his sister. Do we always carry a piece of our past? The author beautifully infuses the past and present for an emotional, heartrending story of survival with a fabulous Epilogue!
Topics: Drug addiction, adoption, teen pregnancy, gangs, trauma, juvenile incarceration, the foster system, social issues, caseworker, LGBTQ+, family, and more.
THE WIND WILL CATCH YOU is an immersive, gripping suspense debut novel of literary fiction about family and how the most random people can enter our lives with devastating and beautiful consequences. For fans of author Catherine Ryan Hyde! (another favorite).
COMPELLING, beautifully conceived, executed, and incredibly touching. You will empathize with Sky and Ben as they struggle to survive coming out on the other side.
An author to watch! Michelle Theall has been added to my favorite author list, and I look forward to seeing what is coming next.
ADOPTION/FOSTER CARE: The author and her wife adopted their son from the foster system. She mentions in her author notes, the foster care and child welfare systems as one of the most significant failings in America. Even though the novel is fiction, she reiterates the horrifically accurate accounts of the lack of communication and resources between all parties and departments. These children desperately need love, consistency, shelter, food, and safety. She also provides ways to help within your local community.
Highly recommend!
Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ALC via NetGalley for an honest opinion. I also purchased the e-book.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 19, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books
September 21, 2023
5 BIG ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ STARS
I received this audiobook ARC from NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, the publisher, and author, who wrote such a compelling story. I was really blown away by it. The narrator, Laren Ezzo, was fabulous throughout this lovely, dramatic, painful novel about two children who try to live on their own and then within the foster system once their parents die.
The story is so smart and well done. It unpeels it’s layers in beautiful and often painful ways, and it’s so hard to put down. Read about Star and her brother, and fall in love with Star.
Read this beautiful, sad, and fabulous story on audiobook narrated by the talented and easy to listen to Lauren Ezzo…. or however you can get it into your hands. I also love the way that this brilliant author dealt so humanely with the LGBQT characters and their coming out, and many many ups and downs.
This goes into one of my favorites for 2023.
Since the publishing date is in just a couple of days, I wrote this quickly so I could post it on here and on Goodreads. I wanted to rate this stellar and powerful novel immediately to get the word out!
This is a review of the audiobook.
I received this audiobook ARC from NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, the publisher, and author, who wrote such a compelling story. I was really blown away by it. The narrator, Laren Ezzo, was fabulous throughout this lovely, dramatic, painful novel about two children who try to live on their own and then within the foster system once their parents die.
The story is so smart and well done. It unpeels it’s layers in beautiful and often painful ways, and it’s so hard to put down. Read about Star and her brother, and fall in love with Star.
Read this beautiful, sad, and fabulous story on audiobook narrated by the talented and easy to listen to Lauren Ezzo…. or however you can get it into your hands. I also love the way that this brilliant author dealt so humanely with the LGBQT characters and their coming out, and many many ups and downs.
This goes into one of my favorites for 2023.
Since the publishing date is in just a couple of days, I wrote this quickly so I could post it on here and on Goodreads. I wanted to rate this stellar and powerful novel immediately to get the word out!
This is a review of the audiobook.
September 18, 2023
Wow!! What a book! Absolutely loved this one! The gut wrenching story of Skye and Ben and how they seemed to persevere through it all!
These characters were so likeable, and believable, I literally felt like I knew them. The book continually played out like a movie in my mind, with the story being so intimate and descriptive.
The story being told from both Skye and Bens view points with their raw emotions explained in each, made for such an intriguing story there’s no way you couldn’t become attached to it!
While it was a remarkably good book, it was also a very sad one, ..although fiction it could be any one persons foster care story, or life story. This story moved me, and will stay with me a long time, I finished a few hours ago and have continued to think about it!
Thanks for the chance to listen to this, netgalley and dreamscape media. The fantastic narrator added so much to the story as well!!
These characters were so likeable, and believable, I literally felt like I knew them. The book continually played out like a movie in my mind, with the story being so intimate and descriptive.
The story being told from both Skye and Bens view points with their raw emotions explained in each, made for such an intriguing story there’s no way you couldn’t become attached to it!
While it was a remarkably good book, it was also a very sad one, ..although fiction it could be any one persons foster care story, or life story. This story moved me, and will stay with me a long time, I finished a few hours ago and have continued to think about it!
Thanks for the chance to listen to this, netgalley and dreamscape media. The fantastic narrator added so much to the story as well!!
September 17, 2023
Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings:
- Language
- Racism
- Same sex relationship
- Death of parents
- Drug use
A raw and emotional story about the brokenness of the foster care system and two orphans will to survive. From the beginning, I had this pegged as a 5 star read. This book had me so captivated and invested from the get-go.
There were a few things that disappointed me, and those things did make me want to drop my star rating, but I just can't bring myself to give this less than the five stars it deserves. The writing was phenomenal, and I certainly want to read more from this author.
The narration of this book was also perfection! The narrator spoke with so much emotion that the book just made its way into the depths of your heart. You couldn't help but feel all the emotions alomg with the characters. There are many good narrators, but Lauren Ezzo is certainly amoung the best!
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the opportunity to listen and review this wonderful audiobook.
Narration Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings:
- Language
- Racism
- Same sex relationship
- Death of parents
- Drug use
A raw and emotional story about the brokenness of the foster care system and two orphans will to survive. From the beginning, I had this pegged as a 5 star read. This book had me so captivated and invested from the get-go.
There were a few things that disappointed me, and those things did make me want to drop my star rating, but I just can't bring myself to give this less than the five stars it deserves. The writing was phenomenal, and I certainly want to read more from this author.
The narration of this book was also perfection! The narrator spoke with so much emotion that the book just made its way into the depths of your heart. You couldn't help but feel all the emotions alomg with the characters. There are many good narrators, but Lauren Ezzo is certainly amoung the best!
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the opportunity to listen and review this wonderful audiobook.
May 19, 2023
This book is a gut punch right in the feels. It is the story of a brother and sister who end up in the foster care system, though their paths take uniquely different turns.
They both make some bad choices, end up in predicaments they didn’t choose, but never, ever forget their sibling bond. It’s a look into the American foster care program and all its faults. We see what drug abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse look like, both inside and outside the foster care system.
The story is enlightening and compelling. It’s both ugly and beautiful. I rate this 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC. This is due to be published on September 19, 2023.
They both make some bad choices, end up in predicaments they didn’t choose, but never, ever forget their sibling bond. It’s a look into the American foster care program and all its faults. We see what drug abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse look like, both inside and outside the foster care system.
The story is enlightening and compelling. It’s both ugly and beautiful. I rate this 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC. This is due to be published on September 19, 2023.
March 2, 2023
Such an emotional book about the failings of a broken foster care system, a family’s will to survive, and the incredible bonds formed. I couldn’t put this book down. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC of this book.
January 2, 2025
"The Wind Will Catch You" by Michelle Theall is not the thriller I thought it was going to be. Instead, this is a very poignant family drama. It tells the memoirs of two siblings, Sky and Ben, left orphaned as children. The book this reminds me of the most is Demon Copperfield.
The setting is primarily Texas in 2007 and then 2019. Sky and Ben are put into the foster system. Since Ben is almost 16, they can't place him. He has to live in the home for juvenile delinquents. He is very angry to be separated from his sister. Sky gets adopted by very wealthy Catholic parents. This doesn't make her life easy at all, though.
In this book, there is death, poverty, drugs, the foster care system, incarceration, violence, pregnancy, car, accidents, and more. And there is love. It is a moving and worthwhile journey.
The 10 hr. long audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. She did well with Sky's parts, but I wish there was a male narrator for the parts by Ben. This narrator really didn't do any voices.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 32/8 = 4 stars
I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Michelle Theall for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
The setting is primarily Texas in 2007 and then 2019. Sky and Ben are put into the foster system. Since Ben is almost 16, they can't place him. He has to live in the home for juvenile delinquents. He is very angry to be separated from his sister. Sky gets adopted by very wealthy Catholic parents. This doesn't make her life easy at all, though.
In this book, there is death, poverty, drugs, the foster care system, incarceration, violence, pregnancy, car, accidents, and more. And there is love. It is a moving and worthwhile journey.
The 10 hr. long audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. She did well with Sky's parts, but I wish there was a male narrator for the parts by Ben. This narrator really didn't do any voices.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 32/8 = 4 stars
I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Michelle Theall for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2023
Beautifully written but completely heartbreaking. It’s difficult to imagine what kids end up going through in the foster care system. (Yes, I know not all experiences are like this.) It’s amazing the strength in character both show as they fight through the different challenges trying to make a life. The writing draws you in and keeps you interested in their lives. Highly recommended for those who like strong, flawed characters and happy-ish ending.
Narration was well done, no issues.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for an honest review.
Narration was well done, no issues.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for an honest review.
November 14, 2023
This hits close to home for my family. The writer certainly has the background in social services, adoption and foster care, and those of us that live this nightmare can honestly say children, families bear the brunt of so much in a system flawed in so many ways.
A well-written story. Couldn't put it down.
A well-written story. Couldn't put it down.
April 3, 2023
Oh my heart! What a haunting and sad hand of cards Sky and Ben were dealt. It's next to impossible to rise above and flourish in life with a start like that, where every step is a struggle. And even when good things do come your way, you don't trust them. I will be thinking about this one for quite some time.
September 19, 2023
The Wind Will Catch You is a beautifully gut-wrenching story of siblings coming of age in the foster care system. Their perseverance throughout the years, the obstacles and road blocks they encounter, and how in the end, love and family is all that matters.
I became engrossed in the stories of Skye and Ben while listening to this. The emotion portrayed by the narrator was captivating. This is a story that will stay with me for a while.
Sadly, while fiction, I know there is so much truth in these words. Our foster system needs a serious overhaul.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pub date: 19 Sep 2023
I became engrossed in the stories of Skye and Ben while listening to this. The emotion portrayed by the narrator was captivating. This is a story that will stay with me for a while.
Sadly, while fiction, I know there is so much truth in these words. Our foster system needs a serious overhaul.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pub date: 19 Sep 2023
November 9, 2023
This was a good audiobook the narrator was excellent and I broke my heart a little. This was my second book about foster care and it was just as painful. Well written and I recommend this audiobook.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley .
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley .
April 14, 2023
The Wind Will Catch You follows the life of Sky Fielder. The story is full of her childhood memories from living alone with her brother after the death of her parents, her time in foster care followed by her adoption in a wealthy family. The memories begin to flood her thoughts after a mysterious call from a hospital saying her brother who died 10 years ago is there in a coma.
Michelle Theall does an incredible job navigating the life of a young child through the foster care system and the emotional rollercoaster that the life brings with it. She shows the broken parts of the system but also highlights the ones that are there to try and make it better. Her character development makes the reader understand Sky’s thought process and her use of Ben’s journal gives him life and understanding of what he suffered. Theall is able to take both their stories, all the heartbreak, disappointment and struggles and still provide hope for the future. If this is Theall's debut novel, I can’t wait to see what her future novels bring.
Thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Theall and Alcove Press for the ARC.
Michelle Theall does an incredible job navigating the life of a young child through the foster care system and the emotional rollercoaster that the life brings with it. She shows the broken parts of the system but also highlights the ones that are there to try and make it better. Her character development makes the reader understand Sky’s thought process and her use of Ben’s journal gives him life and understanding of what he suffered. Theall is able to take both their stories, all the heartbreak, disappointment and struggles and still provide hope for the future. If this is Theall's debut novel, I can’t wait to see what her future novels bring.
Thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Theall and Alcove Press for the ARC.
February 27, 2023
Phenomenal read! Did not want to put down. Easy 5 stars. I read it in one sitting. Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this on net gallery!
September 21, 2023
The Wind Will Catch You by Michelle Theall
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the audiobook to review.
Narration by Lauren Ezzo was done perfectly. I enjoyed listening to her tell this beautifully written debut coming-of-age story of two siblings, Ben and Sky. Their home life was challenging, to say the least, and due to unfortunate circumstances, they are put into the foster care system.
The story is told in the past and present times. Moving through various foster families you see the many flaws in the broken system. Things take a twist when Sky thinks her brother is dead and receives a call from a doctor that Ben is in the ICU.
Touches upon, addiction, courage, innocence, resilience, sexuality, family and secrets being revealed.
Looking forward to more books by Michelle Theall
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the audiobook to review.
Narration by Lauren Ezzo was done perfectly. I enjoyed listening to her tell this beautifully written debut coming-of-age story of two siblings, Ben and Sky. Their home life was challenging, to say the least, and due to unfortunate circumstances, they are put into the foster care system.
The story is told in the past and present times. Moving through various foster families you see the many flaws in the broken system. Things take a twist when Sky thinks her brother is dead and receives a call from a doctor that Ben is in the ICU.
Touches upon, addiction, courage, innocence, resilience, sexuality, family and secrets being revealed.
Looking forward to more books by Michelle Theall
September 19, 2023
Wow. This was not the book I was expecting from the blurb. It grabbed me tight, transported me in time and place, and kept me there right til the end. It will stay with me now.
I cry a lot when reading books, and I didn't shed a single tear while listening to the audio of this one. The tears came after the book had finished, and I sat back and contemplated the world, the things people go through, the injustices of the world.
I didn't want the story to end. I thinks that's why the epilogue ending seemed to wrap things up a little too neatly for me. I wanted some of the ends still a bit loose, perhaps in the hope we might return to continue this journey.
I cry a lot when reading books, and I didn't shed a single tear while listening to the audio of this one. The tears came after the book had finished, and I sat back and contemplated the world, the things people go through, the injustices of the world.
I didn't want the story to end. I thinks that's why the epilogue ending seemed to wrap things up a little too neatly for me. I wanted some of the ends still a bit loose, perhaps in the hope we might return to continue this journey.
January 30, 2024
This was a heartwrenching and ultimately uplifting story about love, family, and forgiveness. In the same way as Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, it illuminated the worlds of addiction and the foster care system in ways I had never seen before. Through the stories of Sky and her brother Ben, we see how growing up feeling unwanted and displaced affects one's sense of self, their ability to love and be loved. The characters felt so real, and the bond between siblings was the driving force of the story, which I loved. These are characters and themes that will definitely stick with you!
June 30, 2024
A book about adoption with a terrible lack of depth. It’s all over the place, and rushes to wrap up in the last 10 pages. Easy summer read, but also a waste of time!
September 13, 2023
An emotional novel about Sky and Ben- siblings who are separated after the death of their parents. While Sky is eventually adopted, she's never settled fully. Ben falls through the cracks and ends up in a bad place. A surprise call pulls them back together but this isn't as clear cut as some readers might want. It's well written and a page turner where you'll really root for both of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.
October 10, 2023
What a beautiful, emotional, heartfelt and yet heart-breaking story.
Although the author clearly states in the epilogue that it is a work of fiction, she also states that it is closely linked to the realities of kids living in the foster system.
Sky and Ben are brother and sister, growing up in rural Texas, on their own, after their parents died. BUT, no one can know that they died…or they’ll be split up. This is what Ben tells her. In the meantime, she is 5 ( I think), and he’s 10 or 11! He brings her on adventures and excursions to take her mind off of her growling stomach, because they are hungry…
But then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes….and they are not together.
Can they make it on their own?
The story follows the lives of the two as time goes on. So, so sad on so many levels. Moving thru foster homes and families, and all the not so great stuff that comes along with it.
Beautifully written. Great character development that puts you right in the middle of it all…and feeling for each and every one of the characters.
And the phone call that just might change everything.
Loved this one!
4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the ARC of the audiobook that will be released on September 19th. Look for it on shelves then!
#TheWindWillCatchYou by #MichelleTheall
PS…check out all my future reviews on insta at: BookReviews_with_emsr.
Although the author clearly states in the epilogue that it is a work of fiction, she also states that it is closely linked to the realities of kids living in the foster system.
Sky and Ben are brother and sister, growing up in rural Texas, on their own, after their parents died. BUT, no one can know that they died…or they’ll be split up. This is what Ben tells her. In the meantime, she is 5 ( I think), and he’s 10 or 11! He brings her on adventures and excursions to take her mind off of her growling stomach, because they are hungry…
But then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes….and they are not together.
Can they make it on their own?
The story follows the lives of the two as time goes on. So, so sad on so many levels. Moving thru foster homes and families, and all the not so great stuff that comes along with it.
Beautifully written. Great character development that puts you right in the middle of it all…and feeling for each and every one of the characters.
And the phone call that just might change everything.
Loved this one!
4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the ARC of the audiobook that will be released on September 19th. Look for it on shelves then!
#TheWindWillCatchYou by #MichelleTheall
PS…check out all my future reviews on insta at: BookReviews_with_emsr.
September 7, 2023
A former elementary teacher, as I was reading this, I couldn't help but think of the 5th grade writing rubric I used to score my students' writing. Specifically sections pertaining to author's purpose and focus. This story would have scored poorly in these areas.
Stories can be multi faceted and include many details and events. However, some parts need to be more background and less of a focus. This is where the book failed. It is trying to be about foster care, LGBTQ+, race (including gangs), abortion, etc.... These are not just events/factors, but main focuses. It makes the overall message less powerful. I feel like I would have been more emotionally connected if there were fewer major topics.
Present day Sky is very unsympathetic. But as the story unravels, you learn how she became that way. It was a bit rough in the beginning without knowing the whole picture.
I didn't dislike the book. I just feel like an opportunity for an amazing book was wasted.
The audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. This works well as an audiobook and the narrator does a great job.
I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Stories can be multi faceted and include many details and events. However, some parts need to be more background and less of a focus. This is where the book failed. It is trying to be about foster care, LGBTQ+, race (including gangs), abortion, etc.... These are not just events/factors, but main focuses. It makes the overall message less powerful. I feel like I would have been more emotionally connected if there were fewer major topics.
Present day Sky is very unsympathetic. But as the story unravels, you learn how she became that way. It was a bit rough in the beginning without knowing the whole picture.
I didn't dislike the book. I just feel like an opportunity for an amazing book was wasted.
The audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. This works well as an audiobook and the narrator does a great job.
I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2025
The first 75% of the book was incredibly well written. It did a very good job of describing Sky’s story and how it got to where she id now. I however, was at the edge of my seat for the reunion between Ben and Sky, so therefore, you can imagine my great disappointment when I did not see this reunion in the book. It was incredibly underwhelming for the build up to be so well written and thought out for Sky to just look at Ben in the hospital bed and give no indication of his reaction when his sister who he hasn’t seen in a decade is standing directly in front of him. I truly thought that his reaction was low hanging fruit and now I am wondering why the author has chosen not the include it. The book was good until I realized the ending would be severely rushed (and I was right, it in fact was rush). This book borderline feels like a waste of time. I don’t really recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Just ok.
Sky and her brother Ben are orphaned at very young ages but unbeknownst to authorities, continue to live together, alone in their old family trailer; until Sky's teacher becomes suspicious and calls CPS.
The story moves from there with them being separated and moved into the foster care system.
Abuse, criminal run ins and foster care failures follow, filling both of their lives with misfortune.
Too much misery and repeated personal failures for reading enjoyment and the plot itself, seemed to really serve no good direction, for me.
Thought it sounded interesting but sometimes a little winning with just a tad of optimism, goes a long way.
Sky and her brother Ben are orphaned at very young ages but unbeknownst to authorities, continue to live together, alone in their old family trailer; until Sky's teacher becomes suspicious and calls CPS.
The story moves from there with them being separated and moved into the foster care system.
Abuse, criminal run ins and foster care failures follow, filling both of their lives with misfortune.
Too much misery and repeated personal failures for reading enjoyment and the plot itself, seemed to really serve no good direction, for me.
Thought it sounded interesting but sometimes a little winning with just a tad of optimism, goes a long way.
July 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating novel that follows the separate stories of a brother and sister who are separated when young. It is deeply emotional and I kept turning the pages. The ending was a bit surprising, but ultimately satisfying. I have two big brothers and totally understood the relationship between Sky and Ben.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2023
Michelle Theall’s debut novel is a home run! 5 Stars! Like Jodi Picoult, Ms. Theall brings forth several of the social issues currently facing our nation. At the heart of this story, was a well written example of the horrors that many children face in their own families and again once they enter the Foster Care System that was enacted to protect them. I was reminded of the many inconceivable examples of child abuse that I witnessed working in a Pediatric ER. Our country continues to fail a multitude of children who cannot protect themselves.
At the beginning of this this heartbreaking story, siblings five-year-old Sky and eleven-year-old Ben live with their abusive drug-addicted parents in a run-down trailer in an sparsely inhabited area of Texas. These children suffered many types of abuse at the hands of both parents. Money went for drugs rather than food, clothing, or necessities. One day, their father brutally killed their mother, then met his maker in the same incident. Both children watched their parents die. Afterwards, the two children took care of themselves until the state took custody. Ben and Sky were immediately separated. Sky was soon adopted while Ben fell through the cracks of the Foster Care System, spending time in group homes and jail.
The book further highlights their difficult transition to adulthood. The transition was long and drawn out, carrying with them the burdens from their early lives. Did they ever find each other again? Were they able to find peace and tranquility?
The novel was eloquently written and highly emotional. The characters were well developed, and I felt their pain as if I was part of the story.
I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommended it to all readers who have a heart for helping others or desire to learn the truths about social concerns facing our nation. I commend the author for bringing the issues of child abuse and the difficulties of the foster care system to the pages of this novel. It’s only through strength of community and transparency of the many issues at hand, that we can inact change.
I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Author Michelle Theall, Alcove Press, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.
At the beginning of this this heartbreaking story, siblings five-year-old Sky and eleven-year-old Ben live with their abusive drug-addicted parents in a run-down trailer in an sparsely inhabited area of Texas. These children suffered many types of abuse at the hands of both parents. Money went for drugs rather than food, clothing, or necessities. One day, their father brutally killed their mother, then met his maker in the same incident. Both children watched their parents die. Afterwards, the two children took care of themselves until the state took custody. Ben and Sky were immediately separated. Sky was soon adopted while Ben fell through the cracks of the Foster Care System, spending time in group homes and jail.
The book further highlights their difficult transition to adulthood. The transition was long and drawn out, carrying with them the burdens from their early lives. Did they ever find each other again? Were they able to find peace and tranquility?
The novel was eloquently written and highly emotional. The characters were well developed, and I felt their pain as if I was part of the story.
I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommended it to all readers who have a heart for helping others or desire to learn the truths about social concerns facing our nation. I commend the author for bringing the issues of child abuse and the difficulties of the foster care system to the pages of this novel. It’s only through strength of community and transparency of the many issues at hand, that we can inact change.
I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Author Michelle Theall, Alcove Press, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.
March 27, 2023
(3.5 stars)
"I try to convince myself that if I had found some pain pills or Adderall, that I wouldn't have taken them—but my disappointment tells me I'm a liar." The Wind Will Catch You is a fast read that draws you into the failings of the foster care system, and our failure to properly respond to childhood trauma. It centres around Sky and her brother, Ben, who lose their parents when they are five and eleven. After subsistence living in a trailer in Skeleton Valley, the children are eventually found to be unattended, and their lives change radically.
The book jumps between the past and present day for Sky, who despite a rich family fostering her, struggles to capitalise on the advantages: "there's always a party on campus where I can lose myself and add to my mounting list of regrets." She uses drugs and alcohol to dull the pain: "My clothes reek like a forgotten burrito beneath a car seat. I have no idea where I am or how I got here, but I do know I am incredibly thirsty." Luckily she has a social worker, Laura, who is trying to help her get her life back in order. This is hampered by Beth's considerable distrust of the system: "She's with social services, which means I can't trust her." Their care relationship is derailed by their mounting attraction to each other, and by a doctor calling saying she needs some critical care decisions made for a brother Beth knew was dead.
The book takes a nuanced look at what two journeys through foster care, and the lifelong impacts on both Sky and Ben, and their conceptions of love and ability to form attachments to people. It would be interested to anyone who has been adopted, and struggled to understand their place and connection to their foster family, and of course, for members of those families. Social workers might also like it, as it acknowledges the impossibility of the job, caring without becoming attached to your clients, holding up boundaries while you teach your clients to be more open. It's also a story about being gay in a place that doesn't make it easy, under a religion that teaches only hate: "No one could know I was gay, because I would simply choose not to be."
With thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me a copy to read.
"I try to convince myself that if I had found some pain pills or Adderall, that I wouldn't have taken them—but my disappointment tells me I'm a liar." The Wind Will Catch You is a fast read that draws you into the failings of the foster care system, and our failure to properly respond to childhood trauma. It centres around Sky and her brother, Ben, who lose their parents when they are five and eleven. After subsistence living in a trailer in Skeleton Valley, the children are eventually found to be unattended, and their lives change radically.
The book jumps between the past and present day for Sky, who despite a rich family fostering her, struggles to capitalise on the advantages: "there's always a party on campus where I can lose myself and add to my mounting list of regrets." She uses drugs and alcohol to dull the pain: "My clothes reek like a forgotten burrito beneath a car seat. I have no idea where I am or how I got here, but I do know I am incredibly thirsty." Luckily she has a social worker, Laura, who is trying to help her get her life back in order. This is hampered by Beth's considerable distrust of the system: "She's with social services, which means I can't trust her." Their care relationship is derailed by their mounting attraction to each other, and by a doctor calling saying she needs some critical care decisions made for a brother Beth knew was dead.
The book takes a nuanced look at what two journeys through foster care, and the lifelong impacts on both Sky and Ben, and their conceptions of love and ability to form attachments to people. It would be interested to anyone who has been adopted, and struggled to understand their place and connection to their foster family, and of course, for members of those families. Social workers might also like it, as it acknowledges the impossibility of the job, caring without becoming attached to your clients, holding up boundaries while you teach your clients to be more open. It's also a story about being gay in a place that doesn't make it easy, under a religion that teaches only hate: "No one could know I was gay, because I would simply choose not to be."
With thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me a copy to read.
November 2, 2023
Every once in a while, I get a gem of a book that truly takes my breath away and forces me to exam the privileges I have had throughout my life. The Wind Will Catch You offers such a gritty and stark look at a reality so different from most that it will make you feel uncomfortable as you read it. In sentiment, this novel is similar to All the Ugly and Beautiful Things, conveying a much deeper message of the fractured foster care and juvenile detention systems and the need for compassionate change.
The book description provides a protagonist that is a “typical college student”, but I feel this is incredibly far from the truth. Sky Fielder is on a path of destruction. She is addicted to opioids and constantly searching for a quick high indicative of someone disguising much deeper emotional issues. I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sky in the beginning and was completely turned off by her behavior, but it is so important to her character development later. It is not until Sky’s near-death experience that the reader is let in on the veracity of her despair and need for connection.
As more of Sky’s story is revealed, we are also queued into the possibility that a man in a hospital a few states over might be her brother that she was separated from at a young age. Sky had been told that her brother Ben was killed in an accident they were both in and disregards this possibility at first. As she comes to accept the very real likelihood of this man being her brother, we begin to get his story. This is where the true brilliance of the novel lies.
The system has failed Ben in every possible way. His experience is bleak, without hope or consideration. The foster care and justice systems have completely deserted him. He is incarcerated from a young teen through adulthood and left to find the only protection offered, membership in a gang. As he comes to terms with his circumstances there is a level of acceptance from him that is absolutely devastating. As he attempts to outrun his past, the story becomes a poignant example of the impossibility of escaping a societal predetermined path.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to the audio production of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The book description provides a protagonist that is a “typical college student”, but I feel this is incredibly far from the truth. Sky Fielder is on a path of destruction. She is addicted to opioids and constantly searching for a quick high indicative of someone disguising much deeper emotional issues. I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sky in the beginning and was completely turned off by her behavior, but it is so important to her character development later. It is not until Sky’s near-death experience that the reader is let in on the veracity of her despair and need for connection.
As more of Sky’s story is revealed, we are also queued into the possibility that a man in a hospital a few states over might be her brother that she was separated from at a young age. Sky had been told that her brother Ben was killed in an accident they were both in and disregards this possibility at first. As she comes to accept the very real likelihood of this man being her brother, we begin to get his story. This is where the true brilliance of the novel lies.
The system has failed Ben in every possible way. His experience is bleak, without hope or consideration. The foster care and justice systems have completely deserted him. He is incarcerated from a young teen through adulthood and left to find the only protection offered, membership in a gang. As he comes to terms with his circumstances there is a level of acceptance from him that is absolutely devastating. As he attempts to outrun his past, the story becomes a poignant example of the impossibility of escaping a societal predetermined path.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to the audio production of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 30, 2023
Hi Michelle. I met you years ago at a writers retreat and have been following you on FB, mesmerized by your photography.
I ordered your new book on Amazon and it came 2 days ago. I absolutely loved it, and devoured it immediately, finishing at 3:00 am this morning. Here’s what I loved about it:
1). The language. Your uncomplicated, flowing, direct style. It carries a punch.
2) Your characters. I felt like I know them and care deeply about them, even when they engage in troublesome actions. You show such compassion for them and that’s contagious.
3) The education I received in our foster care system, poverty, homelessness. The people behind the statistics.
4) The window into sexuality that is different from my own. Is that ok to say? I loved the sensuality and closeness of the women (which I know is no different than any other flavor of relationships but not something I have read about in such a raw beautiful way before).
5) The honesty around the complexity of boundaries and the personal struggles and decisions we all have to make. I’m a therapist - I confront those often.
6) The mother daughter relationships and the need to be wanted, accepted, loved. To get it right and the terribly high stakes when we don’t.
7) The awe/awesome/awfulness of the natural world. It’s allure and brutality.
8. The terrible choices we sometimes have to make when our back is to the wall. Who knows what any of us would do to survive?
There’s more but I will stop now. Thank you for writing this wrenching wonderful book.
Respectfully
Jennifer
I ordered your new book on Amazon and it came 2 days ago. I absolutely loved it, and devoured it immediately, finishing at 3:00 am this morning. Here’s what I loved about it:
1). The language. Your uncomplicated, flowing, direct style. It carries a punch.
2) Your characters. I felt like I know them and care deeply about them, even when they engage in troublesome actions. You show such compassion for them and that’s contagious.
3) The education I received in our foster care system, poverty, homelessness. The people behind the statistics.
4) The window into sexuality that is different from my own. Is that ok to say? I loved the sensuality and closeness of the women (which I know is no different than any other flavor of relationships but not something I have read about in such a raw beautiful way before).
5) The honesty around the complexity of boundaries and the personal struggles and decisions we all have to make. I’m a therapist - I confront those often.
6) The mother daughter relationships and the need to be wanted, accepted, loved. To get it right and the terribly high stakes when we don’t.
7) The awe/awesome/awfulness of the natural world. It’s allure and brutality.
8. The terrible choices we sometimes have to make when our back is to the wall. Who knows what any of us would do to survive?
There’s more but I will stop now. Thank you for writing this wrenching wonderful book.
Respectfully
Jennifer
October 18, 2023
A deeply emotional, tragically sad story. and yet beautiful story. Children living under terrible circumstances are separated via the terribly broken, underfunded and often uncaring foster care system. We meet Sky, the younger of the siblings when she is trying to get through college, aging out of the foster care system, though she was adopted and then not accepted by her adoptive parents for being who she is and has spent the entirety of her life missing her beloved brother Ben, who died years earlier. Until she receives a phone call that he is in the hospital and they need her to come and make decisions. To say she is shocked is an understatement. With the help of her case worker, Laura she untangles the mystery of what happened all while trying to figure out who she is, how to move forward and live her best life given her history. She’s a smart young woman who just wants to be happy having lived a sad, neglected, abusive childhood at the hands of the drug addict parents. foster care system and biased and bigoted adoptive parents who just cannot accept that she is gay. Sadly, in their eyes, love is not love if it doesn’t fit their limited religious doctrine. It’s an impactful read that does have a beautiful ending, but leaves you with so much to think about. A stellar debut novel.
I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
February 12, 2024
Sky, a college student, has lived a life of trial and tribulation. She is the product of the foster care system, and has experienced the loss of her birth family. Eventually, the details of her upbringing are described, and they are truly heart breaking. As a college student, Sky lives in a half-way house, and still receives support from a case worker, Laura. Sky receives a phone call from a doctor asking her to make medical decisions for her brother, Ben. However, Sky is thrown in a tailspin, as her brother Ben is deceased. The story details the present day of events regarding Sky, and past events that detail her childhood and time spent with an adoptive family. Sky’s childhood is heart breaking, and difficult to read. While the events were difficult to read, it was masterfully told, as it was impossible for me to put down. The themes in this novel included: foster care, drugs, college, involvement with social systems, family, and trust. I wish that there had been additional details revealed about Ben’s life, but otherwise, the character development was adequate. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
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