Book of Wings

by Tawhida Tanya Evanson

In this sweeping, allusive novel, the celebrated poet, dervish, and oral storyteller Tawhida Tanya Evanson comes to terms with what it means to stand on one’s own two feet in an uncertain world. The acclaimed Antiguan-Canadian artist traces a global journey from Vancouver to the United States, Caribbean, Paris, and Morocco as a relationship with her lover and travel partner disintegrates and she finds herself on a path toward personal discovery and spiritual fulfillment that leads her deep into the North African landscape.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Poetry, Travel, Cultural, Literary Fiction, Novels

150 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ Black & African American Literary Fiction
Setting ~ various
Publication date ~ book ~ March 1, 2021, audio ~ October 29, 2022
Est Page Count ~ 142 (5 chapters)
Audio length ~ 3 hours 17 minutes
Narrator ~ Athena Karkanis
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ travel, finding oneself

Maya is on a journey to find herself after a breakup and we're along for the ride as she travels from Canada to the United States to the Caribbean to Paris and to Morocco.

This was alright. It gives off a non fiction vibe, which really isn't my jam. Honestly I probably never would have picked it up had it not been a hoopla bonus borrow. However, I do like a story about someone trying to figure their lives out, so middle of the road rating.

Narration notes:
She sounded fine.

Side note:
$12.99 is absurd for a kindle book of 142 pages IMO.


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[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very poetic and hypnotic! Definitely a book to return to.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book of Wings by Tawhida Tanya Evanson is a lyrical novel about a woman finding herself through travels and love. The audiobook narrator Athena Karkanis was great! I would definitely listen to another book narrated by her. The writing style in this novel is very poetic so I enjoyed the descriptions but sometimes a little hard to follow. We travel to many different places and there’s French and Arabic dialogue. I appreciated the glossary of Arabic words and phrases at the beginning of this book. I especially liked how it was at the beginning of this book because I’ve seen it at the end in other books and it’s more helpful at the beginning. I’d be curious to check out the print version of this book to see the page layouts. I’d also be interested to read this author’s poetry!
.
Thank you to Bespeak Audio Editions via NetGalley for my ALC!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this one sadly. It was a short/quick read/listen but there's a lot of French dialogue that I found really took me out of the story. A miss for me unfortunately.

[Kathleen]

"...you take care of your business and let Allah take care of Allah's business. These two wings work together to make the bird fly."
The above quote is taken from page 105 of Book of Wings by Tawhida Tanya Evanson.

I read this book because it was on the long list for Canada Reads 2022. Otherwise I would have admired the cover on the book and after reading a few pages, closed it and left it at the library.

[mel🕯 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

“I had only wanted to travel the world with my beloved, location was unimportant. Our plans were not our plans at all. His agenda remained hidden, even from himself. First Mexico, then the wind. I should have seen the signs instead of only looking at them.”

i found this book by chance at the library and i’m glad i did. in a lot of ways, this book did for me what I had hoped “If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English” by Noor Naga would but didn’t. this novel is lyrical and poetic and presents a depiction of North Africa that shows the sometimes ugly realities while also taking the time and care to show the beauty and culture of these countries, something that i felt like Naga had failed to do. This book showed genuine appreciation and admiration for a culture rather than just complaining about it.
“The Book of Wings”, however, also fell short for me in a lot of the same ways that “If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English” had. The flow of the story was oftentimes very choppy, the characterization quite weak, making it very hard to feel any emotional attachment to the story.
I think what really made this book for me was the writing though. It was poetic and stunning and unlike anything i’d ever read.

[Magdelanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without an object, what does one do with lost feelings? p179

For the narrator of this intensly personal and self-shattering Book of Wings, only travel, the all consumming pace of it, will tamp down the persistant pain of her separation from her lover Shama.
Alternatively gripping and infuriating, lyrical and devestating. Tawhida Tanya Evanson has written a kind of elegy for a living being in search of the peace that evades her.

The corporeal disappears. The secret remains. p53

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book of Wings is a novel that has the hypnotic aspects of poetry. And while the heaviness of grief on the part of the narrator is tangible, the prose is wonderfully melodic. It is a beautiful artifact to hold in one’s hands; the cover design, by David Drummond, is outstanding.

I could describe the novel as exotic but not as alien, rather as fascinating and intriguing. It is full of the marvels of taste (roasted eggplant tagine for example), scent (rose oil and cannabis referred to as “kif”), sound (a choir of muezzins) and many sights as the narrator travels from British Columbia’s West Coast to the Gulf of Mexico and on to France and then Morocco.

While a novel is a work of fiction, the narrator of Book of Wings puts it this way: “There are three versions of this story: mine, his, and the Truth.”

In an interview, author Tawhida Tanya Evanson said about her writing, “The work is only ever as good as my ability to transmit the Truth.” She also said, “I write from epiphany that is then crafted. The result may want to remain on the page or take another art form. I try not to get in the way.”

In this beautifully crafted series of epiphanies, the “his” or he of the story is Shams. (Hz. Mevlana Jalalu’ddin Rumi’s teacher and beloved friend was a man called Shams, meaning “sun.” Rumi is quoted at the beginning of the book.)

“Mine” or the me of the story is the narrator, a woman named Maya.

The references to wings begin with Shams, the narrator’s lover who has packed up and left during “Paris in the Springtime”—“two wings, un oiseau.” (Evanson uses French at times and provides translations. Some of the translations of French words and phrases, as well as Arabic, are provided at the beginning of the book.) 

“Everything that occurs becomes poetry, whether by crime or accident. Even my hatred is transformed. The laws of love may elude, but I will get through this theatre, this flower of folly,” Maya says before she leaves France.

She takes a boat, the Marrakesh, to Morocco. “Only African descent asking to be the future,” she acknowledges as she heads for the “motherland.”

Her encounters with men on her travels are unwanted intrusions, with a few exceptions. In Marrakesh, one man tells Maya, “You are going through something very beautiful. Once you surrender, you will be like a newborn. It’s good that you came to Morocco.”

Maya meets Matthieu a man who is also from Tiiohtia:ke/Montreal, which Maya describes as her hometown. She sees Matthieu as part of the “organic process” and is able to “take refuge in him because in my state, there are still too many aggressors around…” In the end Maya says, “I failed to keep the company of my beloved. But I will never fail Love.”

A gorgeous book that with its end will lead you back to reading it all over again.

Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.

[Chade66 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is on the Canada Reads Long list for 2022.

The language is often raw and poetic. However, I found the main character weak and whining. From the description I thought she would be on a mythical search for connection in Africa, but mostly it was her whining about her lover leaving her, drinking, getting hit on by every man on earth, sleeping with a mentally ill man. Sigh, too bad. I really liked the beginning of the book and the way it seemed to wind around on the edge of poetry and prose.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really wasn't my thing.

It felt like being stuck in an office kitchen while your 23 year old co-worker is telling you about her vacation breakup and isn't picking up on the social cues that you don't care.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was like poetry, short, interesting verses, transporting you through time and place.
Some triggering men, unwanted advances, so be aware of that.
I felt sometimes like I was there, with her in Morocco.
Very transportation.
I liked this read, but it made me uncomfortable. Maybe that's the point.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating story of a young woman traveling across the world, coming into her own and learning to count on herself. I was swept up from the first few pages and hypnotized by the beautifully poetic language. I'm excited to read more from this author and see how this book does in the Canada Reads competition!

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[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-known Antiguan-Canadian artist is on a journey across the world; from Vancouver to the U.S., the Caribbean to Morocco, with her lover as their relationship falls apart. As she travels farther into North Africa, she finds herself on a path to self-discovery and spiritual fulfilment. This novel was told in a poetic way that was moving at times, but at others it felt a bit disconnected. This jumped from place to place and thought to thought, which left the reader feeling slightly detached from the story and the characters. But this had good topics to think about and occasionally felt very philosophical, which made for a slower read, but it worked for this novel because it felt like a think piece on exploring oneself and establishing oneself in the world. There was a lot of talk of self-discovery and the reader enjoyed when the main character would learn a little more about herself and what she wanted. This isn’t what this reader typically reads, but it wasn’t a bad read. It was a riveting story, that was somewhat hard to follow along with at times, but it was still a good story and the reader enjoyed the journey it took them on. This is a short book with big ideas.   

[kim v · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so beautifully written, you find yourself entranced in Maya’s story from the beginning. Maya is searching to find herself after a difficult breakup, travelling from Canada, through the states, the Caribbean, Paris, and finally Africa. The story is lyrical and rhythmic and I only wish it was available on audio with the author as narrator!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

[Cindy Hollender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the chance to listen to the Audiobook Book of Wings for Tawhida Tanya Evanson.

In this sweeping, allusive novel, the celebrated poet, dervish, and oral storyteller Tawhida Tanya Evanson comes to terms with what it means to stand on one's own two feet in an uncertain world. The acclaimed Antiguan-Canadian artist traces a global journey from Vancouver to the United States, Caribbean, Paris, and Morocco as a relationship with her lover and travel partner disintegrates and she finds herself on a path toward personal discovery and spiritual fulfillment that leads her deep into the North African landscape.

This is not the type of book l usual gravitate toward. Although it is a novel, it is written by a poet and I usually steer clear of poetry. I am so glad that I stretched myself to give it a chance. Written in an almost stream of consciousness made listening to the lyrical prose feel like someone singing to me sleep in the most enjoyable way. I can to listen this narrator for days! (MAY be the author, tried to research but couldn't find it)

I got lost in the story and never really know where I was as I followed the main character as she floats from situation to situation, country to country. The over-arching themes are love, sex, religion and the grief of living through all of the above are timeless and although I couldn't relate to being in the physical locations she found herself in, I could relate to the themes being explored. The story includes characters speaking in both French and Arabic. There is glossary of terms included at the beginning of the book which I imagine to be extremely helpful if you are e-reading or have a hard copy so I suggest that you do a combo listen/read or jot down the words and terms if you just going to listen.

If you ever wanted to travel to exotic places but don't have a passport this book just might be for you 4 stars.


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[Brian Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I enjoy most about this book is the warm, mellifluous, poetic way it is written. It could be called a prose poetry narrative rather than a work of conventional fiction, and it has an autobiographical feel. Book of Wings relates a woman's journey though several relationships and climes, from Vancouver to the United States, the Carribbean, France and Morocco. Her relationship with her lover and travel partner, Shams, falls though along the way; after being involved in a transitory way with number of other men, she spends a season in hell (yes, the reference to Rimbaud is explicit) with Matthieu, a talented but troubled poet, and becomes a practicing mystic. My only argument with the book is that the character Shams, the great love of the narrator's life, is never fully fleshed out. He is really little more than his name, which he happens to share with the great friend/mentor of the 13th Century Sufi Master, Rumi, so knowing that we tend to project a kind of mentorly status on him that he may or may not deserve; and we only really know a few salient characteristics of Matthieu, although we do get to know him better. The scenes involving him are the most poignant in the book. What carries me though is the sensual beauty and revelatory flashes of the writing itself; as a writer of poetry, that's enough indeed to carry me on a joyous ride!

[Karen Ocana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book.
I'd seen Tanya Evanson perform spoken word and seen her dervish dances. I was impressed by the artfulness. I've listened to TTE's music, and have been entranced.
Reading Book of Wings was a roller coaster, it begins with verve, continues with verve, crashing waves, then still winds, mixed with bile, soothed by various treatments. I forced myself to last through the tempests, until the end.
It's not that the writing isn't good, it is, mostly in a declarative sort of way. Though there is a lot of gnomic wisdom batted about. It’s about love lost and poetry lived…
But it’s not poetry. The editing is fine, in a sense. Though I might have rearranged the pieces.
The places travelled to do shine, but it’s as much about journey as about destination. And we agree there are three sides to the story: the author’s, the reader’s and the unstable spots they meet.
I'll put my reaction down to not clicking with the narrative, that somehow Sham and I and the sort of wisdom coursing through this writing is one I need more practice in, to assimilate.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book of Wings is very obviously written by a poet as it sits somewhere between poem and prose. There were some beautiful visuals and some very real emotions. This is a short book but I found that I had to take my time with it. Plot-wise, I would get lost at times and have to go back. Otherwise, I was interested in where the main character would go next, who she would meet, and how she would feel about that moment in time. There is a sense of self-discovery and loss throughout.

I really enjoyed the use of multiple languages within the novel's text. There is a guide to some of the words and phrases used at the front.

The book does deal with some more difficult themes like drug use, alcohol use, and mental illness. As someone who doesn't have schizophrenia or manic depression, I'm not sure how they were dealt with within this book.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful (you can tell the author is a poet) and the explorations through short allusive chapters (almost vignettes) of relationship grief, love and sex, personal growth, travel, and finding one's roots were well done.

I'm having a hard time describing my experience reading it and encourage people to discover its contents for themselves. That said, I don't know how much longevity this story will have for me personally. The cover is stunning though - and fully evocative of the text's themes and place.

[Lauren Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I came to the door of love but you turned me away" (178)

I love the style of how this book was presented and written. I did find it hard to follow at times and keep up with the plot. I thought it had a good message and story.

This book was a quick read, as I read it in a few hours.

I would recommend this book to anyone!

[Carolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. The storyline follows the journeys of a woman as she comes to terms with the end of her relationship. It is messy and lyrical, dipping in and out of dreams and reality. Overall, it was a bit too vague for my taste.

I did love the use of multiple languages throughout the book. It deepened the exploration of culture and intimacy in the book.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Book Has Wings

This was an interesting Indigenous read.

Poetic and very personal, I found it really a compelling read.

An excellent book to read on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21).

I am glad I picked this one up.

Would recommend! It was quite a read.

3.9/5

[Joyce Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book but very challenging to get through. A poetic journey of healing and self discovery is lyrical. It isn’t easy however to grasp onto the story, if there really is one. Maya, embarks on a journey where she explores what it is to be an African Muslim artist who is loved by many but not the o e she desires.

[Behraz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written prose that brought me to places that I have yet to visit and comforted me through the experiences and emotions of its protagonist. Every page of this book contains many quotable passages and I enjoyed it very much.

[Carol Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this little book in one sitting; neither poetry or prose, but a combination of both. It rekindled my desire for a journey to Morocco. A place where the narrator delves deeper into herself trying to find her wings after a heartbreaking breakup.
I loved the images!

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have rather little idea of what was happening in this book at any time. While this book is fiction, the author is a poet, and you can definitely tell. I would never have finished this book if it hadn't been on the Canada Reads longlist.

[2TReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was an interesting reading experience. The way in which Evanson uses the poetic to tell her story of love, travel, loss, acceptance, grief, lust, and identity will keep you turning pages.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the story is ... okay. It was easy enough to follow along, and some parts shocked me (I didn't expect the explicitness interjected at various points), and I did enjoy some parts of the book. But I couldn't get into it.