Taking Flight

by Erni Johnson

Walter starts every morning by making a list. It was what his mother always did and as near as he could remember, it seemed to work well for her. Of course everything seemed to work well for her, but perhaps that was why. Understanding cause and effect was never Walter’s strong point… at least not until he began to study birds. Birds, he has concluded are the epitome of cause and effect. Walter is 42 years-old and a Field Guide…at least that was what he wrote whenever he was required to fill in a form on which a line labelled “Occupation” appeared. If he divulged too soon (in ink) that he worked at the Wellfleet Audubon Society as a Bird Watching Tour Guide, he would not be able to fill in the other categories asking for “Job Title” and “Employer” without repetition. He lives alone in the former family home with Brody, a 17 year-old black lab who once belonged to Walter’s father. The dog is now arthritic, semi-incontinent, slightly deaf, and fairly objective regarding Walter’s existence. His life is otherwise affectionately orchestrated by his four older sisters and their universally female offspring, but seems to be proceeding in a rather contentedly consistent manner; that is, until an enthusiastic young intern, Jeannette, joins the Audubon Sanctuary staff. Then, just as it does in his study of birds, the question arises for Walter when and how, exactly, does one decide to take flight?

226 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2018

About the author

Author Erni Johnson has been a Literature and Writing teacher for nearly 30 years, most recently at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville, MA. She has also worked as a journalist and an innkeeper at various intervals in her life. A graduate of Albany Academy and St. Lawrence University, Erni holds both a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Literature. Having raised three children in Connecticut and entertained numerous guests at the Hannah Dudley House Inn in Western Massachusetts, she and her artist husband, Daryl, have followed the sound of the waves to the shores of Cape Cod. Here they share their lives with their two cats, a good number of large metal sculptures, thousands of books, and several grandchildren who happen by and add their own beach treasures to their grandparents’ endless collection of shells.
ernijohnson16@gmail.com

Reviews

[Erni Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite, so far, of the four novels I've written. Maybe it's just because it's the most recent, but I'm happier with the character portrayal in this book than in the last three, and as I often mention in my other reviews, characterization is an important literary factor for me regardless of the plot. I also experimented with a male protagonist, and feel this portrayal went well. The book is a gentle love story that takes place in Wellfleet, MA. Walter is a field guide with the Audubon Society who has become used to the orderly parameters of his life, despite the persistent presence of his four older sisters and quirky teenage niece. When Jeannette, an enthusiastic young intern, joins the Audubon staff, Walter's quiet existence is suddenly disrupted, and leaves him with the same quandary he shares with the birds he studies: when and how, exactly, does one decide to take flight?

[Mary Bellamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

n her fourth novel, Erni Johnson tells the story of Walter, a bird expert constitutionally opposed to change, who finds himself facing all sorts of changes in his settled life. Johnson continues to create extremely likable, though realistically imperfect, characters. Her generous view of life and people provides both chuckles and moments of poignancy as Walter, his four older sisters, niece Daphne and newcomer Jeannette navigate their own journeys. Reading her work will give you hope that all of us vulnerable creatures can perhaps not only adapt and survive, but thrive.