Heaven's Missing Wing

by Nell Weaver Lyford

The first story in the Heaven's Missing series. When Claire’s adopted daughter, Hannah, is robbed, Claire has to track down the thief, help Hannah cope with her loss of innocence, and face up to her own past. Of course she has plenty of help -- from her friend Laurence, a former slave who died long before she was born, from Hollywood legend Elizabeth, now serving the formerly homeless, from a group of dark-age Celtic monks, and from the Archangel Gabriel and the Heavenly Host. You see, Claire is in Heaven.

After Claire and Laurence volunteered to raise Hannah, a cherub who died as a toddler, they thought their task was just to guide her as she matured, so that she saw the dark side of human nature and developed compassion. But when one of Hannah’s wings is stolen – a nearly unthinkable event in Heaven -- Gabriel sends Claire and Hannah on a hunt that takes them across Heaven and ultimately to the dreaded South West Gate, an evil place forbidden to angels, archangels, and certainly cupids. There Hannah must mature far more quickly than she expected, and Claire must finally come to terms with her own past sorrows in order to welcome her husband to heaven. Sometimes whimsical, always thoughtful, this is a riveting celestial mystery within a coming-of-age tale.

142 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2016

About the author

Nell is the author of Heaven’s Missing Wing and Heaven’s Missing Person. All proceeds from these two books go to Green Groceries, a locally sourced fresh food pantry for families in need. Green Groceries is operated by Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock.
Her other publishing credits include four books in the fitness field and numerous stories in local and national publications. She has also ghost-written books. In addition to writing, Nell worked in advertising and public relations. She has won numerous awards, including the ADDY, PRISM and Bronze Quill.

Reviews

[Julie Baswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is a guardian angel, but also the acting mother to cherub Hannah. One day one of Hannah’s wings is stolen, which is practically unheard of in heaven, and puts everyone on high alert. Claire is already stressed by the upcoming crossing over of her husband Joe, as it is her duty to gently ease him into his new life after death. Claire is ordered by Corporate to accompany Hannah on a journey following clues, to locate and retrieve the wing. Along the way, they meet some interesting characters, battle dark forces, and delve into repressed feelings from their former lives. But do they really have a chance of finding the wing, and more importantly, will their faith be strong enough to bring them back?

I thought this was an adorable story. It started slow but picked up pretty quick. The characters were a bit quirky but fit in perfectly. I could actually feel the trepidation and fear of the angels, as well as their joy and contentment. I liked how historical figures were included in the story. That really made it interesting to me. The story had me wondering how close this was to how life after death truly will be. It even had me looking forward to it instead of dreading it.