The Wingmaker

by Mette Jakobsen

The crumbling marble angel is Vega’s most ambitious restoration project yet, but she thinks she can manage it, if she could just find somewhere to house the 500-kilo statue while she works. Her father, Vince, has the solution: the abandoned Seafarers’ Hotel, which sits alone at the end of a winding coastal road, offers both the space and quiet Vega craves.

The hotel also holds other surprises, however. The chandeliers are home to dive-bombing canaries, the ballroom occasionally hosts a troupe of tango-dancing farmers, and one of the bedrooms is occupied by an inept handyman who might be even more broken than Vega.

As Vega restores the fragile angel to its former glory, can she also find a way to pick up the pieces of her life and begin anew?

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

Originally from Denmark, Mette Jakobsen now resides in Sydney. She is an adventurer, author and playwright.
Mette has a PhD in Creative Writing and has graduated from NIDA’s Playwright
Studio. Her novels have been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize, topped
the Indie Book List, and mentioned on Oprah’s Booklist.
Mette has taught creative writing at universities and several of her plays have been
broadcast on ABC Radio National.
The Tower Series is her first YA title.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wingmaker is the third novel by Danish-born Australian author, Mette Jakobsen. She really needs to excel on this statue for the National Museum, and Vince has offered his newly bought, if somewhat remote, property: Vega can set up the five-hundred-year-old angel and restore her wings in one of the empty rooms of the Seafarers’ Hotel.

Crippled by agoraphobia since her heart surgery six months ago, Vega is just summoning the wherewithal to cross the empty space from the taxi to the derelict, windswept building when a naked man runs out the front door and into the sea. Naked, except for a gold knitted crown. This, it turns out, is Gunnar, the Afghanistan veteran whom Vince has employed as a handyman to renovate his latest investment.

While she is an experienced restorer of marble, Vega has a two-week deadline and was expecting to have the place to herself: no interruptions, no distractions. But it’s no surprise really, the run-down building and the damaged soldier: her adopted father is a successful Italian restaurateur who might be a visionary or just a kind man with a weakness for broken things. Lame pets. And people. Like Vega and co-adoptee, Suze.

Ignoring persistent texts from the boyfriend who broke it off when she was post-op, Vega gets to work, but the hundreds of marble fragments aren’t cooperating, and when the heater breaks down, it becomes apparent just how inept Gunnar is. The bunch of farmers who turn up to use the foyer as a ballroom don’t help matters either.

This is quite a short read (it can easily be devoured in one sitting) but Jakobsen manages to pack a great deal of story into that. Her characters are quirky and appealing: a loud, brash, flamboyant sister; a loyal, supportive, health-food-nut friend; a group of farmers who love to tango; an elephant-observatory designer; a horse-trainer who knows when to ask and when to listen.

And the hotel itself is a character, with its chandeliers and numerous deer paintings and pineapple and hummingbird wallpaper and its dive-bombing green canaries and pink share bathrooms.

Jakobsen’s tale is at times sad, at times laugh-out-loud funny, as she explores how childhood experiences can shape adult behaviour and thinking: why you might not allow yourself to be lost in a pleasurable moment, why you might settle for less than you deserve, just to feel safe. Humour and heartache: a beautifully written feel-good read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.

[Text Publishing]

The following reviews have been shared by Text Publishing - publisher of The Wingmaker

'Radiant, enchanting—The Wingmaker is a joy to read. I adore Mette Jakobsen's writing.'
Favel Parrett

'A novel replete with Jakobsen’s characteristic delicacy and enchantment.’
Happy Mag

‘Readers of Mette Jakobsen will have come to admire the impressive poise of her writing…[In The Wingmaker], her sharp internal landscapes are balanced by the flamboyant whimsy of life pressing on, regardless of trauma or the weight of the past.’
Age

‘Jakobsen handles her material with a light touch, imbuing her elegant prose with a contemplative air that’s complemented by playful flights of fancy…and an appealingly wry narrative voice.’
West Australian

‘Charming…Jakobsen is an expert at creating jewel-like moments that often feel filmic…There’s a lot to like about The Wingmaker.’
Polly Simons, Australian Book Review

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The abandoned hotel comes into view. Derelict, windswept.’

Vega has an ambitious restoration project, and her father Vince has offered her the use of a hotel he has bought. It has plenty of space and will be quiet, which is what Vega needs as she is still recovering from a heart operation. But when she arrives at the abandoned ‘Seafarers’ Hotel’, she finds that she’s not the only resident. The hotel may be abandoned, but it is not totally uninhabited. One of the rooms is occupied by Gunnar, a handyman with some issues of his own, who is apparently undertaking some restoration work, there are canaries in the chandeliers, and occasionally a group of locals use the ballroom for dancing. Vega despairs of finding the peace and quiet she craves, and of making sense of the pieces of marble which constitute the angel’s broken wings.

Rebuilding the angel’s wings is a painstakingly slow process, and Vega makes little headway at first. But as she gradually lets down some of the barriers she has erected, some things become clearer and easier to deal with. Some relationships need to be nurtured; others need to be re-examined.

And slowly, as the angel is restored, Vega rebuilds her life.

‘It feels as if I’ve spent my whole life letting the tiniest things come between me and other people.’

I enjoyed the quiet contemplative nature of this novel: about love and loss and moving forward.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, maybe a solid 4. I'm feeling a bit too sad to know what I think -- grief really does come in many ways for many reasons at all stages of life. A beautiful book, which I'm sure I'll resonate differently each time I read it.

[Paul Lockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Liked this one but it felt a little underdeveloped, would have loved another 200+ pages to flesh out the characters and the themes more fully. No doubt a very talented writer, will gladly read another of hers.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about a broken statue and some even more broken people. It's a nice, short read and I enjoyed it, but the setting fell a bit flat for me. This story just really wasn't my cup of tea, though it is written beautifully and is a wonderful story of finding yourself even in the darkest of times when you think everything is lost.

[Queen Bzyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters are broken like the angel Vega is seeking to restore. A beautiful exploration of pain and the journey towards healing - finishing with a sense of hope if not resolution. I would have liked to see more depth to the other main characters and the books could have been a bit longer so as to flesh out what is a great core.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In many ways this is a nice book which explores a group of broken people who are set against an all to obvious analogy of a broken marble angel being restored/resurrected/given a new life. It had promise but was a little too shallow for me.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea for a book and nicely written, but the characters just don't seem to come to life enough.

[Clare Bear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird ending

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!! (out August 3rd!!!)

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
#TheWingmaker #NetGalley

Pros
+ quiet, meditative, melancholy, redemptive
+ this is a book that sneaks up on you and MAKES YOU SOB in a good way
+ the cold, crumbling seaside hotel setting (complete with chandelier, gilded frames, painted lux wallpaper, and two untamed canaries) is the perfect backdrop for this story
+ Vega: marble restorer in need of serious alone/recovery time after a post-heart surgery breakup
+ Gunnar: the hotel "repairman" who's also an ex-military medic looking for his own way to recovery through swimming naked in the ocean and reading
+ physical disability rep (post-war injured arm)
+ neuro-atypical rep (PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, agoraphobia)

Neutral
/ I would have loved to read another 200 pages, honestly. I sunk into this book so quickly and didn't want to leave it.

Cons
- none really

TW: heart surgery (off-page), heart attack (off-page), abandonment, parent death (off-page), car accident, foster care, PTSD, panic attacks, war, death from an explosion

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Vega needs a quiet, solitary space for a job restoring a centuries’ old marble angel, while she also recovers from recent surgery, her father offers his latest property purchase - the remote, derelict Seafarers’ Hotel. Despite the promise of being alone for two weeks, Vega finds it is occupied by the eccentric Gunnar, who is staying there under the guise of helping renovate the hotel. As Vega slowly pieces the angel back together, she also starts to rebuild her life.

This book is so short it can be finished in one sitting, however I love that in a character-driven novel, and Jakobsen cleverly weaves Vega’s history into the narrative in such a way that I felt full and satisfied. I really loved Vega’s character development, starting off fragile and vulnerable like the marble angel, before finding her strength and repairing the broken pieces.

I also really loved the connection and tenderness between the often weird and wonderful characters, particularly Vega and Gunnar, and the dancers who use the hotel once a week for their Tango practice. Jakobsen also beautifully captures the complexity of Vega’s relationships with her father, sister, best friend, and ex-partner, as she comes to terms with how her own insecurities have plagued these close relationships.

The Wingmaker is ultimately about love, loss, and learning to move on from trauma. It is a beautiful book and I highly recommend it, particularly if you enjoyed The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey 💙

[Zuzu Burford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting and clever novella that Mette Jakobsen has presented for readers with strong characters, an original plot being a terrific read. Two lost souls confronting traumas in their lives accidentally coming together in a rundown hotel The interaction between both and the visitors opens sores that have been festering in their lives. I wanted to find out more which lead to not putting the book down until finished. All in all, an enjoyable story and highly recommended.
An independent review NetGalley / Text Publishing

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this beautiful book the other day. Mette created a beautiful story that left you searching for Vega’s past but never quite understanding or linking it all together till the end. The final few scenes of the book produced a profound sense of closure and hope that when I finally put the book down it gave me a sense of completeness and peace. I was able to let those characters go and begin their lives outside of the book. Mette has crafted such clear characters that unravel before you in all their intricacies and lives.

[Judith Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and entertaining little novel which I read in one sitting! The author deals with the enduring trauma of loss with a light but sure hand and although the central relationships follows a somewhat predicable course, the complexity of Vega’s feelings about her sister is masterly captured as she finally recognises the insecurities that has permeated her close relationships.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vega goes to her father's coastal (derelict) hotel to work on the restoration of a crumbling angel. She finds it occupied by canaries and a supposed handyman who is also broken like Vega. As she tries to work and sort out her life the book takes us on an interesting journey through family and grief. I'm not quite sure it worked for me in the end.

[Katie Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this beautifully written novella - it can easily be read in one sitting. It stayed with me for a long time and I enjoyed it the more I thought about it. I would be keen to read more from this author

[Corinne Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a little gem of a book, read in one day. My pleasure in reading it wasn't ruined by the host of questions I had at the end. To put any here would maybe spoil it for others. I will seek out other books by this author now.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.

[Corinna Freytag · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange book that doesn't capitalise on any of its potential. The characters just don't come to life.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special read ! I can’t explain why but l just loved everything from the protagonists from the crumbling hotel to the beautiful marble angel who requires restoration. Just a great read

[Harj D · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Mette Jakobsen's writing is thought provoking, her characters vulnerable and ever so human. I love the themes that the story covered, however I did feel like the ending was quite sudden. I would've like a little bit more of a rounded ending, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it!

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and will definitely reread it.