Waiting on the Sky: More Flyover People Essays

by Cheryl Unruh

"When the world closes up shop, when the sky turns from blue to black for the very last time, when the final poem is written and read, this is where I want to be--out in my beloved Flint Hills." -- from Waiting on the Sky

169 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2014

Reviews

[abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

kansas writers, I adore you.

among others, I loved the final essay. a snippet— “Just as this geography, this topography, is a part of us, we ourselves have become a part of the hills, the prairies, the plains, thoroughly and completely.”

and, of course, the quote featured on the back of the book: “When the world closes up shop, when the sky turns from blue to black for the very last time, when the final poem is written and read, this is where I want to be — out in my beloved Flint Hills.”

thank you for loving this place, miss unruh.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading Cheryl Unruh's Flyover People column in the Emporia Gazette for years and have always enjoyed her perspectives on being a Kansan. Even though Waiting on the Sky is a carefully assembled collection of those essays, there is something magical about the way the pieces come together to describe the soul of a Kansan and her connection to the land. Unruh is telling not only her story, but the story of all of us who have found ourselves inexplicably in love with this state. Her ability to convert emotional experiences into words is a thing of beauty.

[Gloria Zachgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received WAITING ON THE SKY as a gift when I attended a writer’s convention. Written in essay form, this book is a beautiful tribute to Kansas. Cheryl Unruh took me back in memory to the rural community of my childhood. Her descriptions are flavored with emotions for the people she writes about. If you’ve ever lived in a small-town atmosphere, you might relate. However, if you grew up in a city and have ever been curious about flyover country, this is your chance to get see it firsthand. It definitely gets five stars from this reader.

[Stan Finger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection even more than her first. I'm not sure why...perhaps it was the topics. Or maybe the rhythms of the slices of life she captured. Or it could have been how I related to more of what she shared.

In any event, what makes this special is not just that she evokes Kansas so well, she draws on childhood memories and life events in a way that will invariably prompt the reader to ponder their own childhood and touchstone memories. That's a gift.

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about Kansas is a 2105 notable book award winner. It is a wonderful book of essays about the towns, sights, sounds, land, weather and some very famous places. Since i just moved to Kansas this was the book for me. It told me so much I know now and so much I did not know. This is one awesome state.