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Never Be Afraid To Fly
Never Be Afraid to Fly
Helen Bach has always been the one to keep it together. A middle-aged, divorced flight attendant, she's mastered the art of smiling through turbulence—both in the air and in life. But behind the calm exterior, Helen is unraveling. Her career is hanging by a thread, her relationships are fractured, and her confidence has all but vanished.
When an unexpected chance at romance whisks her away to Italy, Helen dares to believe that maybe adventure—and love—still have a place in her life. What begins as a dreamy summer escape quickly twists into something darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined. Trapped between desire and fear, Helen must find the courage to confront her choices and reclaim her voice before it's too late.
With the humor and loyalty of her best friend Del by her side, Helen navigates heartbreak, betrayal, and the terrifying freedom of starting over. Along the way, she learns that second chances don't come gift-wrapped—you have to be brave enough to take them, messy and imperfect as they are.
Moving, suspenseful, and infused with wit, Never Be Afraid to Fly is a story for every woman who has ever felt stuck, silenced, or past her prime. It's a reminder that life has no expiration date on love, adventure, or dreams—and that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the most extraordinary rewards.
Helen Bach has always been the one to keep it together. A middle-aged, divorced flight attendant, she's mastered the art of smiling through turbulence—both in the air and in life. But behind the calm exterior, Helen is unraveling. Her career is hanging by a thread, her relationships are fractured, and her confidence has all but vanished.
When an unexpected chance at romance whisks her away to Italy, Helen dares to believe that maybe adventure—and love—still have a place in her life. What begins as a dreamy summer escape quickly twists into something darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined. Trapped between desire and fear, Helen must find the courage to confront her choices and reclaim her voice before it's too late.
With the humor and loyalty of her best friend Del by her side, Helen navigates heartbreak, betrayal, and the terrifying freedom of starting over. Along the way, she learns that second chances don't come gift-wrapped—you have to be brave enough to take them, messy and imperfect as they are.
Moving, suspenseful, and infused with wit, Never Be Afraid to Fly is a story for every woman who has ever felt stuck, silenced, or past her prime. It's a reminder that life has no expiration date on love, adventure, or dreams—and that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the most extraordinary rewards.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2025
5 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Margarete Cassalina
5 books34 followers About Margarete
Margarete Cassalina lives in Milton, NY and is the mother of two children born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). She grew up living throughout New York, Florida, and Germany. In 1991, Margarete was 22 when her son, Eric, was diagnosed with CF. Less than two years later, she gave birth to her daughter, Jena, who was diagnosed with CF at one month of age. While Eric had few CF complications throughout his childhood, Jena's case was more severe. By age 4 months, she had double pneumonia, and she continued to have numerous lung infections. Margarete, and her husband Marc, made sure that their children had the best quality of life they could provide, making each moment count.
In 2006, Jena's lung function had declined to 19 percent of normal, and on December 4, 2006, Jena passed away from CF at the age of 13 while waiting for a double lung transplant. In the year following Jena's lost battle, Margarete went from depression to a balance built on her inner strength, the realization that love never ends and that there are no coincidences.
Margarete thought that Jena's death would force her to shut herself off to the world, but she found that it has only strengthened her will to help find a cure for CF. She now knows that sometimes the most important thing you can do is to just be there and that breathing isn’t always easy.
Margarete wrote Beyond Breathing as a means of coping with the loss of her daughter and sharing her daughter's amazing strength and love of life with the world. The book was published in March of 2009 by iUniverse and has since received the Editor's Choice Award, Reader's Choice Award, and the Star Award.
"
In her 2nd book, SEE YOU AT SUNSET, Margarete bridges you from her non-fiction life into the fictional world of her imagination while still adhering to her passion of bringing awareness to cystic fibrosis.
In her 3rd book, Embracing the Beauty in the Broken, is more of a conversation with a friend than a book. In thirty powerful, raw, and real chapters of conflict and resolution, Margarete shares compelling stories of loss and overcoming obstacles with authenticity and humor.
Margarete and her husband Marc are extremely active at a national level with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They have served as National Public Advocacy Chairs, National Volunteer Leadership
Margarete Cassalina lives in Milton, NY and is the mother of two children born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). She grew up living throughout New York, Florida, and Germany. In 1991, Margarete was 22 when her son, Eric, was diagnosed with CF. Less than two years later, she gave birth to her daughter, Jena, who was diagnosed with CF at one month of age. While Eric had few CF complications throughout his childhood, Jena's case was more severe. By age 4 months, she had double pneumonia, and she continued to have numerous lung infections. Margarete, and her husband Marc, made sure that their children had the best quality of life they could provide, making each moment count.
In 2006, Jena's lung function had declined to 19 percent of normal, and on December 4, 2006, Jena passed away from CF at the age of 13 while waiting for a double lung transplant. In the year following Jena's lost battle, Margarete went from depression to a balance built on her inner strength, the realization that love never ends and that there are no coincidences.
Margarete thought that Jena's death would force her to shut herself off to the world, but she found that it has only strengthened her will to help find a cure for CF. She now knows that sometimes the most important thing you can do is to just be there and that breathing isn’t always easy.
Margarete wrote Beyond Breathing as a means of coping with the loss of her daughter and sharing her daughter's amazing strength and love of life with the world. The book was published in March of 2009 by iUniverse and has since received the Editor's Choice Award, Reader's Choice Award, and the Star Award.
" In her 2nd book, SEE YOU AT SUNSET, Margarete bridges you from her non-fiction life into the fictional world of her imagination while still adhering to her passion of bringing awareness to cystic fibrosis.
In her 3rd book, Embracing the Beauty in the Broken, is more of a conversation with a friend than a book. In thirty powerful, raw, and real chapters of conflict and resolution, Margarete shares compelling stories of loss and overcoming obstacles with authenticity and humor.
Margarete and her husband Marc are extremely active at a national level with The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They have served as National Public Advocacy Chairs, National Volunteer Leadership
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