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Windborne
"...an emotional ride as each life is seeded and grows to fruition, full of hope, and vowing to be different, only to be struck down by the vagaries of life/climate." -Kindle customer review
The windswept Flint Hills of Kansas promised bountiful wildlife and fertile valleys, but for Virginia, Helen and Leah it was an empty promise. Dreams here often withered and died from starvation or the harshness and unpredictability of the climate. Eventually, each woman must face the decision to set aside her own hopes and dreams in the struggle to maintain home and family against impossible odds.
Skillfully creating compassionate characters with a range of emotions, WINDBORNE is a novel unique in style and scope. Set against a historical backdrop of major economic and cultural changes of the past century, it is an elegantly timeless tale about the nature of love, loss and awakening.
The windswept Flint Hills of Kansas promised bountiful wildlife and fertile valleys, but for Virginia, Helen and Leah it was an empty promise. Dreams here often withered and died from starvation or the harshness and unpredictability of the climate. Eventually, each woman must face the decision to set aside her own hopes and dreams in the struggle to maintain home and family against impossible odds.
Skillfully creating compassionate characters with a range of emotions, WINDBORNE is a novel unique in style and scope. Set against a historical backdrop of major economic and cultural changes of the past century, it is an elegantly timeless tale about the nature of love, loss and awakening.
234 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2013
6 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
6 books27 followersAward winning author, Wanda DeHaven Pyle grew up in the Flint Hills of Kansas and her recollections of life on the tallgrass prairie have influenced her writing. Her work explores the untold stories of past generations and the impact they have on those who follow.
A frequent writer of stories as a child, she always thought that one day should grow up to become a writer. Unfortunately, life had a way of intervening in best of her plans. Wanda is descended from a long line of educators going back as far as anyone can remember. It seemed a natural course for her to take at a time when few careers were open to women.
She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University and has worked over 40 years in the field of education as a teacher, administrator and consultant. Throughout her career, she has provided mentoring and support for women in leadership positions and continues to encourage women to reach their full potential.
She lives in Claremont, California with her husband and spends her retirement years writing, traveling and volunteering her time in support of at-risk children.
She can be reached at drwandapyle@gmail.com.
A frequent writer of stories as a child, she always thought that one day should grow up to become a writer. Unfortunately, life had a way of intervening in best of her plans. Wanda is descended from a long line of educators going back as far as anyone can remember. It seemed a natural course for her to take at a time when few careers were open to women.
She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University and has worked over 40 years in the field of education as a teacher, administrator and consultant. Throughout her career, she has provided mentoring and support for women in leadership positions and continues to encourage women to reach their full potential.
She lives in Claremont, California with her husband and spends her retirement years writing, traveling and volunteering her time in support of at-risk children.
She can be reached at drwandapyle@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 5, 2017
Heartfelt and at times quietly moving, this memoir-like work of fiction uses the tapestry of one family in the Flint Hills of Kansas and their struggles, triumphs and tragedies over decades to paint a portrait of a country as it grows and changes with the world around it. In her first effort, Wanda DeHaven Pyle uses a fast-flowing narrative more than dialog to cover much ground within only a few chapters or pages, yet there exists an intimacy, as though we the reader are being offered a view from heaven of this particular family and the decisions which shaped their future and those of successive generations.
Those who enjoy books like Catherine Marshall's Christy, or Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Cross Creek will hear faint echoes of those intimate and gentle type of narratives here. A Walton's type of atmosphere contains many tender and poignant moments as readers become involved in the plight of this family from the very onset. We feel a tender connection to Virginia as she bestows upon her sister the love her mother is unable to give. That connection between reader and narrative continues without waver as Virginia must move forward and leave her family behind in order to teach; a decision which will reverberate through the coming decades.
It is perhaps when Virginia meets Will, however, that the die is cast for following generations. Though there are many moments of poignancy within the narrative, none are more telling than Virginia's and Jack's, giving a vivid picture of a place and time in America. When Virginia walks through her classroom for the final time because her marriage to Will has restricted her from teaching, we feel deeply for this woman whose time has not yet come, and won't until Leah. But for me, it is Jack's story, covering the war years and the aftermath of coming home which most touched me. There is no way to read this book and ever forget what sacrifices were made during the war, the depth of those sacrifices not brought to fruition until years had passed.
As with all families placed under a microscope for decades, there is love and tragedy, triumphs and poor decision-making, and a spirit passed on to succeeding generations. Spanning the time period in America from 1910-1985 there is sort of a Studs Terkel feel to the history we are seeing through the lives of this family over generations. Yet where Terkel's history is oral, by using narrative rather than dialog for the most part, here, we get something nearly cinematic. Reading Windborne is tantamount to watching a film spanning decades in the lives of one family, providing us not only a portrait of them, but also the country in which they lived.
The aforementioned is also a minor or major flaw of this inaugural book from the author, depending on your reading tastes. Some readers will not be enamored of how much telling there is as opposed to showing. In its gentle intimacy, however, Wanda DeHaven Pyle does manage to give us a panorama of a time and place. Excellent for a first novel, in my opinion, and the type of book I hope the author returns to at some point and time in the future.
Those who enjoy books like Catherine Marshall's Christy, or Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Cross Creek will hear faint echoes of those intimate and gentle type of narratives here. A Walton's type of atmosphere contains many tender and poignant moments as readers become involved in the plight of this family from the very onset. We feel a tender connection to Virginia as she bestows upon her sister the love her mother is unable to give. That connection between reader and narrative continues without waver as Virginia must move forward and leave her family behind in order to teach; a decision which will reverberate through the coming decades.
It is perhaps when Virginia meets Will, however, that the die is cast for following generations. Though there are many moments of poignancy within the narrative, none are more telling than Virginia's and Jack's, giving a vivid picture of a place and time in America. When Virginia walks through her classroom for the final time because her marriage to Will has restricted her from teaching, we feel deeply for this woman whose time has not yet come, and won't until Leah. But for me, it is Jack's story, covering the war years and the aftermath of coming home which most touched me. There is no way to read this book and ever forget what sacrifices were made during the war, the depth of those sacrifices not brought to fruition until years had passed.
As with all families placed under a microscope for decades, there is love and tragedy, triumphs and poor decision-making, and a spirit passed on to succeeding generations. Spanning the time period in America from 1910-1985 there is sort of a Studs Terkel feel to the history we are seeing through the lives of this family over generations. Yet where Terkel's history is oral, by using narrative rather than dialog for the most part, here, we get something nearly cinematic. Reading Windborne is tantamount to watching a film spanning decades in the lives of one family, providing us not only a portrait of them, but also the country in which they lived.
The aforementioned is also a minor or major flaw of this inaugural book from the author, depending on your reading tastes. Some readers will not be enamored of how much telling there is as opposed to showing. In its gentle intimacy, however, Wanda DeHaven Pyle does manage to give us a panorama of a time and place. Excellent for a first novel, in my opinion, and the type of book I hope the author returns to at some point and time in the future.
July 30, 2017
Air borne.
I cannot praise this enough. Beautifully written.
Set in Kansas, from 1910-1985, with a historical background, Windborne beautifully sketches tales of love, loss and awakening of three women. A panoramic glance at a nation and of the time when you did not expect much.
Virginia left her dreams, her hopes of teaching, becoming independent and went to marry, create a family of her own. Another women follow her lead. But till when? There must be a stop to the pain and abuses they are facing. Poverty is laughing on them. They must confront it, they must raise themselves, figure out their strength and weaknesses.
This is story that teaches that love is many things, but not everything. Equality should be maintained in any case, failing to do which families collapse. Relationships doom which leads to alcoholism, depression, suicidal thoughts, guilt and much more.
It was haunting to watch how youth who went to World Wars, faced the new world when they returned. In the end, the women find things they were looking for, strength.
Heartwarming characters, gripping plot and an unputdownable story.
It was a timeless experience. I recommend it to Memoirs' readers and History buffs.
I cannot praise this enough. Beautifully written.
Set in Kansas, from 1910-1985, with a historical background, Windborne beautifully sketches tales of love, loss and awakening of three women. A panoramic glance at a nation and of the time when you did not expect much.
Virginia left her dreams, her hopes of teaching, becoming independent and went to marry, create a family of her own. Another women follow her lead. But till when? There must be a stop to the pain and abuses they are facing. Poverty is laughing on them. They must confront it, they must raise themselves, figure out their strength and weaknesses.
This is story that teaches that love is many things, but not everything. Equality should be maintained in any case, failing to do which families collapse. Relationships doom which leads to alcoholism, depression, suicidal thoughts, guilt and much more.
It was haunting to watch how youth who went to World Wars, faced the new world when they returned. In the end, the women find things they were looking for, strength.
Heartwarming characters, gripping plot and an unputdownable story.
It was a timeless experience. I recommend it to Memoirs' readers and History buffs.
January 26, 2014
I won this book from Goodreads some time ago. I really liked it since it is about the time of my parents lives 1910 - 1985. It was also about life in Kansas which is where my parents were, then they moved to Wyoming to farm. So a lot of this book, I could relate to. It is mainly about a woman who gave up her dream of teaching to marry and raise a family and the generation of women who followed her. These women had to win over heartache, poverty and abuse before they found the courage to be themselves. There is a lot of historical content in this book and it was a good read.
April 14, 2014
I enjoyed this book
July 21, 2017
I really enjoy books that are set against the backdrop of authentic history, portraying believable characters, exposing their strengths and weaknesses in very realistic ways. Wind Borne is rich with human drama--Love does not overcome all, sometimes it damages people more than they know: hardships that eventually tear families apart after many years of struggle, mental depression and alcoholism in men because of feelings of failure and guilt, the effects of war on young soldiers who joined the Navy in World War II and how they struggle to find normal in a world that never will be totally normal again for them, the journey that each of the children of these relationships take as they struggle through the Depression and into the bounty of post war America. This is the 4th book that I have read by this author--there is no fluff in any of her writing, but her female characters always find their way to overcome and develop their inner strengths. A great read--I loved it.
February 1, 2018
I couldn't make it past the first chapter. I was intrigued by this book since I live in the Flint Hills. While there were tons of opportunities for conflict, they weren't taken as the main character did not react to the hardships presented. At times, the author gave long winded history lessons of the area instead of immersing us into the landscape. A pet peeve of mine is when authors head hop and we had that for a few paragraphs this first chapter in the fathers point of view. Also, by the end of the first chapter, the plot hadn't started, so I wasn't inclined to keep reading.
I like to point out good things in my reviews, so I will say that the grammar and spelling were done well (or at least I didn't notice any mistakes).
I like to point out good things in my reviews, so I will say that the grammar and spelling were done well (or at least I didn't notice any mistakes).
July 4, 2019
Windborne is delightfully crafted. I love historical fiction, and the characters came to life. Growing up in the Midwest myself, and my mom a part of the Depression, this was a very relatable read. I liked it so much that I’m recommending it to my neighborhood book club as our next read.
August 24, 2014
It is a testament to the strength of this story that I finished it in spite of its excessive use of exclamation points, and numerous typographical errors.
I loved the weaving of history into this tale; I loved the generational spans, and the storytelling was well done. I sure wish it had gone through one more edit before hitting the shelves.
I loved the weaving of history into this tale; I loved the generational spans, and the storytelling was well done. I sure wish it had gone through one more edit before hitting the shelves.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews