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We Need No Wings
To be free, we must learn to fly.
Teresa Sanchez has always known who she a professor, a wife, a mother, and a friend. But when her husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself completely broken. Taking a leave from the university, Teresa hopes that she can mourn her husband and get back on her feet, but instead, she spends a year consumed by grief.
Until the day she levitates.
Suddenly, Teresa's life is thrown into disarray, and the repeated incidents of levitation not only make her question her sanity, but also put her in danger. She decides she will do anything to stop them. So when she's reminded that her family is related to the renowned levitating mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, she leaves the refuge of her home and travels to Spain, hoping to find answers. But Saints can be elusive, and not all answers are easily found. Teresa will soon have to decide whether to remain shrouded in her grief, or open her heart to a world where we need no wings to fly…
From the award-winning author of The Storyteller's Death comes a riveting, multicultural story about what it means to love, heal, and take flight.
Teresa Sanchez has always known who she a professor, a wife, a mother, and a friend. But when her husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself completely broken. Taking a leave from the university, Teresa hopes that she can mourn her husband and get back on her feet, but instead, she spends a year consumed by grief.
Until the day she levitates.
Suddenly, Teresa's life is thrown into disarray, and the repeated incidents of levitation not only make her question her sanity, but also put her in danger. She decides she will do anything to stop them. So when she's reminded that her family is related to the renowned levitating mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, she leaves the refuge of her home and travels to Spain, hoping to find answers. But Saints can be elusive, and not all answers are easily found. Teresa will soon have to decide whether to remain shrouded in her grief, or open her heart to a world where we need no wings to fly…
From the award-winning author of The Storyteller's Death comes a riveting, multicultural story about what it means to love, heal, and take flight.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2024
86 people are currently reading
9658 people want to read
About the author
Ann Dávila Cardinal
13 books416 followersAnn is a Nuyorican, Vermont-based novelist with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). She comes from a long line of Puerto Rican writers, including father and son poets Virgilio and José Antonio Dávila, and her cousin, award-winning fiction writer Tere Dávila.
Ann’s first solo novel, a young adult horror novel titled Five Midnights, was released by Tor Teen on June 4, 2019. Five Midnights won the 2020 International Latino Book Award in the category of Best Young Adult Fantasy & Adventure, an AudioFile’s Earphones Award for the audiobook, and was finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. The story continues in Category Five, also from Tor Teen, released on June 2, 2020. Category Five is a 2021 nominee for the same International Latino Book Award category. Her latest young adult horror novel, Breakup From Hell, was released by HarperCollins on January 3, 2023.
Her first adult novel, the Puerto Rican magical realist mystery The Storyteller’s Death, was released from Sourcebooks Landmark on October 4, 2022. Her second adult novel, We Need No Wings, is scheduled for release in October 2024.
Her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology from HarperCollins (2022), Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic from Polis Books (2020) and the Latine young adult collection Our Shadows Have Claws from Workman Publishing (9/6/22),
Ann lives in Vermont with her husband in a lovely little house with a massively creepy basement.
Ann’s first solo novel, a young adult horror novel titled Five Midnights, was released by Tor Teen on June 4, 2019. Five Midnights won the 2020 International Latino Book Award in the category of Best Young Adult Fantasy & Adventure, an AudioFile’s Earphones Award for the audiobook, and was finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. The story continues in Category Five, also from Tor Teen, released on June 2, 2020. Category Five is a 2021 nominee for the same International Latino Book Award category. Her latest young adult horror novel, Breakup From Hell, was released by HarperCollins on January 3, 2023.
Her first adult novel, the Puerto Rican magical realist mystery The Storyteller’s Death, was released from Sourcebooks Landmark on October 4, 2022. Her second adult novel, We Need No Wings, is scheduled for release in October 2024.
Her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology from HarperCollins (2022), Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic from Polis Books (2020) and the Latine young adult collection Our Shadows Have Claws from Workman Publishing (9/6/22),
Ann lives in Vermont with her husband in a lovely little house with a massively creepy basement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
July 26, 2025
I use to have very vivid dreams. And, I was usually fairly successful in interpreting them. Don’t ask. Anyway, one of my favorite dreams was when I would levitate and fly across the sky, looking down at life as I knew it. I remember mostly how I felt so free and joyful amongst the clouds. And, when I would wake up, I felt so light. As if every burden I had once carried no longer existed.
So, when I read the premise of this book about a levitating woman, I thought, “why not read this one?” Maybe this might be what was needed in my life, a bit of magic and freedom and belief in possibilities.
Sometimes as readers, we need to find different ways to handle grief, and in this story, levitation was a unique emotional response to the death of our main character’s husband. There was definitely a sense of whimsy with her levitation as she navigated her loss.
Tere, our widow, is vibrant, funny and relatable. As readers, following her journey, we can’t help but feel her emotions, too.
The magical realism of the story (one of my favorite genres) blended with cultural heritage helped to create a cozy comfort feeling. And, an opportunity for any of us to reflect on life’s greatest questions when faced with important losses and changes in our lives.
Of course, there is a mystery to her levitation, and so Tere sets off on an adventure, that she takes readers on with her. Thus, allowing all of us to find healing along with her.
Maybe in healing – we also can believe in living life fully, despite the sadnesses or disappointments we may face along the way. Which makes this story although, imperfect in its telling, still uplifting in its message.
So, when I read the premise of this book about a levitating woman, I thought, “why not read this one?” Maybe this might be what was needed in my life, a bit of magic and freedom and belief in possibilities.
Sometimes as readers, we need to find different ways to handle grief, and in this story, levitation was a unique emotional response to the death of our main character’s husband. There was definitely a sense of whimsy with her levitation as she navigated her loss.
Tere, our widow, is vibrant, funny and relatable. As readers, following her journey, we can’t help but feel her emotions, too.
The magical realism of the story (one of my favorite genres) blended with cultural heritage helped to create a cozy comfort feeling. And, an opportunity for any of us to reflect on life’s greatest questions when faced with important losses and changes in our lives.
Of course, there is a mystery to her levitation, and so Tere sets off on an adventure, that she takes readers on with her. Thus, allowing all of us to find healing along with her.
Maybe in healing – we also can believe in living life fully, despite the sadnesses or disappointments we may face along the way. Which makes this story although, imperfect in its telling, still uplifting in its message.
May 9, 2024
[before I even start I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a Kindle copy of this book!]
When I first saw this book and the premise of it being a magical realism novel where the main character needs to learn how to heal and grow, while exploring her own heritage and the role of women in the Catholic Church, and where levitation seems to be a metaphor for letting go of such pain and also connecting with the raw part of the self, I was 100% in, however despite me enjoying the premise, this was not for me, chat.
I want to start with the themes: the book lays ideas of aging, femininity, grief, misogyny, religion and heritage, and although those are all ideas I would love to see in any book, and they would seem to work together really well, the feel very disjointed in the book. It feels like the book wants to convey many things but fails at doing so in a meaningful manner. For example, with Teresa being second gen Puerto Rican, the synopsis and the “reading group guide” at the end of the book make it seem as if her identity would be more crucial to this book than what it actually is, when in the book it feels to me that her identity is only mentioned off hand every so often as if to remind us. Teresa could have been any sort of person with one Spanish descendant from the right place and the story wouldn’t change much, with her identity not coming into play beyond her accent being odd or her bringing up her upbringing once or twice in very specific situations. Tere was not written as a Latina woman to me, and it feels like it was more of an afterthought. I think that there are very lots of ways in which you can incorrectly incorporate culture and identity into a character and this book hit all my pet peeves.
Second: characters, they all feel painfully shallow, their dialogues and interactions very stiff and unnatural l, and I think this book ages itself a little by making reference to irl brands, products and objects (this is once again, a very subjective and personal pet peeve). Despite Teresa’s circumstances I find it hard to connect with her, or her fears, the book does not have any compelling character I was actually rooting for. Furthermore, the book takes place in Spain, and the dialogue is supposed to be taking place in Spanish, however the dialogue is so Americanized in a way that doesn’t match A) an older Nuyorican character (despite how on touch they stay, it just feels like millennial culture and millennial speech) and B) what someone in Spain, and more specifically a town with -checks google- 58k inhabitants, of which 92.5% are Spanish born and where the other 7.5% are immigrants from the middle east, Eastern Europe and Latin American countries (Colombia, Venezuela and Peru being 3rd-5th in amount of immigrants), would sound like, wouldn’t be a quirky millennial with untranslatable jokes to Spanish or very American topics of conversation (one because of the demographic group most of the characters are in, and two because if they were being shape by foreign cultures, Anglo ones wouldn’t be the ones the locals are absorbing).
The pacing of this book felt very dragged in some parts and really suffers from the narrator also feeling like it’s not leading anywhere? Like the plot is happening, I’m reading a plot, there is prose, but it feels so empty at the same time. It does not create the vivid imagery a lot of books would evoke for me. There is also SO MUCH FLUFF, that could be trimmed and wouldn’t change a thing about the story, such as small interactions in the beginning of the book.
Also regarding this being magical realism I think is very much subject of debate, but WITHIN THE NARRATIVE, Tere describes what magical realism is, and by its own definition the book wouldn’t be magical realism.
Overall, this was a disappointing read. I wanted to like it but I think that a mix of this not being the right book for me + me finding impossible not to be very nit-picky, made it a very mediocre book. I think that there is a lot of potential. For one thing I love reading about an older character who already has had so much experience and with such an unique voice, rather than her being a frail woman, loved the key concepts, but the narrative, dialogue and character building couldn’t do it for me.
When I first saw this book and the premise of it being a magical realism novel where the main character needs to learn how to heal and grow, while exploring her own heritage and the role of women in the Catholic Church, and where levitation seems to be a metaphor for letting go of such pain and also connecting with the raw part of the self, I was 100% in, however despite me enjoying the premise, this was not for me, chat.
I want to start with the themes: the book lays ideas of aging, femininity, grief, misogyny, religion and heritage, and although those are all ideas I would love to see in any book, and they would seem to work together really well, the feel very disjointed in the book. It feels like the book wants to convey many things but fails at doing so in a meaningful manner. For example, with Teresa being second gen Puerto Rican, the synopsis and the “reading group guide” at the end of the book make it seem as if her identity would be more crucial to this book than what it actually is, when in the book it feels to me that her identity is only mentioned off hand every so often as if to remind us. Teresa could have been any sort of person with one Spanish descendant from the right place and the story wouldn’t change much, with her identity not coming into play beyond her accent being odd or her bringing up her upbringing once or twice in very specific situations. Tere was not written as a Latina woman to me, and it feels like it was more of an afterthought. I think that there are very lots of ways in which you can incorrectly incorporate culture and identity into a character and this book hit all my pet peeves.
Second: characters, they all feel painfully shallow, their dialogues and interactions very stiff and unnatural l, and I think this book ages itself a little by making reference to irl brands, products and objects (this is once again, a very subjective and personal pet peeve). Despite Teresa’s circumstances I find it hard to connect with her, or her fears, the book does not have any compelling character I was actually rooting for. Furthermore, the book takes place in Spain, and the dialogue is supposed to be taking place in Spanish, however the dialogue is so Americanized in a way that doesn’t match A) an older Nuyorican character (despite how on touch they stay, it just feels like millennial culture and millennial speech) and B) what someone in Spain, and more specifically a town with -checks google- 58k inhabitants, of which 92.5% are Spanish born and where the other 7.5% are immigrants from the middle east, Eastern Europe and Latin American countries (Colombia, Venezuela and Peru being 3rd-5th in amount of immigrants), would sound like, wouldn’t be a quirky millennial with untranslatable jokes to Spanish or very American topics of conversation (one because of the demographic group most of the characters are in, and two because if they were being shape by foreign cultures, Anglo ones wouldn’t be the ones the locals are absorbing).
The pacing of this book felt very dragged in some parts and really suffers from the narrator also feeling like it’s not leading anywhere? Like the plot is happening, I’m reading a plot, there is prose, but it feels so empty at the same time. It does not create the vivid imagery a lot of books would evoke for me. There is also SO MUCH FLUFF, that could be trimmed and wouldn’t change a thing about the story, such as small interactions in the beginning of the book.
Also regarding this being magical realism I think is very much subject of debate, but WITHIN THE NARRATIVE, Tere describes what magical realism is, and by its own definition the book wouldn’t be magical realism.
Overall, this was a disappointing read. I wanted to like it but I think that a mix of this not being the right book for me + me finding impossible not to be very nit-picky, made it a very mediocre book. I think that there is a lot of potential. For one thing I love reading about an older character who already has had so much experience and with such an unique voice, rather than her being a frail woman, loved the key concepts, but the narrative, dialogue and character building couldn’t do it for me.
August 8, 2025
If we have a safe, level road to walk along, why should we desire wings to fly?
Teresa, ‘Tere,’ is a Puerto Rican professor of American Literature who is on leave after her husband suffered a fatal stroke. As the anniversary of Carl’s death passes, her colleagues beg Tere to return to the classroom, reminding her that she risks losing her tenured position. One day, she’s tending to her beloved peonies in the garden when she starts to levitate. When Tere’s comfortable enough sharing her levitation experience with her Puerto Rican family, they remind her that she’s descended from Teresa of Avila. Tere immediately heads to Spain, hoping to uncover an explanation for her ‘turns’.
I picked this one up after our ‘The Storyteller’s Death’ book club Zoom with the author last week and I’m so glad I did! I resonated with so much of the content.
I understood Tere’s struggle being straddled between two worlds; one where she feels her work is done and she wants to move on and one where she’s just learning to spread her wings. I savored the sections where Tere discusses her feelings of freedom; “free from holding too tight to a career that no longer served her, to an image of herself that no longer fit.”
I also understood what Tere meant when she said, “Dying was easy; being left behind was hard.” My friend lost her husband suddenly last year and she’s tired of her other friends and family encouraging her to ‘move on’ from grief. When Tere questions, “But how did one do that? There was no on-off switch to grief; she wished to God there were. People acted as if it were something you just decided to do; you simply got over it” I could hear my friend’s words echo on the page.
Three things:
1) Sister Isabelle, Tere’s nun cousin, is a hoot!
2) I love the scene in the garden at the church.
3) The bike shop owner….
Teresa, ‘Tere,’ is a Puerto Rican professor of American Literature who is on leave after her husband suffered a fatal stroke. As the anniversary of Carl’s death passes, her colleagues beg Tere to return to the classroom, reminding her that she risks losing her tenured position. One day, she’s tending to her beloved peonies in the garden when she starts to levitate. When Tere’s comfortable enough sharing her levitation experience with her Puerto Rican family, they remind her that she’s descended from Teresa of Avila. Tere immediately heads to Spain, hoping to uncover an explanation for her ‘turns’.
I picked this one up after our ‘The Storyteller’s Death’ book club Zoom with the author last week and I’m so glad I did! I resonated with so much of the content.
I understood Tere’s struggle being straddled between two worlds; one where she feels her work is done and she wants to move on and one where she’s just learning to spread her wings. I savored the sections where Tere discusses her feelings of freedom; “free from holding too tight to a career that no longer served her, to an image of herself that no longer fit.”
I also understood what Tere meant when she said, “Dying was easy; being left behind was hard.” My friend lost her husband suddenly last year and she’s tired of her other friends and family encouraging her to ‘move on’ from grief. When Tere questions, “But how did one do that? There was no on-off switch to grief; she wished to God there were. People acted as if it were something you just decided to do; you simply got over it” I could hear my friend’s words echo on the page.
Three things:
1) Sister Isabelle, Tere’s nun cousin, is a hoot!
2) I love the scene in the garden at the church.
3) The bike shop owner….
February 7, 2025
3.5 stars
A beautiful story about grief following a 60 year old woman who loses her husband and has to figure out what she wants her life to be now. Oh also, she starts to levitate so she travels to Spain where her family ancestry is from to figure out why this has started happening.
A beautiful story about grief following a 60 year old woman who loses her husband and has to figure out what she wants her life to be now. Oh also, she starts to levitate so she travels to Spain where her family ancestry is from to figure out why this has started happening.
February 13, 2024
What a fabulous story! Tere Sanchez is everything I love in a protagonist- dynamic, flawed and authentic. Her quest to connect to her ancestors and come to terms with her grief are such relatable topics made even more fun to read with the added mystical plot point of her levitation. The supporting characters are equally as likable and add flavor to Tere’s journey of discovery. As an added bonus, I learned a lot about sainthood and Catholicism through this story. It was clear that Saint Teresa and the city of Avila were thoroughly researched, so much so that I could clearly picture the setting having never set foot in Spain. Lastly, this novel has got tremendous flow. Tere has lots going on, but none of the plot points felt stale and the author wove them together well to keep my interest. This is my second read from this author and excited to read more of their work!
Read
November 5, 2024Did you say a 60-year old protagonist? Who floats? Who leaves everything behind to study family history? Who also happens to be a professor, always wanting to progress in academia? GIVE. IT. TO. ME.
August 26, 2024
3.5 ★
“Salto al vacío. Jump into emptiness. The void.”
Publishes 9/10/24
We Need No Wings is a character-driven novel that follows sixty year old Tere on an emotional and spiritual journey to find herself again after the loss of her husband.
This captured my attention from the very first chapter! I think it is a beautiful story and I love the whimsy elements. The writing is extremely vivid, you can tell the author really took her time researching and visiting the actual city she writes about. I love the sense of wanderlust I felt while reading this and I felt like I was walking along the streets of Spain with Tere. Tere is a character that is easy to root for; I love the way she isn’t afraid of aging and continues to grow and experience her life to the fullest of her ability. The pacing and storyline was a bit slow at times, especially in the middle. I wish there was a little more depth to some of the characters and interactions. Everything felt a little too perfect; she really hits it off with everyone she runs into? Overall I think it was a very sweet and touching story!
Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings: grief, death (of husband) (of parent), miscarriage, alcoholism
“Salto al vacío. Jump into emptiness. The void.”
Publishes 9/10/24
We Need No Wings is a character-driven novel that follows sixty year old Tere on an emotional and spiritual journey to find herself again after the loss of her husband.
This captured my attention from the very first chapter! I think it is a beautiful story and I love the whimsy elements. The writing is extremely vivid, you can tell the author really took her time researching and visiting the actual city she writes about. I love the sense of wanderlust I felt while reading this and I felt like I was walking along the streets of Spain with Tere. Tere is a character that is easy to root for; I love the way she isn’t afraid of aging and continues to grow and experience her life to the fullest of her ability. The pacing and storyline was a bit slow at times, especially in the middle. I wish there was a little more depth to some of the characters and interactions. Everything felt a little too perfect; she really hits it off with everyone she runs into? Overall I think it was a very sweet and touching story!
Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings: grief, death (of husband) (of parent), miscarriage, alcoholism
March 30, 2024
This was a both a moving story of coping with loss, and a lovely look at how to find the strength to move forward in life when you feel most adrift.
Tere Sanchez spent the past year grieving after the loss of her husband, she has been on an extended leave from her job as a professor, and her son and his wife and kids have built their own life in the city -- leaving her alone and unmoored in her small town in Vermont. But one day as she is watering the peonies her late husband planted in their garden, her life suddenly changes as she begins to levitate. Turning to her family roots, she remembers that her family claims to be descended from Saint Theresa de Avila, and she decides to uproot herself and travel to Avila, Spain to try and figure out what's happening to her. Answers are not so easy to come by, though, and she must first understand herself and what holds her back before she can truly soar.
I loved Ann Dávila Cardinal's last book, The Storyteller's Death, so I was excited to pick this up. It did not disappoint! She is incredible at crafting beautiful, immersive settings in gorgeous places -- the descriptions of Avila absolutely transported me to the ancient Spanish city with its stone walls, fragrant gardens, and monasteries and churches on every corner. It truly felt like I could see every detail that the author meticulously crafted into the story.
I also think the magical realism element was handled so well. It was just the right amount of mysticism for me, and it gave the story of finding your way when you're at a major life crossroads an element of mystery and spirituality.
There were some really important discussions in this book, as well, about literature as a tool for marginalized people, about the juxtaposition between the Catholic church's rich opulence and the true meaning of living out your faith through the charity and simple living of the nuns and other devout members of the community.
I'm not 100% sure about one part of the ending, but I do think that the emotional climax of Tere's journey of self discovery was very moving.
4.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review.
Tere Sanchez spent the past year grieving after the loss of her husband, she has been on an extended leave from her job as a professor, and her son and his wife and kids have built their own life in the city -- leaving her alone and unmoored in her small town in Vermont. But one day as she is watering the peonies her late husband planted in their garden, her life suddenly changes as she begins to levitate. Turning to her family roots, she remembers that her family claims to be descended from Saint Theresa de Avila, and she decides to uproot herself and travel to Avila, Spain to try and figure out what's happening to her. Answers are not so easy to come by, though, and she must first understand herself and what holds her back before she can truly soar.
I loved Ann Dávila Cardinal's last book, The Storyteller's Death, so I was excited to pick this up. It did not disappoint! She is incredible at crafting beautiful, immersive settings in gorgeous places -- the descriptions of Avila absolutely transported me to the ancient Spanish city with its stone walls, fragrant gardens, and monasteries and churches on every corner. It truly felt like I could see every detail that the author meticulously crafted into the story.
I also think the magical realism element was handled so well. It was just the right amount of mysticism for me, and it gave the story of finding your way when you're at a major life crossroads an element of mystery and spirituality.
There were some really important discussions in this book, as well, about literature as a tool for marginalized people, about the juxtaposition between the Catholic church's rich opulence and the true meaning of living out your faith through the charity and simple living of the nuns and other devout members of the community.
I'm not 100% sure about one part of the ending, but I do think that the emotional climax of Tere's journey of self discovery was very moving.
4.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review.
July 3, 2024
We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal is among my favorite books publishing this fall.
This laugh-out-loud, uplifting, and magical travel adventure features a relatable 60-year-old woman exploring her connections to Saint Teresa of Avila Spain. They share more than family heritage. Tere is amazed to discover the saint's journals reveal she frequently levitated: Tere wants to understand why she's also experiencing levitation -- all while facing mid-life, grieving her husband's death, and visiting Avila Spain. Bonus for this semi-autobiographical own-voices author and a story of age positivity!!
Notes while reading:
Tere is vulnerable, yet confident, and funny; I love this narrative so very much!!
— Apr 24, 2024 08:36PM
We Need No Wings
79% done
I'm completely smitten with the heroine, Tere!
— May 02, 2024 08:52PM
We Need No Wings
29% done
Enchantingly relatable, character Tere vibrates with authentic emotion; this is excellent autofiction!
And my author crush is deepening!
— Apr 19, 2024 06:17AM
We Need No Wings
20% done
Ann Dávila Cardinal generously threads humor into this adventure!
60-year-old heroine Tere Sanchez is experiencing levitation, learning about her ancestor Saint Teresa of Avila, one year later still grieving her husband's death.
— Apr 18, 2024 08:29AM
We Need No Wings
20% done
My gratitude to NetGalley for early access to one of the books I anticipate featuring in my best 2024 book publishing greats!
This laugh-out-loud, uplifting, and magical travel adventure features a relatable 60-year-old woman exploring her connections to Saint Teresa of Avila Spain. They share more than family heritage. Tere is amazed to discover the saint's journals reveal she frequently levitated: Tere wants to understand why she's also experiencing levitation -- all while facing mid-life, grieving her husband's death, and visiting Avila Spain. Bonus for this semi-autobiographical own-voices author and a story of age positivity!!
Notes while reading:
Tere is vulnerable, yet confident, and funny; I love this narrative so very much!!
— Apr 24, 2024 08:36PM
We Need No Wings
79% done
I'm completely smitten with the heroine, Tere!
— May 02, 2024 08:52PM
We Need No Wings
29% done
Enchantingly relatable, character Tere vibrates with authentic emotion; this is excellent autofiction!
And my author crush is deepening!
— Apr 19, 2024 06:17AM
We Need No Wings
20% done
Ann Dávila Cardinal generously threads humor into this adventure!
60-year-old heroine Tere Sanchez is experiencing levitation, learning about her ancestor Saint Teresa of Avila, one year later still grieving her husband's death.
— Apr 18, 2024 08:29AM
We Need No Wings
20% done
My gratitude to NetGalley for early access to one of the books I anticipate featuring in my best 2024 book publishing greats!
September 29, 2024
I found myself completely immersed within this emotional, vibrant and captivating story from the very beginning. Plus, I can’t get over how much I learned! I had no idea where the roots of magical realism lied nor what actually defines magical realism within a story.
And Tere’s character is the type of real woman I live for in stories. She is witty, humorous, brilliant, dealing with massive change later in her life, and is showing the kind of resilience that makes me as a reader want to jump into this story of discovery with her.
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Working through grief
Magical Realism
Atmosphere
Family history
History
Travel
Symbolism
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
Full review coming soon
Thank you SourceLandmark for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
And Tere’s character is the type of real woman I live for in stories. She is witty, humorous, brilliant, dealing with massive change later in her life, and is showing the kind of resilience that makes me as a reader want to jump into this story of discovery with her.
✔️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Working through grief
Magical Realism
Atmosphere
Family history
History
Travel
Symbolism
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
Full review coming soon
Thank you SourceLandmark for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
October 2, 2024
I loved the premise of this book, but it fell completely flat with many loose ends, underdeveloped characters, and an overabundance of “fluff.” I think 100 pages could be trimmed and it wouldn’t make a difference. I was really excited for an older female main character, but in my opinion, she was written like a standard millennial American woman rather than an older Latina from New York. It really just missed the mark for me.
November 15, 2024
This light read explores themes of trauma, grief, recovery, and resilency with a touch of magical realism. Teresa Sánchez, a 60-years-old English professor, feels adrift after the death of her beloved husband. One day while in her husband's garden, she is frightened when she begins to unexpectantly levitate. After discovering that she is a descendent of Saint Teresa of Ávila, who exhibited similar floating, she tells her son that she is flying to Spain to learn more about her ancestor.
Teresa's pilgrimage is not without its frustrations, but its is a path for self-discovery. Isn't that true in life; self-discovery is not without some emotional pain. There are humerous moments including her encounter with a relative she has not met before, who is currently a nun and initially comes across prickly. The reader easily accompanies Teresa on her journey with the author skillfully sketches of the primary characters and the community of Avila.
Teresa's pilgrimage is not without its frustrations, but its is a path for self-discovery. Isn't that true in life; self-discovery is not without some emotional pain. There are humerous moments including her encounter with a relative she has not met before, who is currently a nun and initially comes across prickly. The reader easily accompanies Teresa on her journey with the author skillfully sketches of the primary characters and the community of Avila.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
WE NEED NO WINGS is an adorable, amusing, touching (and sometimes funny) story about a 60-year old woman in grief, mourning and trying to move on with her life after her husband's death - a year ago.
After some unexpected, unsettling and sort of magical events start to happen to her, she is eager to learn more and go deep into her family's roots. She travels to Spain in order to figure out what's happening to her and there her life changes (again) quite dramatically.
It's a comfy and cozy story of personal and spiritual freedom, in many aspects of the protoganist's life.
Personally, I really enjoyed the scenes in Spain (which actually takes up to 2/3 of the book) and our protagonist's journey to learning her roots that go back to the family of a famous saint - which is actually odd to me. Odd how much I enjoyed that. I'm not a religious person, I'm not a Catholic and this book is FULL of Catholicism discussions. I thought I'd be bored or overwhelmed, but I honestly wasn't.
I'm not saying I loved all that, but I didn't feel like the author was trying to preach me or something, so I was fine with it all.
I also enjoyed the magical realism in here. It wasn't over the top or pointless.
My only truly reservation regards the ending, the last 15%: I did not dislike it, but I thought it was a little too pretty, too easy, too 'Disney-ish'.
However, I'm really glad the author didn't use the easy and clichéd romance card here. I'm relieved the author didn't choose to go down that road ("a woman is only happy when she has a man").
Early this year I read this author's previous (adult) novel, The Storyteller's Death, and I loved it! That's why I picked this new book up without hesitation.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free eARC copy of his book.
After some unexpected, unsettling and sort of magical events start to happen to her, she is eager to learn more and go deep into her family's roots. She travels to Spain in order to figure out what's happening to her and there her life changes (again) quite dramatically.
It's a comfy and cozy story of personal and spiritual freedom, in many aspects of the protoganist's life.
Personally, I really enjoyed the scenes in Spain (which actually takes up to 2/3 of the book) and our protagonist's journey to learning her roots that go back to the family of a famous saint - which is actually odd to me. Odd how much I enjoyed that. I'm not a religious person, I'm not a Catholic and this book is FULL of Catholicism discussions. I thought I'd be bored or overwhelmed, but I honestly wasn't.
I'm not saying I loved all that, but I didn't feel like the author was trying to preach me or something, so I was fine with it all.
I also enjoyed the magical realism in here. It wasn't over the top or pointless.
My only truly reservation regards the ending, the last 15%: I did not dislike it, but I thought it was a little too pretty, too easy, too 'Disney-ish'.
However, I'm really glad the author didn't use the easy and clichéd romance card here. I'm relieved the author didn't choose to go down that road ("a woman is only happy when she has a man").
Early this year I read this author's previous (adult) novel, The Storyteller's Death, and I loved it! That's why I picked this new book up without hesitation.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free eARC copy of his book.
May 24, 2024
A poignant, clever dive into grief and the ways it unmoors and disorients us. Tere is a lovable protagonist - a familiar, comforting presence even as she reckons with her own identity and priorities after loss, the sort of person that I'd love to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a long conversation with. Her narration and insights often brought a wry smile to my face. I felt a sense of pride in her journey and the emotional place she reached by the novel's end, and that's a huge credit to the author's skill at creating someone who instantly feels like a mentor or friend.
January 26, 2025
I understand what this book was trying to do I just think it was a very sporadic execution ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Grateful there are writers like this and I’m sure the next book will be more cohesive!
April 30, 2025
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Tere is a sixty-years-young university professor and widow who starts levitating, like her distant relative Saint Teresa of Avila. She travels to the city of Avila in Spain to get answers and has some unplanned adventures along the way. I enjoyed the writing style and would read other books by this author.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Tere is a sixty-years-young university professor and widow who starts levitating, like her distant relative Saint Teresa of Avila. She travels to the city of Avila in Spain to get answers and has some unplanned adventures along the way. I enjoyed the writing style and would read other books by this author.
November 5, 2024
I really disliked this book at a visceral level. The writing, the characters, the plot, the writing…just, no. I detest giving one star reviews, but this was just not for me. I am glad it’s over.
January 8, 2025
*2.5 rounded up
Okay, there are some really good things about this book, and some things about this book that I don't really understand.
Pros: The thematic background of grief and letting go and being free of expectations wasn't lost on me, and I relate to it a great deal.
Cons: The smaller con I have to say is that there is just SO much fluff in this book, it could be way shorter. However, here I am to be a hater, because my BIGGER problem with this book is that by the time that I got to the end, I wondered why this story existed in the first place. Don't worry, I understand that the levitation bit is a METAPHOR, and that the broader representation of grief and freedom is the true goal. But when you sit there and start thinking about it in the non-metaphorical sense, the story just does not hold up.
On a different note, as a very white man, I don't claim to understand Hispanic cultural influences that exist in this book to the full extent a Hispanic reader would. However, one of the biggest issues I actually had with this novel was that even though the main purposes of the novels was Tere exploring her heritage and culture and realizing what was truly important in her life, I didn't feel that it was strong enough to actually be a purposeful part of the story.
Regardless - I get what the book is trying to say, and I respect it. I just don't think that the concrete story that was used to convey this message impressed me that much.
Okay, there are some really good things about this book, and some things about this book that I don't really understand.
Pros: The thematic background of grief and letting go and being free of expectations wasn't lost on me, and I relate to it a great deal.
Cons: The smaller con I have to say is that there is just SO much fluff in this book, it could be way shorter. However, here I am to be a hater, because my BIGGER problem with this book is that by the time that I got to the end, I wondered why this story existed in the first place. Don't worry, I understand that the levitation bit is a METAPHOR, and that the broader representation of grief and freedom is the true goal. But when you sit there and start thinking about it in the non-metaphorical sense, the story just does not hold up.
On a different note, as a very white man, I don't claim to understand Hispanic cultural influences that exist in this book to the full extent a Hispanic reader would. However, one of the biggest issues I actually had with this novel was that even though the main purposes of the novels was Tere exploring her heritage and culture and realizing what was truly important in her life, I didn't feel that it was strong enough to actually be a purposeful part of the story.
Regardless - I get what the book is trying to say, and I respect it. I just don't think that the concrete story that was used to convey this message impressed me that much.
October 1, 2025
3.5 stars. This is a slow-paced, meandering novel. Tere doesn’t talk to anyone about what happened for fear of their potential reaction and seems to be hoping to stumble into an answer as she researches the life of Santa Teresa. While Tere could be a frustrating character at times, I enjoyed her blunt interpersonal style. I also really appreciated the setting, the way the author made Ávila come to life, though I think she could have done this even more with added textural and sensory details. But it was enough to make me wish I could visit. It seems beautiful.
The writing style itself is what fell a bit flat for me. The prose was clunky enough to take me out of the story on multiple occasions, which is surprising, especially as this isn’t a debut novel. The biographical information about Santa Teresa wasn’t inserted smoothly into the text, instead feeling more like parts of a book report, and some of the phrasing would have benefited from additional polishing. However, I generally enjoyed this tender story about grief and self-discovery.
The writing style itself is what fell a bit flat for me. The prose was clunky enough to take me out of the story on multiple occasions, which is surprising, especially as this isn’t a debut novel. The biographical information about Santa Teresa wasn’t inserted smoothly into the text, instead feeling more like parts of a book report, and some of the phrasing would have benefited from additional polishing. However, I generally enjoyed this tender story about grief and self-discovery.
January 16, 2025
Good characters, story, concept. And tie ins to the historical St Teresa of Avila. A satisfying read.
Read
September 1, 2024Loved this - an “older” woman after the death of her husband begins to levitate - she travels to Avila to find out why
May 22, 2025
2.5🌟 rounded up to 3
Teresa "Tere" Sanchez is on leave from her university job, nearly a year after unexpectedly losing her husband. Then suddenly, she starts randomly levitating. After finding familial connection to Saint Teresa of Avila in Spain, who also supposedly levitated, Tere decides to go to Avila, Spain to reconnect with her roots and hopefully find some answers.
I was captivated by this book's first 25 percent or so. Then it got a bit repetitive, and I felt like all she did in Spain was visit churches. The religious aspects were a bit heavy-handed and boring. Tere also read kind of unrealistically—she's supposed to be a 60-year-old woman nearing retirement but seems more like someone in their 30s. I didn't buy it. It was okay overall, but I can't say I recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.
Teresa "Tere" Sanchez is on leave from her university job, nearly a year after unexpectedly losing her husband. Then suddenly, she starts randomly levitating. After finding familial connection to Saint Teresa of Avila in Spain, who also supposedly levitated, Tere decides to go to Avila, Spain to reconnect with her roots and hopefully find some answers.
I was captivated by this book's first 25 percent or so. Then it got a bit repetitive, and I felt like all she did in Spain was visit churches. The religious aspects were a bit heavy-handed and boring. Tere also read kind of unrealistically—she's supposed to be a 60-year-old woman nearing retirement but seems more like someone in their 30s. I didn't buy it. It was okay overall, but I can't say I recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.
April 9, 2024
We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal is a unique and intriguing contemporary fiction.
This book was an interesting combination of realism vs ethereal and the balance made for a unique read.
The fantasy and other-worldly threads were wound with the real life experiences of grief, loss, healing, and the complexities of looking within one’s life and oneself. It definitely gave me a few things to think about.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/10/24.
This book was an interesting combination of realism vs ethereal and the balance made for a unique read.
The fantasy and other-worldly threads were wound with the real life experiences of grief, loss, healing, and the complexities of looking within one’s life and oneself. It definitely gave me a few things to think about.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/10/24.
June 29, 2024
Tere is stuck in a rut. She left teaching at the university when her husband died and hasn't found the will to go back. She just needs a push which comes the day she begins to levitate. She feels the need to travel to Spain and discover the secret of her levitating ancestor Saint Teresa of Avila and find answers. What she finds are more questions, new friends and reconnections with family roots. All "women of a certain age" will enjoy and understand this touching story of being untethered - both emotionally and physically and the joy of second chances. Tere with the help of Avila will find the strength to fly. A story that will appeal to many readers who find themselves adrift or not but enjoy cross cultural exploration. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
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October 16, 2024thank you so much partner @bookmarked @librofm for the gifted ARC and ALC.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Neither the physical copy nor the audiobook held my attention. I hope this book finds itself in the right hands to love and appreciate it.
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Neither the physical copy nor the audiobook held my attention. I hope this book finds itself in the right hands to love and appreciate it.
March 24, 2025
Read as an advanced readers copy from Sourcebooks.
I thought this book was beautifully written! The main character was very likeable, however the story itself just wasn’t for me.
I thought this book was beautifully written! The main character was very likeable, however the story itself just wasn’t for me.
January 7, 2025
Just ok. Tried too hard to be too many things. Characters were one-dimensional and the plot dragged so much.
September 10, 2024
We need no wings to fly is a story about the long and painful process of mourning the loss of someone. Tere, a 60-year-old literature teacher, lost her husband a year ago and everyone expects her to have got over Carlos' death and be able to get on with her life. However, it is when Tere begins to levitate in the courtyard and is faced with the fear of this surreal event that the character decides to leave her refuge and look for answers in Ávila (where her family comes from).
The narrative crosses many themes more or less successfully: feminism, mourning, religion, ageing, etc. Although some themes are lost in the middle of the story, we understand how rediscovery, ageing and mourning are the main focuses, enhanced by magical realism.
Even though I'm not a religious person, the narrative captivated me with its reflections and criticisms of the Church, which are still very relevant today. In addition, Ann Dávila Cardinal explores many themes from history and art that captivated and fascinated me. The theme of religion and the cult of the saints is something that intrigues me and that I really appreciate in the Latinx and Spanish literature I've been reading over the last year. However, I wish the main character's memories of her Puerto Rican heritage had been explored more, rather than just popping up sporadically as reminders to the reader.
Despite this, there are many positive aspects, and I would highlight the charming characters, especially the female ones, who are full of life and vigour, and the descriptions of the city of Ávila, which are vivid and full of detail.
All in all, I came away from this book pleasantly surprised and wanting to travel the paths of Tere and her distant relative, St Teresa of Avila.
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative crosses many themes more or less successfully: feminism, mourning, religion, ageing, etc. Although some themes are lost in the middle of the story, we understand how rediscovery, ageing and mourning are the main focuses, enhanced by magical realism.
Even though I'm not a religious person, the narrative captivated me with its reflections and criticisms of the Church, which are still very relevant today. In addition, Ann Dávila Cardinal explores many themes from history and art that captivated and fascinated me. The theme of religion and the cult of the saints is something that intrigues me and that I really appreciate in the Latinx and Spanish literature I've been reading over the last year. However, I wish the main character's memories of her Puerto Rican heritage had been explored more, rather than just popping up sporadically as reminders to the reader.
Despite this, there are many positive aspects, and I would highlight the charming characters, especially the female ones, who are full of life and vigour, and the descriptions of the city of Ávila, which are vivid and full of detail.
All in all, I came away from this book pleasantly surprised and wanting to travel the paths of Tere and her distant relative, St Teresa of Avila.
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2024
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
I decided to pick up We Need No Wings as I had previously read The Storyteller’s Death and loved it. I am also quite fond of Ann Davila Cardinal’s writing. She is a story teller and will have you hooked.
In We Need No Wings our protagonist Tere decides to reconnect with her Spanish lineage after she begins to levitate a year after her husband’s death. At 60 and after being passed over time and time again by less qualified men for department chair, Tere has no idea what lays ahead of her. She decides to fly to Avila to visit a long lost family member to reconnect with her roots.
I went into this book not knowing what it was about and I was pleasantly surprised. I love that Davila chose to write about a sixty-year-old woman who is reinventing herself, finding joy, love and community once again. As women we are told we cannot do that, especially specially after we hit our 30s.
Tere was a refreshing character to read about. She is sassy, knowledgeable, smart, down to earth and flawed. A year after the passing of her husband she is still reckoning with his loss in her life.
Growing up Catholic (now agnostic) it was also refreshing to have a focus on woman in the church and for our main character to challenge long established patriarchal beliefs.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks for a digital advanced reader’s copy of We Need No Wings.
I decided to pick up We Need No Wings as I had previously read The Storyteller’s Death and loved it. I am also quite fond of Ann Davila Cardinal’s writing. She is a story teller and will have you hooked.
In We Need No Wings our protagonist Tere decides to reconnect with her Spanish lineage after she begins to levitate a year after her husband’s death. At 60 and after being passed over time and time again by less qualified men for department chair, Tere has no idea what lays ahead of her. She decides to fly to Avila to visit a long lost family member to reconnect with her roots.
I went into this book not knowing what it was about and I was pleasantly surprised. I love that Davila chose to write about a sixty-year-old woman who is reinventing herself, finding joy, love and community once again. As women we are told we cannot do that, especially specially after we hit our 30s.
Tere was a refreshing character to read about. She is sassy, knowledgeable, smart, down to earth and flawed. A year after the passing of her husband she is still reckoning with his loss in her life.
Growing up Catholic (now agnostic) it was also refreshing to have a focus on woman in the church and for our main character to challenge long established patriarchal beliefs.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks for a digital advanced reader’s copy of We Need No Wings.
January 5, 2025
I liked this one! Read it on audio because it was the first format available from the library and the narration was well done. I didn't love this as much as The Storyteller's Death, but I will still look forward to this author's future writing. Most of my thoughts are mixed but sway positive.
*Main character is a woman in her 60s-- she's from Puerto Rico with primarily Spanish heritage, she lost her husband a year ago, and she's a literature professor. This made her a unique character, but sometimes I forgot she was 60 (the way she talks makes her feel like she's in her 40s) and her Puerto Rican heritage could have been completely left out and it wouldn't have changed anything in the story (bummer).
*Magical realism-- I generally love this and overall thought it worked well for this story and the themes it was working with, but my favorite instances usually leave me questioning if the magic is real and this story did not.
*The characters-- overall a mixed bag with some remaining a bit 2-dimensional and others feeling like they're real people I care about.
I think overall most people would enjoy this story, but some of the writing felt a little heavy-handed to me at times, so if that's a bit pet peeve it might not be for you. Also, content warnings for grief and loss of a spouse.
*Main character is a woman in her 60s-- she's from Puerto Rico with primarily Spanish heritage, she lost her husband a year ago, and she's a literature professor. This made her a unique character, but sometimes I forgot she was 60 (the way she talks makes her feel like she's in her 40s) and her Puerto Rican heritage could have been completely left out and it wouldn't have changed anything in the story (bummer).
*Magical realism-- I generally love this and overall thought it worked well for this story and the themes it was working with, but my favorite instances usually leave me questioning if the magic is real and this story did not.
*The characters-- overall a mixed bag with some remaining a bit 2-dimensional and others feeling like they're real people I care about.
I think overall most people would enjoy this story, but some of the writing felt a little heavy-handed to me at times, so if that's a bit pet peeve it might not be for you. Also, content warnings for grief and loss of a spouse.
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