Fly Away Home

by Judith Kelman

Everyone on Rand's Island swore Eva Haskel was crazy. Ever since the well-publicized, unsolved kidnapping of her baby, she was a tragic figure on the tiny island off the Connecticut coast, wildly mourning the child who mysteriously vanished six long years ago. Then a shocking twist of fate and a very determined young woman enter Eva's dark world to bring her son home at last....



Bethany Logan, a spirited teacher at a private boys' school in New Hampshire, teaches children with learning disabilities. All of her students adore her...except for Pip Stafford, a moody troublemaker and son of the school headmaster. Determined to solve Pip's behavior problems, Bethany delves deep into his files and discovers a clue to the boy's true identity. Now, determined to right the wrongs of a heinous crime, Bethany takes Pip to isolated Rand's Island. But her effort to put the past behind them rapidly escalates into terror, drawing Bethany deep into a world of madness, as she learns not only the danger of digging up the past, but that the present holds no escape from her own darkest fears and tragic memories.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 29, 1996

Reviews

[Michael Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of an odd story. It moved along pretty slowly for the majority of the novel with seemingly no real direction to the story. With flashbacks of the main character (which had a pretty obvious outcome), as well as an “unknown” character sprinkled throughout the story, it seemed to add a bit of confusion rather than adding to the story itself as “background”.
The plodding story picked up a bit of pace as it seemed to follow a logical path until more disturbing twists and turns took hold of the plot line and hurled it in completely different and unexpected directions. The ending seemed a bit rushed, but as one sits back to try and make sense of “why” that may have occurred it starts to make sense…based on what needed to be kept hidden. Sometimes misdirected best intentions can end up being a good thing after all.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story starts out somewhat realistic, but at about the halfway mark, it takes a turn to the crazy side. Then, when you think it can't get any crazier, it does. I really enjoyed this story, but found the ending a little lacking.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange story. What normal teacher would take things into her own hands. When you jump before thinking, bad things can happen.. Bethany made the wrong decision.

[Sara Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little bit creepy as the scenario got more and more bizarre.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private school teacher Eva Haskel specializes in helping children who need extra support and encouragement. The head master's son seems to be an angry little boy who acts out and Eva is curious about his background. She can't locate much information on him but becomes convinced he was kidnapped as a 2 year old. She takes him away from the school and back to his real mother who lives on an island. After being forced to stay on the island with the family for a few days, she becomes alarmed at the behavior of the mother and the mother's family. Eva may have put herself into a very bad situation that she may never get out alive.

I picked this older book up because I love works by Judith Kelman. Although I know I'm reading fiction, I thought it was pretty unbelievable for a sane teacher to decide a little boy was a kidnap victim and then take him back to the mother. I thought the second half of the book was a better story even though it was quite a tale too.

[Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a horrible, preposterous book, about Bethany, a slightly chubby, but likable special education teacher at a private boy’s school. She thinks she discovers that the headmaster has kidnapped his son, Pip, from an eccentric family living on an island off of Connecticut. She herself kidnaps Pip and takes him back to the island, to an extended family, where his supposed mother is insane and one of her cousins who is posing as the wife of her brother turns out to have Munchasen syndrome, killing her own children and others. I did like Bethany’s spunk and the rich description of the Atlantic sea coast drew you in, but really, just skip it.

[Cristel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this several years ago, and just plucked it off my bookcase for a second read, as I didn't remember much about it. The plot has potential, but the story in some places is too rushed and in other places too dragged out. Overall, the story line is just too bizarre to be credible, but it still kept me reading 'til the end.

[Ryoji · Rating 3 out of 5]

PENGUINE
level2
80minute
Newzealand/body/cry/home/Geese/south

Amy"s mother was dead so shewas raised by her father and she lived Canada. Amy had never met her father. So she didn't like him. Then she found sixteen eggs. She raised eggs and born bird.


I was moved because this book descrived she grow up. She love Geese. At, first, she wasn’t alive but when she raised Geese, she is so alive.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, again with Judith Kelmans' crazy books ;-) I did not see that one coming! Koodos!