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An Impossible Distance to Fall
A story about falling―falling from grace, falling in love―as well as soaring to heights you wouldn’t know were possible if you never stepped out into thin air.
It’s 1930, and Birdie William’s life has crashed along with the stock market. Her father’s bank has failed, and worse, he’s disappeared along with his Jenny biplane.
When Birdie sees a leaflet for a barnstorming circus with a picture of Dad’s plane on it, she goes to Coney Island in search of answers.
The barnstorming circus has lady pilots, daredevil stuntmen, fire-spinners, and wing walkers, and Birdie is instantly enchanted―especially with a girl pilot named June. Birdie doesn’t find her father, but after stumbling across clues that suggest he’s gone to Chicago, she figures she’ll hitch a ride with the traveling circus doing what she does best: putting on a convincing act and insisting on being star of the show.
But the overconfidence that made her belle of the ball during her enchanted youth turns out to be far too reckless without the safety net of her charmed childhood, and a couple of impulsive missteps sends her and her newfound community spinning into freefall.
It’s 1930, and Birdie William’s life has crashed along with the stock market. Her father’s bank has failed, and worse, he’s disappeared along with his Jenny biplane.
When Birdie sees a leaflet for a barnstorming circus with a picture of Dad’s plane on it, she goes to Coney Island in search of answers.
The barnstorming circus has lady pilots, daredevil stuntmen, fire-spinners, and wing walkers, and Birdie is instantly enchanted―especially with a girl pilot named June. Birdie doesn’t find her father, but after stumbling across clues that suggest he’s gone to Chicago, she figures she’ll hitch a ride with the traveling circus doing what she does best: putting on a convincing act and insisting on being star of the show.
But the overconfidence that made her belle of the ball during her enchanted youth turns out to be far too reckless without the safety net of her charmed childhood, and a couple of impulsive missteps sends her and her newfound community spinning into freefall.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2019
8 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Miriam McNamara
2 books39 followersMiriam McNamara was born in Ireland, raised in the Southern US, and is a new, proud resident of the Midwest. She has dressed up as some variation on pirate for Halloween more years than she has not—her favorite still being Rollerskating Pirate, circa 2003. She has an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where The Unbinding of Mary Reade won the Norma Fox Mazer Award for a YA work-in-progress. She lives with her wife, two dogs and two cats in a cozy little house in Minneapolis, but she also calls Asheville, North Carolina home.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
dnf
August 8, 2019DNF @ 45%
It is rare that I decide not to finish a book almost halfway through but sadly it is the case with this one! I really wanted to give Miriam McNamara another chance after not really loving THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE but I just found myself incredibly bored by this one.
I didn't really have any particular issues with this book as I had with the author's debut but I was simply ruining out of patience to wait for this story to pick up.
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I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
It is rare that I decide not to finish a book almost halfway through but sadly it is the case with this one! I really wanted to give Miriam McNamara another chance after not really loving THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE but I just found myself incredibly bored by this one.
I didn't really have any particular issues with this book as I had with the author's debut but I was simply ruining out of patience to wait for this story to pick up.
♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦
I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
June 2, 2019
✨ ARC kindly provided by Sky Pony Press in exchange for an honest review ✨
:-(
rtc
October 2, 2020
2.5 🌟
things i disliked, a numbered list
1) the setting never feels fully realized. i'd accuse it of being jazz age paint-by-numbers but even then it felt vague. i had literally no idea what year it was supposed to be happening (well, i read all the stock market stuff and assumed it was 1928) until i checked GR and saw it takes place in 1930, but it never feels authentically 1930. it's clear that mcnamara did some research (and she did a hell of a lot of research on planes which i appreciated) but it just didn't feel properly fleshed-out and integrated
2) birdie's journey with her sexuality feels weird. everything should work but the writing wasn't strong enough for me to really connect with her and she's quite breezy about something which is a Big Deal now and would have been a bigger deal in 1930
3) birdie and june's relationship makes plot sense but they don't have chemistry. i fundamentally don't understand why they are attracted to each other beyond thinking 'oh, she's interesting'. i just don't get it!! there's no spark!!
4) speaking of romance WHY is everyone in this book paired up! why are all the side characters couples! can people not exist without romantic relationships
5) WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS THAT WRT BIRDIE'S DAD?! it's the central Theme. the entire plot hinges on her trying to find her dad and either bring him home or discover why he left and at the end she thinks she sees him in a crowd but there's no confirmation of it ever being him and they don't reunite at all and it's so frustrating. i would have settled for it ending on them meeting again and saying hello or something. that's a good beat to end on
6) thought the prose was boring but you know it's whatever
7) i think if there's so much talk in-universe about The Pictures being a big draw for regular folks and media moguls alike and especially because so much is riding on the circus achieving fame and hazel's dream is to be a movie pilot, that mcnamara should have shown her work and at least talked about the golden age of hollywood because there was a lot to talk about! the first film to ever win best picture (in 1928) was a wwi story called wings that was renouned for its innovative filming of dogfights. all the major characters are pilots. stories about pilots were hugely popular! filming them was a big deal! wings also featured a scene in which a man kisses another man on the mouth as he's dying, it's the earliest surviving same-sex kiss in film history and it's in a movie about pilots and yes i do care too much about classic hollywood cinema but idk i feel like it should have been namedropped or smth????????????????
things i liked :-)
1) birdie leaving creepy david to rot. good for her!
2) june seemed cool! i think she would have been a good narrator!
3) the characters were cool overall! i thought they were all a little sparse in terms of construction but they were all likeable
4) honestly birdie's mom was right. if your dirtbag husband leaves your family out of the blue and you know that he's either having an affair or trying his hardest to have an affair with a glamorous jazz singer and is flagrant about his adultery then you leave him! don't wait up for him to come back!
5) i liked birdie being a ballerina and how her ballet training allowed her to be a good wingwalker! it's plausible and i just think ballet is stunning on a whole
things i disliked, a numbered list
1) the setting never feels fully realized. i'd accuse it of being jazz age paint-by-numbers but even then it felt vague. i had literally no idea what year it was supposed to be happening (well, i read all the stock market stuff and assumed it was 1928) until i checked GR and saw it takes place in 1930, but it never feels authentically 1930. it's clear that mcnamara did some research (and she did a hell of a lot of research on planes which i appreciated) but it just didn't feel properly fleshed-out and integrated
2) birdie's journey with her sexuality feels weird. everything should work but the writing wasn't strong enough for me to really connect with her and she's quite breezy about something which is a Big Deal now and would have been a bigger deal in 1930
3) birdie and june's relationship makes plot sense but they don't have chemistry. i fundamentally don't understand why they are attracted to each other beyond thinking 'oh, she's interesting'. i just don't get it!! there's no spark!!
4) speaking of romance WHY is everyone in this book paired up! why are all the side characters couples! can people not exist without romantic relationships
5) WHAT KIND OF ENDING WAS THAT WRT BIRDIE'S DAD?! it's the central Theme. the entire plot hinges on her trying to find her dad and either bring him home or discover why he left and at the end she thinks she sees him in a crowd but there's no confirmation of it ever being him and they don't reunite at all and it's so frustrating. i would have settled for it ending on them meeting again and saying hello or something. that's a good beat to end on
6) thought the prose was boring but you know it's whatever
7) i think if there's so much talk in-universe about The Pictures being a big draw for regular folks and media moguls alike and especially because so much is riding on the circus achieving fame and hazel's dream is to be a movie pilot, that mcnamara should have shown her work and at least talked about the golden age of hollywood because there was a lot to talk about! the first film to ever win best picture (in 1928) was a wwi story called wings that was renouned for its innovative filming of dogfights. all the major characters are pilots. stories about pilots were hugely popular! filming them was a big deal! wings also featured a scene in which a man kisses another man on the mouth as he's dying, it's the earliest surviving same-sex kiss in film history and it's in a movie about pilots and yes i do care too much about classic hollywood cinema but idk i feel like it should have been namedropped or smth????????????????
things i liked :-)
1) birdie leaving creepy david to rot. good for her!
2) june seemed cool! i think she would have been a good narrator!
3) the characters were cool overall! i thought they were all a little sparse in terms of construction but they were all likeable
4) honestly birdie's mom was right. if your dirtbag husband leaves your family out of the blue and you know that he's either having an affair or trying his hardest to have an affair with a glamorous jazz singer and is flagrant about his adultery then you leave him! don't wait up for him to come back!
5) i liked birdie being a ballerina and how her ballet training allowed her to be a good wingwalker! it's plausible and i just think ballet is stunning on a whole
November 22, 2019
3.5 stars, rounded up because I need more historical lesbians.
January 30, 2020
This gave me flashbacks to all of the mid Atlantic fly ins my dad took me to. It was rough having to read Birdie grow up in three weeks, but then again, growing up is rough.
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June 25, 2019I loved this exciting, smart, romantic, and completely original historical YA novel by Miriam McNamara! AN IMPOSSIBLE DISTANCE TO FALL takes place in 1930, just after the stock market has crashed and Birdie Williams’s charmed life has shattered along with it. Birdie goes out in search of her beloved father, who disappeared after losing a whole lot of people’s money when his bank failed. A talented dancer with an adventurous spirit, Birdie joins a barnstorming circus as a wing walker, dancing on the wing of planes as they fly, because the circus is headed to Chicago and she thinks her dad might be there.
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But Birdie’s impulsivity, which was endearing and harmless in her old privileged life, could cause a lot of problems for herself and her new friends. And while she tried to put aside the feelings she had for her old best friend Izzy back home, she can’t pretend away the connection she has with June, one of the circus’s stunt pilots.
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Miriam McNamara’s vivid writing transported me to 1930 New York and Chicago. I could picture all the thrilling stunts Birdie sees and experiences, and I was rooting for Birdie as she tried to figure out who she was and what (and whom!) she wanted in this brand new world. Miriam McNamara is such a creative, talented writer, and this is a fabulous book! Thank you to @booklovemimi and @skyponypress for the ARC. AN IMPOSSIBLE DISTANCE TO FALL releases next Tuesday, 7/2!
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#yalit #ireadya #youngadultbooks #youngadultfiction #miriammcnamara #lgbtqfiction #queerfiction #historicalfiction #animpossibledistancetofall
.
.
But Birdie’s impulsivity, which was endearing and harmless in her old privileged life, could cause a lot of problems for herself and her new friends. And while she tried to put aside the feelings she had for her old best friend Izzy back home, she can’t pretend away the connection she has with June, one of the circus’s stunt pilots.
.
.
Miriam McNamara’s vivid writing transported me to 1930 New York and Chicago. I could picture all the thrilling stunts Birdie sees and experiences, and I was rooting for Birdie as she tried to figure out who she was and what (and whom!) she wanted in this brand new world. Miriam McNamara is such a creative, talented writer, and this is a fabulous book! Thank you to @booklovemimi and @skyponypress for the ARC. AN IMPOSSIBLE DISTANCE TO FALL releases next Tuesday, 7/2!
.
.
#yalit #ireadya #youngadultbooks #youngadultfiction #miriammcnamara #lgbtqfiction #queerfiction #historicalfiction #animpossibledistancetofall
June 13, 2020
A solid, enjoyable read, even if I wanted to slap some sense into Birdie more than once! I mostly picked up this book because it made me think of that Phryne Fisher novel Flying Too High, and I wanted more of the old timey planes, the 20s/30s atmosphere and the acrobatics. And I was not disappointed at all on those fronts! The romance is great. I wondered for a while how it would pull together because Birdie Messed Up big time, but the way it worked out felt pretty natural. And I was rooting for them from the start. The diverse crew was also a great, unexpected bonus, and I liked that the author addressed the racism issues alongside the homophobia issues of the time, and didn't mess up actually calling Milosh Roma (I've seen historical novels use slurs before, so this was a nice change).
My only disappointment is that the ending felt a bit rushed, I think I could've used an extra chapter there at the end for wrap up.
My only disappointment is that the ending felt a bit rushed, I think I could've used an extra chapter there at the end for wrap up.
September 30, 2020
Real rating: 2.5 stars
I mean, it was okay, but there were two major things that annoyed me.
One, we're told that Birdie's life before leaving home was suddenly interrupted, but I never felt it was so bad that she would do something so dangerous as wingwalking for the first time with no practice. Like she could literally die, and she's like "sure" and I'm questioning how the information we've already been given could lead to this stupid choice. Also overall, kind of hard to feel bad for a rich girl who's just feeling hardship for the first time.
Two, in the mid-book conflict
Overall, a 3 star read, not amazing but not terrible, but those two things annoyed me.
I mean, it was okay, but there were two major things that annoyed me.
One, we're told that Birdie's life before leaving home was suddenly interrupted, but I never felt it was so bad that she would do something so dangerous as wingwalking for the first time with no practice. Like she could literally die, and she's like "sure" and I'm questioning how the information we've already been given could lead to this stupid choice. Also overall, kind of hard to feel bad for a rich girl who's just feeling hardship for the first time.
Two, in the mid-book conflict
Overall, a 3 star read, not amazing but not terrible, but those two things annoyed me.
December 17, 2019
Historical fiction, coming of age, and LGBTQ friendly themes all rolled into one. Birdie Williams is dealing with her father's abandonment after his bank fails, which causes a loss of status as well as finances for her family. She's coming to terms with expectations colliding with her sexual orientation. Because her father was a hobbyist in the budding aviation world, this leads her to the barnstormer shows sweeping the country along with the lures of Hollywood. Birdie also learns a lot of how the rest of the world lives when not wealthy.
Interesting story, written well, should be something middle schoolers/high schoolers interested in the themes would pick up.
Interesting story, written well, should be something middle schoolers/high schoolers interested in the themes would pick up.
June 21, 2019
This story that is set during the turn of the century is one that I was really hoping to enjoy and I have to say that I did!! It was a thrilling ride with so many twists and turns. Bridie's story was one I won't soon forget!! I love how these authors are making characters that feel so real. They are not perfect and that makes me love them even more. The setting to this one came alive page by page and I have to say that if you love historical fiction added with thrill-seeking action then this one is for you!
August 24, 2020
Great YA Novel
I really enjoyed the story of Birdie and her journey coming into her own womanhood!
Wingwalking, old airplanes, air shows of the 30s, all added to the wonderful ambience of the story!
Highly recommend for young adults...especially those working to define themselves. Which, come to think of it, is likely all young adults!
I really enjoyed the story of Birdie and her journey coming into her own womanhood!
Wingwalking, old airplanes, air shows of the 30s, all added to the wonderful ambience of the story!
Highly recommend for young adults...especially those working to define themselves. Which, come to think of it, is likely all young adults!
January 17, 2025
I debated 2 or 3 stars. Probably 2.5 if I'm in a good mood.
This is basically a YA romance with enough historical stuff in it to call it "historical fiction." But the absurdity level of the antics of Birdie (MC) is off the charts. Probably the right book for someone, but I wasn't very impressed.
This is basically a YA romance with enough historical stuff in it to call it "historical fiction." But the absurdity level of the antics of Birdie (MC) is off the charts. Probably the right book for someone, but I wasn't very impressed.
September 6, 2019
Fantastic historical with everything you could want in a good read: romance, danger, conflict, and a heroine who struggles but finally finds her way. The aerial action is thrilling!
October 8, 2019
This book is very good, romance basically but better.
October 8, 2019
This was a fun read. A classic sort of storyline in an unusual and interesting setting.
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November 2, 2019Queer content: MC has a crush on her best friend, later f/f relationshipish
August 27, 2021
An interesting coming of age story that takes place during the Great Depression. It also talks a lot about wing walking and flying.
July 25, 2019
This book was so incredible! It was captivating from line 1 through the many fantastic twists and turns! It was fully immersive in the world of the time. The characters were wonderfully realized. The romance was stellar. It explored class, race, queer identity through the lens of the depression era. I was stunned start to finish. I need everyone out here reading it!
January 26, 2021
AN IMPOSSIBLE DISTANCE TO FALL by Miriam McNamara is a YA historical fiction novel about a girl coming of age around the time of the stock market crash of 1930 and how she picks up and sorts through the pieces with new friends she meets in a circus-type-family.
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This was a quick and fun read - had conflict and thrills - but nothing that will wear you out or stress you out TOO badly - it is more of a first-love type of queer romance mixed in with a wing walking gal and female pilot awesomeness. It had enough suspense to keep me page turning until I finished. I love the writing and the tone. Also, if you read McNamara’s other novel, THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE, you know that the very specific topics written about feel so authentic and actualized - because she has clearly researched so much and has included such specific details about (in this story) old timey planes!
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My favorite favorite part? The relationship with the parents. I won’t give anything away, but Birdie’s relationship with her parents is SPOT on and reallllllllyyyyy spoke to me.
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Also, I am lucky enough to know this author personally - and it is a DELIGHT reading creative words from someone’s brain that you are around in a different context (@booklovemimi has turned my curls into hair heaven the past few years via @curllovemimi and I’m grateful for that and the conversations).
📚
I’m so glad this will be one of my last reads of 2020 - it left me with a really beautiful feeling.
📚
This was a quick and fun read - had conflict and thrills - but nothing that will wear you out or stress you out TOO badly - it is more of a first-love type of queer romance mixed in with a wing walking gal and female pilot awesomeness. It had enough suspense to keep me page turning until I finished. I love the writing and the tone. Also, if you read McNamara’s other novel, THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE, you know that the very specific topics written about feel so authentic and actualized - because she has clearly researched so much and has included such specific details about (in this story) old timey planes!
📚
My favorite favorite part? The relationship with the parents. I won’t give anything away, but Birdie’s relationship with her parents is SPOT on and reallllllllyyyyy spoke to me.
📚
Also, I am lucky enough to know this author personally - and it is a DELIGHT reading creative words from someone’s brain that you are around in a different context (@booklovemimi has turned my curls into hair heaven the past few years via @curllovemimi and I’m grateful for that and the conversations).
📚
I’m so glad this will be one of my last reads of 2020 - it left me with a really beautiful feeling.
September 12, 2020
Miriam McNamara returns with her breathtaking second stand-alone novel, "An Impossible Distance to Fall". This novel follows a sheltered, privileged, 16-year-old Birdie Williams, who embarks on a journey to find her missing father in Chicago. Based in the 1930s during The Great Depression, Ms. Mcnamara paints a descriptive and alluring backdrop for her characters. The writing style feels personal and intimate, as the reader discovers many of the heroine's internal ideas and beliefs. This allows for an impressive and touching record of Birdie's growth and maturity for the duration of the novel. The reader will stay invested in Birdie's character development, as well as the compelling plot and side characters. This novel demonstrates the power of "eye-opening" experiences and taking chances to be one's self, as Birdie questions her own ideas about racism, privilege, identity, and sexuality. Written with beautiful engaging detail, strong characters, and a (queer!) romance to root for, Miriam McNamara's novel is one to read immediately.
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May 2, 2019ARC provided by publisher
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