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Wingwalkers
A former WWI ace pilot and his wingwalker wife barnstorm across Depression-era America, performing acts of aerial daring.
“They were over Georgia somewhere, another nameless hamlet whose dusty streets lay flocked and trembling with the pink handbills they’d rained from the sky that morning, the ones that announced the coming of DELLA THE DARING DEVILETTE, who would DEFY THE HEAVENS, shining like a DAYTIME STAR, a WING-WALKING WONDER borne upon the wings of CAPTAIN ZENO MARIGOLD, a DOUBLE ACE of the GREAT WAR, who had ELEVEN AERIAL VICTORIES over the TRENCHES OF FRANCE.”
Wingwalkers is one-part epic adventure, one-part love story, and, as is the signature for critically-acclaimed author Taylor Brown, one large part American history. The novel braids the adventures of Della and Zeno Marigold, a vagabond couple that funds their journey to the west coast in the middle of the Great Depression by performing death-defying aerial stunts from town to town, together with the life of the author (and thwarted fighter pilot) William Faulkner, whom the couple ultimately inspires during a dramatic air show—with unexpected consequences for all.
Brown has taken a tantalizing tidbit from Faulkner’s real life—an evening's chance encounter with two daredevils in New Orleans—and set it aloft in this fabulous novel. With scintillating prose and an action-packed plot, he has captured the true essence of a bygone era and shed a new light on the heart and motivations of one of America's greatest authors.
“They were over Georgia somewhere, another nameless hamlet whose dusty streets lay flocked and trembling with the pink handbills they’d rained from the sky that morning, the ones that announced the coming of DELLA THE DARING DEVILETTE, who would DEFY THE HEAVENS, shining like a DAYTIME STAR, a WING-WALKING WONDER borne upon the wings of CAPTAIN ZENO MARIGOLD, a DOUBLE ACE of the GREAT WAR, who had ELEVEN AERIAL VICTORIES over the TRENCHES OF FRANCE.”
Wingwalkers is one-part epic adventure, one-part love story, and, as is the signature for critically-acclaimed author Taylor Brown, one large part American history. The novel braids the adventures of Della and Zeno Marigold, a vagabond couple that funds their journey to the west coast in the middle of the Great Depression by performing death-defying aerial stunts from town to town, together with the life of the author (and thwarted fighter pilot) William Faulkner, whom the couple ultimately inspires during a dramatic air show—with unexpected consequences for all.
Brown has taken a tantalizing tidbit from Faulkner’s real life—an evening's chance encounter with two daredevils in New Orleans—and set it aloft in this fabulous novel. With scintillating prose and an action-packed plot, he has captured the true essence of a bygone era and shed a new light on the heart and motivations of one of America's greatest authors.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2022
38 people are currently reading
4837 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Brown
12 books751 followersTaylor Brown is the award-winning author of the novels Fallen Land (2016), The River of Kings (2017), Gods of Howl Mountain (2018), Pride of Eden (2020), Wingwalkers (2022), and Rednecks (2024), as well as a short story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold (2014). He's a recipient of the Montana Prize in Fiction and his first three novels were all finalists for the Southern Book Prize. He lives in Savannah, Georgia, where he is the founder and editor-in-chief of BikeBound, one of the world's leading custom motorcycle publications. His website is taylorbrownfiction.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@taybrown), Instagram (@taylorbrown82) and Facebook (@Taylor.Brown.Fiction).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
January 26, 2022
4.5
Taylor Brown always takes me exactly to the there and then in his novels. I was at this Carnival in Oxford, Mississippi with Billy and his brothers in 1910 and hanging off the wing of a plane with Della the Daring in 1933 in Georgia. I found a blend of fact and fiction rendered by Taylor Brown’s beautiful prose. I’ve read all of his novels and while Fallen Land is my favorite, this was such an enjoyable read .
Having read a lot of William Faulkner in a college seminar many years ago, I was delighted to learn things about his life that I didn’t know and might not have believed if I didn’t look them up ! The Faulkner narrative alternates with the adventures of Della the Daring, a wingwalker and her husband Captain Zeno Marigold. Brown’s writing so perfectly describes the places they stop at on their adventure, and their various predicaments, their passionate love, but at times the pace was a little slow. Perhaps it was the meeting up of these fictional characters with Faulkner that is described in the beginning- a quote from a biography that took so long to get to. But the writing is deserving of all the stars.
I was reminded of stories by E.L. Doctorow with such a realistic reflection of what is happening in the country. The possibility of dreams, of the west, of flying, of writing, of life is what I found here.
I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan through Edelweiss.
Taylor Brown always takes me exactly to the there and then in his novels. I was at this Carnival in Oxford, Mississippi with Billy and his brothers in 1910 and hanging off the wing of a plane with Della the Daring in 1933 in Georgia. I found a blend of fact and fiction rendered by Taylor Brown’s beautiful prose. I’ve read all of his novels and while Fallen Land is my favorite, this was such an enjoyable read .
Having read a lot of William Faulkner in a college seminar many years ago, I was delighted to learn things about his life that I didn’t know and might not have believed if I didn’t look them up ! The Faulkner narrative alternates with the adventures of Della the Daring, a wingwalker and her husband Captain Zeno Marigold. Brown’s writing so perfectly describes the places they stop at on their adventure, and their various predicaments, their passionate love, but at times the pace was a little slow. Perhaps it was the meeting up of these fictional characters with Faulkner that is described in the beginning- a quote from a biography that took so long to get to. But the writing is deserving of all the stars.
I was reminded of stories by E.L. Doctorow with such a realistic reflection of what is happening in the country. The possibility of dreams, of the west, of flying, of writing, of life is what I found here.
I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan through Edelweiss.
June 1, 2022
’To my father, the pilot’
I’ve had a copy of Taylor Brown’s latest, Wingwalkers to read since last September, and have delayed reading it, not because I haven’t enjoyed his other books, but because he is one of my favourite authors who was writing about an era and a topic that is close to my heart.
When I was young I went to many of these events to see these ‘flying daredevils’ from a relatively safe perspective sitting on old wooden bleachers on the ground with my father. I didn’t know then that once upon a time my father had, albeit briefly, done some of these things, including being a wingwalker on at least one occasion that I only learned many years later, as well as some Aerobatics. My father’s first plane that he co-owned with some buddies was also a Curtis JN Jenny. Three years ago, I read a book about one of my father’s flying buddies which gave me more insight into how this came to be.
This story begins in 1908, in Oxford, Mississippi.
The town Square was filled with carnival tents, and included a snake charmer, a bearded lady, and the wild man from Borneo, whose ankle was shackled to a stake, while the three Falkner brothers were there for another event. They came to watch a man ascend to the heavens and to see for themselves if he would live or die.
This is really two stories that weave together in a story of the era, the people, the hardships of the time and the desire for a bigger life. A life that includes a romance with the sky and a love of the written word. An era where access to the world was suddenly easier and faster. An era that allows for the possibility of William Faulkner and Zeno and Della’s lives to intersect. Zeno, a pilot who flew a Curtis JN Jenny, and Della, a wingwalker.
To say that I loved this would be an understatement. I love the way that Taylor Brown writes, and this brought back so many wonderful memories for me in addition to being a fascinating and beautifully shared story. I loved how this wove Faulkner’s love of writing with his enchantment with flying - not just planes but also the passion for exploring the sky by other means, the balloonists, and barnstormers, while also sharing the financial pitfalls of the era, the anguish of barely eking out a living in desperate times, the vagabonds, the danger, as well as love. I loved the story of Della and Zeno, and how these two stories eventually merge into one when fate steps in.
A captivating story with heartstopping moments, lovely descriptions of views from above, another superbly written, enchanting story that made this era really come alive, and made my heart sing.
Published: 19 Apr 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press
April 18, 2022
Balancing life while on the ground while balancing life on the edge of a wing.....
Taylor Brown creates stories from so many aspects in this world. He takes us on horseback through Fallen Land during the Civil War and to North Carolina with bootleggers in Gods of Howl Mountain. We traveled with two brothers down Georgia's "Little Amazon" in The River of Kings and once again to the Georgia coast in Pride of Eden.
Brown's writing is filled with ribbons of atmospheric descriptors. He makes us feel and live what is at the core of his novels. It's simply human beings caught up and entangled in just the right spot at just the right time. Their stories reach us because of his light finger on the pulse of what constitutes good, evil, and everything inbetween.
We'll meet Della and Zeno Marigold. Zeno happens to be a World War I ace pilot with incredible time in the air under the most dire of circumstances. His wife Della is more the light-hearted spirit who feels alive when her feet aren't necessarily touching solid ground. It's now the Great Depression where livelihood is carved out of anything and everything. People were desperate for something that would take their eyes from life's current deadpan situations. Looking up featured a welcomed diversion even if it meant parting with precious pennies.
Taylor Brown switches gears and we come face-to-face with "Billy" who will later find success as one of the greatest American writers: William Faulkner. Della and Zeno will be drawing near as they arrive in New Orleans for one of their stunt air shows. Brown accomplishes his split storyline as he reaches back to these beginnings.
Wingwalkers is an engaging story. It is certainly well-written and laid out with the surprise element of Faulkner. But it's not my favorite of Taylor Brown's novels (and I've read them all). The thread of the William Faulkner storyline could have been a tremendous novel unto itself. I would gauge this one at a 3.5 Stars kicked up to 4 Stars because of Brown's writing alone. Just say the name Taylor Brown and I'm there for the next one.......absolutely absolute.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Taylor Brown for the opportunity.
Taylor Brown creates stories from so many aspects in this world. He takes us on horseback through Fallen Land during the Civil War and to North Carolina with bootleggers in Gods of Howl Mountain. We traveled with two brothers down Georgia's "Little Amazon" in The River of Kings and once again to the Georgia coast in Pride of Eden.
Brown's writing is filled with ribbons of atmospheric descriptors. He makes us feel and live what is at the core of his novels. It's simply human beings caught up and entangled in just the right spot at just the right time. Their stories reach us because of his light finger on the pulse of what constitutes good, evil, and everything inbetween.
We'll meet Della and Zeno Marigold. Zeno happens to be a World War I ace pilot with incredible time in the air under the most dire of circumstances. His wife Della is more the light-hearted spirit who feels alive when her feet aren't necessarily touching solid ground. It's now the Great Depression where livelihood is carved out of anything and everything. People were desperate for something that would take their eyes from life's current deadpan situations. Looking up featured a welcomed diversion even if it meant parting with precious pennies.
Taylor Brown switches gears and we come face-to-face with "Billy" who will later find success as one of the greatest American writers: William Faulkner. Della and Zeno will be drawing near as they arrive in New Orleans for one of their stunt air shows. Brown accomplishes his split storyline as he reaches back to these beginnings.
Wingwalkers is an engaging story. It is certainly well-written and laid out with the surprise element of Faulkner. But it's not my favorite of Taylor Brown's novels (and I've read them all). The thread of the William Faulkner storyline could have been a tremendous novel unto itself. I would gauge this one at a 3.5 Stars kicked up to 4 Stars because of Brown's writing alone. Just say the name Taylor Brown and I'm there for the next one.......absolutely absolute.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Taylor Brown for the opportunity.
February 20, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up
I’ve been a fan of Taylor Brown since I read The Gods of Howl Mountain. His writing is something special. Take this phrase “her white throat pumping the whiskey down. It was backwoods busthead, through and through, a noxious fulminate that seemed capable of detonation without careful handling.” In fact, I found myself highlighting multiple passages just for the sheer glory of the writing.
This time, the story covers a former ace pilot, Zeno, and his stunt performing Wingwalker wife, Della, performing across the Depression era American South. Their story is interspersed with the story of Billy Falkner, whom we now know as William Faulkner, who always had a thing about flying. Faulkner’s story starts in 1908 and moves forward in time, until reaching 1934 when it intersects with Zeno and Della’s at the New Orleans Air Show.
Brown writes in a way that allows you to easily envision every scene. He captures the precarious nature of flying back then.
It’s not a fast paced story, but by the end I was sucked in, anxious to see how it would play out. I was so invested in Zeno and Della’s story, their need for freedom and life on their own terms. The Faulkner story wasn’t nearly as engrossing, but is based on the actual facts of Faulkner’s life.
While not my favorite of Brown’s works, I’ll continue to read anything he writes.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
I’ve been a fan of Taylor Brown since I read The Gods of Howl Mountain. His writing is something special. Take this phrase “her white throat pumping the whiskey down. It was backwoods busthead, through and through, a noxious fulminate that seemed capable of detonation without careful handling.” In fact, I found myself highlighting multiple passages just for the sheer glory of the writing.
This time, the story covers a former ace pilot, Zeno, and his stunt performing Wingwalker wife, Della, performing across the Depression era American South. Their story is interspersed with the story of Billy Falkner, whom we now know as William Faulkner, who always had a thing about flying. Faulkner’s story starts in 1908 and moves forward in time, until reaching 1934 when it intersects with Zeno and Della’s at the New Orleans Air Show.
Brown writes in a way that allows you to easily envision every scene. He captures the precarious nature of flying back then.
It’s not a fast paced story, but by the end I was sucked in, anxious to see how it would play out. I was so invested in Zeno and Della’s story, their need for freedom and life on their own terms. The Faulkner story wasn’t nearly as engrossing, but is based on the actual facts of Faulkner’s life.
While not my favorite of Brown’s works, I’ll continue to read anything he writes.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
May 24, 2022
I’ve read bits and pieces about barnstorming over the years, but nothing like this vivid portrayal. Told in two timelines, one featuring none other than author William Faulkner, and the second, Della and Zeno Marigold, two barnstormers traveling the southeastern US in their tiny Jenny airplane. I looked forward to each narrative when the next one presented itself.
The chapters are named (always love that) and short (love that, too). I’m already a fan of Taylor Brown’s descriptive writing, and here, it just works.
Wingwalkers is a tale of adventure as Della and Zeno make their way from city to city by air, often times scraping by, performing for fuel so they can keep their dreams alive. It’s also their love story.
The Faulkner side of the tale could not have been more fascinating. What an intriguing life with a little bit of love of his own.
Wingwalkers was just the kind of brilliantly-written adventure story I’ve been looking for this year. A captivating time in history, well-paced plot, lovable, but flawed characters; I think it’s is my favorite by Taylor Brown.
A special shoutout to loyal dog sidekick, Sark!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The chapters are named (always love that) and short (love that, too). I’m already a fan of Taylor Brown’s descriptive writing, and here, it just works.
Wingwalkers is a tale of adventure as Della and Zeno make their way from city to city by air, often times scraping by, performing for fuel so they can keep their dreams alive. It’s also their love story.
The Faulkner side of the tale could not have been more fascinating. What an intriguing life with a little bit of love of his own.
Wingwalkers was just the kind of brilliantly-written adventure story I’ve been looking for this year. A captivating time in history, well-paced plot, lovable, but flawed characters; I think it’s is my favorite by Taylor Brown.
A special shoutout to loyal dog sidekick, Sark!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
May 24, 2022
I'm going with 4 stars here only because it started out slow for me, but boy what a finish! In alternating chapters we read about William Faulkner from the time he is 10 years old at a carnival watching a balloonist, and Della and Zeno, barnstormers and wingwalkers in the 30's. Their paths finally cross for one alcohol soaked night in 1934 at Mardi Gras.
Taylor Brown's prose is always a joy, his descriptions of nature are works of art. The way he wove the story of Faulkner's boyhood and youth into the novel was genius, only using incidents that really happened and were documented. Della and Zeno were pure imagination, but a pair of aerialists on a motorcycle did give him a ride and spent the night carousing with him in New Orleans. From that incident he built this book, and taught me a lot about both Faulkner and the birth of aviation in this country, without mentioning the Wright Brothers once!
I can't leave without giving a shout out to Sark, the old Scottish Terrier that accompanied Della and Zeno everywhere, even in the cockpit of their plane. He had his own pair of goggles and white scarf that trailed in the wind behind him. There are special animals in all of Brown's work, and Sark was a wonderful addition to Wingwalkers.
I see a Faulkner biography in my near future.
Taylor Brown's prose is always a joy, his descriptions of nature are works of art. The way he wove the story of Faulkner's boyhood and youth into the novel was genius, only using incidents that really happened and were documented. Della and Zeno were pure imagination, but a pair of aerialists on a motorcycle did give him a ride and spent the night carousing with him in New Orleans. From that incident he built this book, and taught me a lot about both Faulkner and the birth of aviation in this country, without mentioning the Wright Brothers once!
I can't leave without giving a shout out to Sark, the old Scottish Terrier that accompanied Della and Zeno everywhere, even in the cockpit of their plane. He had his own pair of goggles and white scarf that trailed in the wind behind him. There are special animals in all of Brown's work, and Sark was a wonderful addition to Wingwalkers.
I see a Faulkner biography in my near future.
April 21, 2022
This was not what I expected and was very different from the last Taylor Brown book I read: Pride of Eden. An encounter by author William Faulkner with barnstorming couple in New Orleans is the basis for this new historical fiction title. There is a story line following Faulkner from his boyhood and aspiring pilot days as well as one for Della and Zino Marigold. Della wants to make it big in Hollywood, but the 1930's is a tough time to travel cross-country. Along with the nuggets from Faulkner's life are the slice of life moments from the Depression in the South and the exotic pull of New Orleans. A fascinating read.
Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2022
I came to read Wingwalker because I read some positive comments from other readers. I haven’t read Taylor Brown before but the subject, barnstorming pilots and wingwalking women traveling the deep South during the middle of the Great Depression, coupled in some way with William Faulkner, was too intriguing to resist. I’m so very glad that I read this book.
In what the author assures is a work of fiction with pieces of fact, he writes an alternating narrative, beginning with Bill Falkner and his brothers in 1908 watching a balloonist in their home town, Oxford, Mississippi. Then we are introduced to Zeno and Della, pilot and wingwalker, also husband and wife, in Georgia in 1933. Over the span of the novel, the Falkner (soon to become Faulkner) narrative moves along in time to join our barnstormers in the 1930s. Along the way we see young Faulkner become a young man, fall in love, decide on a career, become absorbed with flight.
Meanwhile, we see the poverty in the country as Zeno and Della attempt to survive by selling rides on their airplane or get tips for their daring feats while the people who watch them scrape for coins to enjoy this new “luxury.”
All the while, Brown is writing in a style that evokes Mr. Faulkner at times in its dream-like presentation of this southern world, the descriptions of nature, the descriptions of the people on the land. As I read, I became more and more involved and enamored with this book. It struck chords deep inside and reminds me why I majored in English, why I signed up for a Southern American Lit class in college so many years ago. It’s nice to feel that enthusiasm again. I plan to read more of Brown’s work.
I do recommend this book to anyone interested in southern literature, Faulkner, the depression era, and early flight in the U.S. or who would just like a good story.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
In what the author assures is a work of fiction with pieces of fact, he writes an alternating narrative, beginning with Bill Falkner and his brothers in 1908 watching a balloonist in their home town, Oxford, Mississippi. Then we are introduced to Zeno and Della, pilot and wingwalker, also husband and wife, in Georgia in 1933. Over the span of the novel, the Falkner (soon to become Faulkner) narrative moves along in time to join our barnstormers in the 1930s. Along the way we see young Faulkner become a young man, fall in love, decide on a career, become absorbed with flight.
Meanwhile, we see the poverty in the country as Zeno and Della attempt to survive by selling rides on their airplane or get tips for their daring feats while the people who watch them scrape for coins to enjoy this new “luxury.”
All the while, Brown is writing in a style that evokes Mr. Faulkner at times in its dream-like presentation of this southern world, the descriptions of nature, the descriptions of the people on the land. As I read, I became more and more involved and enamored with this book. It struck chords deep inside and reminds me why I majored in English, why I signed up for a Southern American Lit class in college so many years ago. It’s nice to feel that enthusiasm again. I plan to read more of Brown’s work.
I do recommend this book to anyone interested in southern literature, Faulkner, the depression era, and early flight in the U.S. or who would just like a good story.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 6, 2022
Wingwalkers was the first book that I have read by Taylor Brown, but it certainly won't be the last. This beautiful historical fiction novel was about many of my favorite things including early aviation and the writings of William Faulkner and New Orleans. This book contained alternating chapters relating the experiences of the writer when we first are introduced to a young Billy Falkner becoming enthralled with aviation when a balloonatic landed in their yard in Oxford, Mississippi. We also follow the journey of two barnstormers, a former World War I flying-ace, Captain Zeno Marigold and his aerialist and wing-walking wife Della, as they barnstorm across the deep south in their biplane performing at airshows during the time of the Great Depression in America.
As we follow these people through the early twentieth century when so much was happening throughout the world, including war, prohibition in America, and tough economic times, a powerful story begins to unfold. It reaches a dramatic point when they all share some time in New Orleans for an air show as many life-changing events are set in motion. New Orleans was a place William Faulkner went to write many of his earlier books, a place that he loved.
This was an exciting and beautiful book as the author based his chapters on true events in William Faulkner's life, stories or biographical anecdotes while the chapters on the barnstormers are imagined but richly so as I imagine Zeno, Della and their adorable black terrier dog, Sark, all in goggles. And the beautiful prose, I found myself immersed in this literary fiction. I loved this book, and I would just like to thank Angela M, a Goodreads friend, for putting this wonderful author on my radar.
"They each held one of the mooring lines that dangled from the balloon, watching the sullen globe form beneath the braids of hemp. It flickered and belched, emitting black gouts of smoke, and Billy felt his own chest swelling in unison. Soon a man would ascend into the Mississippi heavens, high enough to see the university, the rail depot, the lazy scrawl of the Tallahatchie River. He would hang amid the clouded aeries of gods and eagles, and then he would fall, returning to the red clay and cotton fields of the state, living or dead. Either was miracle enough."
As we follow these people through the early twentieth century when so much was happening throughout the world, including war, prohibition in America, and tough economic times, a powerful story begins to unfold. It reaches a dramatic point when they all share some time in New Orleans for an air show as many life-changing events are set in motion. New Orleans was a place William Faulkner went to write many of his earlier books, a place that he loved.
"Faulkner peered through the smeared windows. He wrote on the narrow balcony in the mornings, sitting hunched over the cobblestones where General Andrew Jackson conspired with the pirate and contrabandist Jean Lafitte--'the Terror of the Gulf'--enlisting his guns in the Battle of New Orleans. Across the alley glowed the sculpted greenery of St. Anthony's Garden, where men had engaged in affaires d'honneur, dueling with rapiers and sabers and pistols, murdering each other over slurs and mistresses and games of cards. Christ rose in white marble from the hedges, his arms lifted high and winglike, as if conducting the motley rabble of drunks and vagrants who milled outside the wrought-iron palings, hacking and screaming over the wet little mouths of their bottles."
"Here was the migration they'd seen from the air, the human herd headed west, filling the sinewy roads and highways. This river of the bankrupt and orphaned and workless, the once-rich and the lowborn walking side by side, laboring behind wobble-wheeled baby carriages or wheelbarrows or pushcarts overburdened with the remnants of home. Some rode bicycles, their thin tires weaving through the ruts, or trudged hunchbacked in the traces of crude rickshaws."
This was an exciting and beautiful book as the author based his chapters on true events in William Faulkner's life, stories or biographical anecdotes while the chapters on the barnstormers are imagined but richly so as I imagine Zeno, Della and their adorable black terrier dog, Sark, all in goggles. And the beautiful prose, I found myself immersed in this literary fiction. I loved this book, and I would just like to thank Angela M, a Goodreads friend, for putting this wonderful author on my radar.
December 13, 2022
"These pilots, they died with the violence of saints or lived in furious suspension, steering machines that defied the unseen powers of gravity. He loved them for it. They lived on something like faith, he thought, held on trembling wings or beneath mushrooms of silk, crisscrossing the land like itinerant birds or moths, filling the hearts of those on the ground. Nothing but wind beneath their soles."
"Wingwalkers" is a dual narrative of William Faulkner, and two daredevils who barnstorm their way across the South. The book follows the life of Faulkner starting in 1908 during his childhood, and ending in 1934 when he has realized his two dreams of becoming a pilot and a writer. Alternating chapters tell the 1933-34 fictional story of World War I flying ace, Zeno, and his wife, Della the Daring, who performs stunts as a wingwalker. Faulkner meets Zeno and Della at an air show in New Orleans and they spend time trading stories, lubricated by bootleg liquor.
Taylor Brown writes beautiful descriptions of the natural world in the Southern states. There is a westward migration and a sense of desperation in the country during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
"Here was the migration they'd seen from the air, the human herd headed west, filling the sinewy roads and highways. This river of the bankrupt and orphaned and workless, the once-rich and the lowborn walking side by side, laboring behind wobble-wheeled baby-carriages or wheelbarrows or pushcarts overburdened with the remnants of home."
I enjoyed both of the story lines, although the numerous switches back and forth in time was sometimes bothersome until the timelines began to converge late in the book. The adventurous plot and Taylor Brown's excellent writing made this an entertaining story.
"Wingwalkers" is a dual narrative of William Faulkner, and two daredevils who barnstorm their way across the South. The book follows the life of Faulkner starting in 1908 during his childhood, and ending in 1934 when he has realized his two dreams of becoming a pilot and a writer. Alternating chapters tell the 1933-34 fictional story of World War I flying ace, Zeno, and his wife, Della the Daring, who performs stunts as a wingwalker. Faulkner meets Zeno and Della at an air show in New Orleans and they spend time trading stories, lubricated by bootleg liquor.
Taylor Brown writes beautiful descriptions of the natural world in the Southern states. There is a westward migration and a sense of desperation in the country during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
"Here was the migration they'd seen from the air, the human herd headed west, filling the sinewy roads and highways. This river of the bankrupt and orphaned and workless, the once-rich and the lowborn walking side by side, laboring behind wobble-wheeled baby-carriages or wheelbarrows or pushcarts overburdened with the remnants of home."
I enjoyed both of the story lines, although the numerous switches back and forth in time was sometimes bothersome until the timelines began to converge late in the book. The adventurous plot and Taylor Brown's excellent writing made this an entertaining story.
July 7, 2022
This is my first Taylor Brown book and I can say with the utmost certainty it will not be my last. I am grateful to my well read Goodreads friends Cheri, Angela, and Jennifer and their compelling reviews. Thank you to each one who led me down this path to this adventure(well it is really a 2 in one adventure).set in the time of WW1 and also trailing through the South during the Great Depression. The characters( one of which is William Faulkner ) are so well painted at times you can feel their breath. The storyline kept me up well past midnight.
I am not young and have read my share of books in my time. This is not one that will be forgotten . It simply delights me to be led to an author who exceeds my expectations. A gift to be treasured . Thank you my friends.
I am not young and have read my share of books in my time. This is not one that will be forgotten . It simply delights me to be led to an author who exceeds my expectations. A gift to be treasured . Thank you my friends.
March 23, 2022
4 flying stars
I picked this one up because I have really enjoyed this writer’s previous books. This interesting tale builds around a factual event when writer William Faulkner and two aerialists meet up in New Orleans.
There are two distinct storylines in this one, we meet Zeno and his wife Della – she really walks on the airplane wings and dangles from the plane during their air shows! Flying ace Zeno made it out of WWI, but they are barely scraping by during the Depression when people loved to turn out for their shows but didn’t have much money. They always seemed on the edge of crashing and burning.
The other storyline is about Billy and his brothers and their Southern upbringing. Billy eventually adds a “u” to his last name and becomes William Faulkner the famous writer.
The author really brings the reader into this time and place and his knowledge of aviation shines through. I could perfectly picture the carnivals and atmosphere in this book.
An interesting read and maybe I will finally read something by William Faulkner now!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release 4.19.2022.
I picked this one up because I have really enjoyed this writer’s previous books. This interesting tale builds around a factual event when writer William Faulkner and two aerialists meet up in New Orleans.
There are two distinct storylines in this one, we meet Zeno and his wife Della – she really walks on the airplane wings and dangles from the plane during their air shows! Flying ace Zeno made it out of WWI, but they are barely scraping by during the Depression when people loved to turn out for their shows but didn’t have much money. They always seemed on the edge of crashing and burning.
The other storyline is about Billy and his brothers and their Southern upbringing. Billy eventually adds a “u” to his last name and becomes William Faulkner the famous writer.
The author really brings the reader into this time and place and his knowledge of aviation shines through. I could perfectly picture the carnivals and atmosphere in this book.
An interesting read and maybe I will finally read something by William Faulkner now!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release 4.19.2022.
December 28, 2021
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 19, 2022
Taylor Brown, of “Gods of Howl Mountain” fame, returns with a story based on events that happened to author, William Faulkner, during the 1930s. A pilot, Zeno, and his daredevil wife travel the countryside in a small plane, persuading spectators to view their dangerous, death-defying aeronautics. As Zeno and his wife travel, young Bill Faulkner grows up with a desire to be a pilot, convincing his younger brothers to build and fly airplanes with him. When their paths cross at an airshow in New Orleans, the three become fast friends and bond over their love of aircrafts and flying.
Brown can sure write a pretty piece. He is the only author I’ve read in the modern era who can wax poetic on drinking a bottle of Coke in a diner. The characters Brown creates are admirable and charming, and his plot has some good bones to it, but most of the novel itself is filled with fluff and flowery prose. The novel is told from the perspective of Della and Zeno in the 1930s era, and from the perspective of Bill Faulkner, as he grows up, until he meets Della and Zeno in their time period. Although the true identity of “Bill” is not known until the juxtaposition of time periods, it is hinted at throughout the plot, and it adds a nice twist when this truth is revealed.
I enjoyed the travels of Della and Zeno, and although their relationship was passionate and powerful, their love of airplanes and air travel seemed to overshadow any other romantic plots. Of course, Zeno and Della’s beloved terrier stole my heart, and he, by far, was my favourite “character” of the novel.
Brown has the writing ability to be memorable, and he uses the pretty words that you expect when you read a classic novelist. The plot in “Wingwalkers” is death-defying and romantic, yet slow in spots. I loved the characters and their travels together, but the detail could’ve been toned down in some areas (for example, the details of Zena, Della and Bill’s extensive trips to bars and pubs through Louisiana, including the drinks they consumed, was more than I wanted to know).
Overall, “Wingwalkers” is a great novel for anyone interested in William Faulkner (even though the novel is loosely based on one event in his life) or has a passion for flying machines, piloting, and its extensive history.
Expected publication date: April 19, 2022
Taylor Brown, of “Gods of Howl Mountain” fame, returns with a story based on events that happened to author, William Faulkner, during the 1930s. A pilot, Zeno, and his daredevil wife travel the countryside in a small plane, persuading spectators to view their dangerous, death-defying aeronautics. As Zeno and his wife travel, young Bill Faulkner grows up with a desire to be a pilot, convincing his younger brothers to build and fly airplanes with him. When their paths cross at an airshow in New Orleans, the three become fast friends and bond over their love of aircrafts and flying.
Brown can sure write a pretty piece. He is the only author I’ve read in the modern era who can wax poetic on drinking a bottle of Coke in a diner. The characters Brown creates are admirable and charming, and his plot has some good bones to it, but most of the novel itself is filled with fluff and flowery prose. The novel is told from the perspective of Della and Zeno in the 1930s era, and from the perspective of Bill Faulkner, as he grows up, until he meets Della and Zeno in their time period. Although the true identity of “Bill” is not known until the juxtaposition of time periods, it is hinted at throughout the plot, and it adds a nice twist when this truth is revealed.
I enjoyed the travels of Della and Zeno, and although their relationship was passionate and powerful, their love of airplanes and air travel seemed to overshadow any other romantic plots. Of course, Zeno and Della’s beloved terrier stole my heart, and he, by far, was my favourite “character” of the novel.
Brown has the writing ability to be memorable, and he uses the pretty words that you expect when you read a classic novelist. The plot in “Wingwalkers” is death-defying and romantic, yet slow in spots. I loved the characters and their travels together, but the detail could’ve been toned down in some areas (for example, the details of Zena, Della and Bill’s extensive trips to bars and pubs through Louisiana, including the drinks they consumed, was more than I wanted to know).
Overall, “Wingwalkers” is a great novel for anyone interested in William Faulkner (even though the novel is loosely based on one event in his life) or has a passion for flying machines, piloting, and its extensive history.
December 7, 2022
For me, a disappointing read. I was not fully engaged with either of the parallel storylines in Wingwalkers. I found the Della and Zeno sections bogged down with heavy-handed description. And although I was curious about where Brown would go with William Faulkner, that storyline only skirted the surface.
April 18, 2022
Once again, Taylor Brown writes an exquisitely descriptive novel of historical fiction, this time dealing with the early days of flight in the American south, where two young men who love to fly will eventually meet in New Orleans during Mardi Gras in 1934 at a celebrated flying festival.
The entertainers: 'See Captain Zeno Marigold, double ace of the Great War! See Della the Daring Devilette, who defies death, walking on wing and wind!'
Then there's the young man from Oxford, Mississippi, William Faulkner: 'His imagination seems too big to be grounded, his ambitions too lofty for gravity. His mind seeks truth far larger than points of fact. Perhaps he'll find something true after all, scratching away with his pen.'
I was surprised to find the novelist Faulkner and his brothers in this novel, having previously known nothing about their interest in flight. I found that aspect of this story fascinating.
Zeno and Della, the husband and wife team, seem so desperate to me in those early days of the Great Depression when they entertained to earn a few bucks just to eat and keep flying. They are the embodiment of the desire 'to live free or die!' Della always dreams of heading to California to try their luck, but Zeno just keeps them circling around the south.
I received an arc of this entertaining, character-driven novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
The entertainers: 'See Captain Zeno Marigold, double ace of the Great War! See Della the Daring Devilette, who defies death, walking on wing and wind!'
Then there's the young man from Oxford, Mississippi, William Faulkner: 'His imagination seems too big to be grounded, his ambitions too lofty for gravity. His mind seeks truth far larger than points of fact. Perhaps he'll find something true after all, scratching away with his pen.'
I was surprised to find the novelist Faulkner and his brothers in this novel, having previously known nothing about their interest in flight. I found that aspect of this story fascinating.
Zeno and Della, the husband and wife team, seem so desperate to me in those early days of the Great Depression when they entertained to earn a few bucks just to eat and keep flying. They are the embodiment of the desire 'to live free or die!' Della always dreams of heading to California to try their luck, but Zeno just keeps them circling around the south.
I received an arc of this entertaining, character-driven novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
November 13, 2021
As a participant in a book group focusing on southern literature, I am probably one of the few members who do not have a deep, abiding passion for the works of William Faulkner. Lord knows I’ve tried. I’ve read Collected Stories of William Faulkner, and he collected a lot of them and a couple of his novels (I won’t say which since this review isn’t about Faulkner’s books) and determined that Uncle Billy will never be my favorite author. That said, I do understand that, with all his run-on sentences and rampant abuse of pronouns, he was able to put his finger on the pulse of Americans in his time and place with unparalleled precision. He also loved flying.
But this isn’t a review of a Faulkner book. It’s a review of a book by an author whose books I find a lot more enjoyable. Taylor Brown has published five novels and a short story collection, all set in the American South. He also loves flying.
Wingwalkers is really two stories in one, weaving their way relentlessly to a common end like planes in a dogfight, alternating focus from one chapter to the next in a way that would have made Melville proud. First is the largely biographical story of Faulkner and his three brothers’ fascination with flight, starting from 1908 when a Balloonitic crashed into their father’s chicken coop.
The rest of the book tells the story of Zeno Marigold, a Great War flying ace, and his wing-walking wife, Della, aka the Daring Devilette, and their Scottish terrier Sark, who travel about the South in a battered biplane hoping to scrounge enough cash to buy gas to make it to the next town. It’s not a glorious life, but it does give them a sense of freedom and a bird’s-eye view of America during the Great Depression. If you have read Faulkner's stories, these characters may seem familiar. Either the story Honor is based on them or Wingwalkers is based on the story Honor. I’d like to think it’s the former but who can be sure?
Brown’s prose gets better with each book and his fascination with flight shines through on every page as the followingdescription of the barnstorming craze demonstrates.
Bottom line: While not every book Brown has written hits it out of the park, enough do to keep me coming back. Wingwalkers takes its readers on a journey back to a challenging time in our country’s history and does it marvelously. I highly recommend this book.
*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
But this isn’t a review of a Faulkner book. It’s a review of a book by an author whose books I find a lot more enjoyable. Taylor Brown has published five novels and a short story collection, all set in the American South. He also loves flying.
Wingwalkers is really two stories in one, weaving their way relentlessly to a common end like planes in a dogfight, alternating focus from one chapter to the next in a way that would have made Melville proud. First is the largely biographical story of Faulkner and his three brothers’ fascination with flight, starting from 1908 when a Balloonitic crashed into their father’s chicken coop.
The rest of the book tells the story of Zeno Marigold, a Great War flying ace, and his wing-walking wife, Della, aka the Daring Devilette, and their Scottish terrier Sark, who travel about the South in a battered biplane hoping to scrounge enough cash to buy gas to make it to the next town. It’s not a glorious life, but it does give them a sense of freedom and a bird’s-eye view of America during the Great Depression. If you have read Faulkner's stories, these characters may seem familiar. Either the story Honor is based on them or Wingwalkers is based on the story Honor. I’d like to think it’s the former but who can be sure?
Brown’s prose gets better with each book and his fascination with flight shines through on every page as the followingdescription of the barnstorming craze demonstrates.
They came storming across the country in the wake of the Armistice, a swarm of mayflies hatched in the aerodromes of France, featherlight fliers buzzing from field to field, town to town, looping and barreling in brainless mania , flying into trees and lakes and fields of cotton and corn, slamming into farmhouses and clocktowers, exploding before the heat-flared faces of the crowds. They died by fire, as they had in the war, or were ripped asunder in the violence of impact, goggled ex-aces who could find no way down from the high of combat save this. They traded enemy guns for hail and downpour, lightning and the crushing winds of anvil-shaped clouds. They died in legion, short-lived, while the cities roared, and when the country crashed, they flew only lower, faster, to draw their pennies from the crowds.
Bottom line: While not every book Brown has written hits it out of the park, enough do to keep me coming back. Wingwalkers takes its readers on a journey back to a challenging time in our country’s history and does it marvelously. I highly recommend this book.
*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.
FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
May 17, 2022
Seriously well-written: This isn't just a story, this is literature. Wonderful imagery - it leaves you feeling like you really did just travel through the Deep South in the '30's. Definitely an odyssey style tale.
That said, I find I didn't really care for the story. I was expecting more adventure and magic in the form of the wing walking. This was more of hard scrabble struggles during WWI, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. And a bit too gritty for my taste, almost gloomy, and not seldomly bordering on vulgar. (Doesn't pass the "recommend to Mom" test.)
Highly recommended for wonderful prose and historical accuracy. Cautioned for mood and sexuality.
That said, I find I didn't really care for the story. I was expecting more adventure and magic in the form of the wing walking. This was more of hard scrabble struggles during WWI, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. And a bit too gritty for my taste, almost gloomy, and not seldomly bordering on vulgar. (Doesn't pass the "recommend to Mom" test.)
Highly recommended for wonderful prose and historical accuracy. Cautioned for mood and sexuality.
March 28, 2022
I’ve loved Taylor Brown’s previous novels Gods of Howl Mountain and Pride of Eden so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Wingwalkers.
Della and Zeno Marigold are barnstorming their way across the Depression-era South as wingwalker and pilot. Their love story carries them through the grim landscape of Georgia and Alabama as they perform their daring aerial act to fund their journey to California. Meanwhile in a separate timeline, author William Faulkner’s life unfolds from childhood to fighter pilot to celebrated writer. Eventually these timelines briefly intersect in New Orleans where Della and Zeno to inspire Faulkner during a dramatic air show.
While Brown’s prose is stunning as always, Wingwalkers missed the mark for me. I never found myself whole-heartedly invested in the characters and the intersection of the the dual storylines was so minor I found myself thinking about how this would’ve packed a much bigger punch as a short story for me. That said, Brown is a talented storyteller I will continue to pick up without fail and I was a huge fan of the fascinating character Della (I would’ve loved a book focusing entirely on her!)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wingwalkers is scheduled for release on April 19, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Della and Zeno Marigold are barnstorming their way across the Depression-era South as wingwalker and pilot. Their love story carries them through the grim landscape of Georgia and Alabama as they perform their daring aerial act to fund their journey to California. Meanwhile in a separate timeline, author William Faulkner’s life unfolds from childhood to fighter pilot to celebrated writer. Eventually these timelines briefly intersect in New Orleans where Della and Zeno to inspire Faulkner during a dramatic air show.
While Brown’s prose is stunning as always, Wingwalkers missed the mark for me. I never found myself whole-heartedly invested in the characters and the intersection of the the dual storylines was so minor I found myself thinking about how this would’ve packed a much bigger punch as a short story for me. That said, Brown is a talented storyteller I will continue to pick up without fail and I was a huge fan of the fascinating character Della (I would’ve loved a book focusing entirely on her!)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wingwalkers is scheduled for release on April 19, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
April 20, 2022
Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded up for the sonority of the sentences
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As fictional Della and Zeno Marigold make their way through this story, on the way to meeting up with Billy Falkner, I came to appreciate the readerly stance one of my sisters expressed to me: "Leave famous people out of it. Just makes things harder to buy into."
The story Author Brown (In the Season of Blood and Gold, Gods of Howl Mountain) tells here uses the Marigolds and their barnstorming to illuminate a facet of William Faulkner (fancied-up Billy) that isn't much discussed: His fascination with aviation. It's beautifully written, glacially slow of pace, and not quite up to the task of convincing me that these two stories belonged together. If your reading led you to love Last Dance on the Starlight Pier for Depression stories, or Cloud Cuckoo Land's multi-stranded take on intertwined fates told over time, then this book will get more stars from you than me. If you've grooved to Sea of Tranquility or Unlikely Animals for their gorgeously wrought images and smoothly set sentences, this book will give you happy hours.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As fictional Della and Zeno Marigold make their way through this story, on the way to meeting up with Billy Falkner, I came to appreciate the readerly stance one of my sisters expressed to me: "Leave famous people out of it. Just makes things harder to buy into."
The story Author Brown (In the Season of Blood and Gold, Gods of Howl Mountain) tells here uses the Marigolds and their barnstorming to illuminate a facet of William Faulkner (fancied-up Billy) that isn't much discussed: His fascination with aviation. It's beautifully written, glacially slow of pace, and not quite up to the task of convincing me that these two stories belonged together. If your reading led you to love Last Dance on the Starlight Pier for Depression stories, or Cloud Cuckoo Land's multi-stranded take on intertwined fates told over time, then this book will get more stars from you than me. If you've grooved to Sea of Tranquility or Unlikely Animals for their gorgeously wrought images and smoothly set sentences, this book will give you happy hours.
December 31, 2022
3 stars Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for allowing me to read this book. Published April 19, 2022.
Although this is not my favorite Taylor Brown book it is still good and very readable. I did not feel that it was written with the detail to story and descriptions as his books Gods of Howl Mountain or Fallen Land were, however.
Wingwalkers is a two story novel. There are the aviator Zeno and his wing walking wife that fly the land giving aerial shows and then there is the young life of Billy Falkner - who changes his last name to read Faulkner. And that is where the story converges - when Zeno and Della put on a sky show for the famous author William Faulkner.
The portion of the story detailing the meeting of Faulkner and the aerial couple is taken from history and based on the truth. Taking a bit of true history, I believe, is something that Brown does in each of his novels. I just did not find the depth of description in this book that I have found in my previous reading of his works.
Although this is not my favorite Taylor Brown book it is still good and very readable. I did not feel that it was written with the detail to story and descriptions as his books Gods of Howl Mountain or Fallen Land were, however.
Wingwalkers is a two story novel. There are the aviator Zeno and his wing walking wife that fly the land giving aerial shows and then there is the young life of Billy Falkner - who changes his last name to read Faulkner. And that is where the story converges - when Zeno and Della put on a sky show for the famous author William Faulkner.
The portion of the story detailing the meeting of Faulkner and the aerial couple is taken from history and based on the truth. Taking a bit of true history, I believe, is something that Brown does in each of his novels. I just did not find the depth of description in this book that I have found in my previous reading of his works.
April 26, 2022
Because I have appreciated and in one case loved this author's work- I can't say other than this was not what I expected. Here instead he uses the current endemic style form of two completely different rotating/ switching story lines, locales, time periods. Not only is that not a form I usually like, but in this case one of the lines completely obscured the other, IMHO.
Well, his writing skill and phrases are 4 stars and above. But this time the plots and the especially the Billy Falkner (William Faulkner) escapades just got buried in the other later period. Well, it did for me. To the point where I almost wanted to skip all of them and just read the 1933 period straight through.
Descriptive and form skills are still so high that it is worth the read. Having been to Oxford, Mississippi- and liking the other areas too? You'd think I could become more enmeshed in this. I didn't. Honestly, the people rarely felt real to me.
But when he publishes, I will read it. Maybe River of Kings is just too high a bar for comparison. Probably more readers will like this better than I did. Adrenaline junkies are never big favorites with me to begin with.
Well, his writing skill and phrases are 4 stars and above. But this time the plots and the especially the Billy Falkner (William Faulkner) escapades just got buried in the other later period. Well, it did for me. To the point where I almost wanted to skip all of them and just read the 1933 period straight through.
Descriptive and form skills are still so high that it is worth the read. Having been to Oxford, Mississippi- and liking the other areas too? You'd think I could become more enmeshed in this. I didn't. Honestly, the people rarely felt real to me.
But when he publishes, I will read it. Maybe River of Kings is just too high a bar for comparison. Probably more readers will like this better than I did. Adrenaline junkies are never big favorites with me to begin with.
October 16, 2021
My thanks to St. Martin's Press Publishing, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Wingwalkers.
I'm sorry. I tried. I really did. The storyline just didn't grab me. I went into this book believing it would be more about wing-walking and less about sex and men falling down drunk and snoring. (Or to put it more gently, too much ROMANCE and IMBIBING.) At 29% I gave up and DNF.
On the positive side, I loved Della the Daring!
I'm sorry. I tried. I really did. The storyline just didn't grab me. I went into this book believing it would be more about wing-walking and less about sex and men falling down drunk and snoring. (Or to put it more gently, too much ROMANCE and IMBIBING.) At 29% I gave up and DNF.
On the positive side, I loved Della the Daring!
June 3, 2022
3 ★★★
Having read all of Taylor's books, I'm a huge fan.
As expected the writing was marvelous, but perhaps in this case overly detailed and thin on plot.
Not enough story for my taste. Alternating chapters, 2 stories in one book, with lots of interesting history and anecdotes on flying and Faulkner, but having no connection to each other until a brief overlap in the last 25 pages. I much appreciated the denouement but it got tedious getting there.
Not the book I would recommend to a new reader of his work but so far all my c0-fans really liked this one.
Having read all of Taylor's books, I'm a huge fan.
As expected the writing was marvelous, but perhaps in this case overly detailed and thin on plot.
Not enough story for my taste. Alternating chapters, 2 stories in one book, with lots of interesting history and anecdotes on flying and Faulkner, but having no connection to each other until a brief overlap in the last 25 pages. I much appreciated the denouement but it got tedious getting there.
Not the book I would recommend to a new reader of his work but so far all my c0-fans really liked this one.
December 3, 2021
The South is a destination I’d only consider literary and even then, not always. And yet there was something about this book that spoke to me. The impossible daredevilish freedom of its characters, their wild disregard for gravity and insistence at defying it, defying the odds.
Wingwalkers, barnstormers, the early aviators of the 1900s, were a breed onto themselves. Some people, it seems, have waited so long to take flight and once such a possibility presented itself, they simply were unable to resist it. Such was the case for the Falkner boys, the oldest of whom, Bill, would grow up to add a U to his name and become a giant of Southern literature. Although, somewhat ironically, in real life a man was so short in stature that he had to lie, beg and plead to get into the air force.
Not being a huge fan of The South, I’ve actually never read Faulkner, but now I can say I read a lot about him, he’s one of the major characters here and the novel uses a lot of biographical information to present a life that was larger and stranger than fiction.
The other two protagonists are a couple madly in love, he’s a war veteran and an aviator, she a much younger woman who joins him on his adventures falling in love with both him and the flight itself. Della dreams of going west, being in the movies, doing stunts, but Zeno is reluctant to venture out that far and odds are their old beat-up place won’t make it that far either. So, they are flying around the south along with their adorable pup Sark in his own pair of aviator goggles, entertaining the locals for pittance, until the famous exposition with flying stunts that seems to be a catalyst for their relationship, while also presenting their possibly one and only chance at getting enough money to buy their own plane.
It is there that they meet Faulkner. Quite late in the story. Otherwise, the two narratives travel on separate paths, united mainly by their passion for flying.
It’s a lovely story, a lovely work of literary fiction. Every so often there’s just a turn pf phrase that makes you go, wow, that’s how it’s done. The characters are terrific, likable, charming, engaging. And from a historical fiction perspective, the novel does an excellent and credible job of representing depression-era America at its dustiest and daring. Great book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Wingwalkers, barnstormers, the early aviators of the 1900s, were a breed onto themselves. Some people, it seems, have waited so long to take flight and once such a possibility presented itself, they simply were unable to resist it. Such was the case for the Falkner boys, the oldest of whom, Bill, would grow up to add a U to his name and become a giant of Southern literature. Although, somewhat ironically, in real life a man was so short in stature that he had to lie, beg and plead to get into the air force.
Not being a huge fan of The South, I’ve actually never read Faulkner, but now I can say I read a lot about him, he’s one of the major characters here and the novel uses a lot of biographical information to present a life that was larger and stranger than fiction.
The other two protagonists are a couple madly in love, he’s a war veteran and an aviator, she a much younger woman who joins him on his adventures falling in love with both him and the flight itself. Della dreams of going west, being in the movies, doing stunts, but Zeno is reluctant to venture out that far and odds are their old beat-up place won’t make it that far either. So, they are flying around the south along with their adorable pup Sark in his own pair of aviator goggles, entertaining the locals for pittance, until the famous exposition with flying stunts that seems to be a catalyst for their relationship, while also presenting their possibly one and only chance at getting enough money to buy their own plane.
It is there that they meet Faulkner. Quite late in the story. Otherwise, the two narratives travel on separate paths, united mainly by their passion for flying.
It’s a lovely story, a lovely work of literary fiction. Every so often there’s just a turn pf phrase that makes you go, wow, that’s how it’s done. The characters are terrific, likable, charming, engaging. And from a historical fiction perspective, the novel does an excellent and credible job of representing depression-era America at its dustiest and daring. Great book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
December 19, 2022
3.5 stars, great writing. Interesting enough story. I had a disconnect with this young Faulkner and the older, author Faulkner. It’s like I couldn’t believe this was William Faulkner as a boy.
April 21, 2022
Such a pretty cover. I love the colors and the view from the sky. But somehow, this story just never grabbed me. I think there was more partying and romance than storyline of the actual wingwalkers. I wanted to feel the pull of the characters and the wind in my hair. But I did enjoy the story, it was just not what I thought it would be.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
April 19, 2022
Taylor Brown imagines the personal life of the wingwalker, a daredevil stunt in the aerial barnstorming shows of the 1920s. Della and Zeno Marigold are quite the uncommon wingwalking couple; sleeping under the stars, willing to risk death for a meal or gas, and both fond of their old dog Sark (who actually plays into your heart the most). Della is deeply in love with Zeno. Zeno is good to her but deeply in love with…alcohol.
They rough and tumble across the South, with Della’s eventual goal being the West Coast. Meandering in completely unique patterns is the young boy Billy, growing up with his brothers in Mississippi. We flash back and forth between the two, and this may seem a bit confusing, but be patient and read on.
Part fact, part fiction, but all truly reminiscent of an older, sadder era of the Great Depression, Taylor Brown brings us close to the people who survived the time, sitting around the campfire, drinking rotgut, with none of the common benefits of life we take for granted today. This is another thoroughly captivating and entertaining read by the modern master of Southern storytelling.
Sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 19, 2022.
They rough and tumble across the South, with Della’s eventual goal being the West Coast. Meandering in completely unique patterns is the young boy Billy, growing up with his brothers in Mississippi. We flash back and forth between the two, and this may seem a bit confusing, but be patient and read on.
Part fact, part fiction, but all truly reminiscent of an older, sadder era of the Great Depression, Taylor Brown brings us close to the people who survived the time, sitting around the campfire, drinking rotgut, with none of the common benefits of life we take for granted today. This is another thoroughly captivating and entertaining read by the modern master of Southern storytelling.
Sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 19, 2022.
October 25, 2021
I received an Advance Reader copy and hardly stopped reading until finished. I'm a fan of Taylor Brown and this another novel very satisfied with. No spoilers just another observant look at the Old South with historical reference to a Mississippi famous author. A tale if two stories bound and united by the early heyday history of men and women and their flying machines.
April 20, 2022
I enjoyed this dual perspective historical fiction book. A new to me author, this dual timeline story kept me entertained from start to finish. I loved getting an insight into the wingwalkers who flew around performing during the Great Depression. We also get to learn more about Enzo's past in flashbacks to his life during WWI. I didn't love the narrator and think I might have enjoyed the book more reading a print copy but overall this was an original and thoroughly enjoyable read. Perfect for fans of The last dance on the Starlight pier or The four winds by Kristin Hannah. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copy!
April 30, 2022
Taylor Brown is one of the authors I read and read again every few years. He can always bring a smile to my face and peace to my heart. And with every reading, I can find something new I missed. Some mind picture to add to the story in my head. Wingwalkers was a novel I knew I had to have ASAP. And boy, was it worth the wait! Based on a chance meeting on Mayday in 1925 in New Orleans between gypsy stunt flyers and the author William Faulkner, this is a tale to keep you up all night.
We will be backtracking history, returning to the age of 'balloonatics' and the Wright brothers and their followers at the turn of the twentieth century. We follow the growth of air travel as it occurred, and several pilots of World War 1 as they travel across America following that war, working in small towns with airplane rides and wing walker thrills into the 1930s. As the Depression bites down, they are lucky to make groceries and fuel for the plane, which burns castor oil, and enough coin to print copies of the fliers of their upcoming acts, which they drop over a town center the night before their afternoon show. Our intrepid wing-walker is Della the Daring Mackintosh, and her husband and pilot Zeno Marigold, who touts himself as a Double Ace of the Great War with eleven aerial victories over the trenches of France. Most nights they sleep under the wing of the plane in some farmer's field, and after the afternoon show they will fly on to the next town, drop fliers, and bed down for the night. They have to find a place to land before dark, so they can check out the landing area. And everywhere they go, everything they do, they are accompanied by Sark, their Scottish Terrier.
Della's dream as she wing walks and hangs from the undercarriage and does gymnastics on the fly from hardpoint to hardpoint while in flight is just to make it to Hollywood, which was her mother's dream, as well. She is fairly sure they will make it out of Georgia - eventually. Zeno just hopes the pistons and rings in the old motor of their Curtiss Flying Jenny will hold out until they get far enough south to winter over and rebuild the motor.
And then in New Orleans, they will meet author William Faulkner, who has dreams - and secrets - of his own. What a tale!
Preordered May 29, 2021, for delivery April 19, 2022
Reviewed on April 30, 2022, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and GooglePlay. Not available for review on Kobo.
We will be backtracking history, returning to the age of 'balloonatics' and the Wright brothers and their followers at the turn of the twentieth century. We follow the growth of air travel as it occurred, and several pilots of World War 1 as they travel across America following that war, working in small towns with airplane rides and wing walker thrills into the 1930s. As the Depression bites down, they are lucky to make groceries and fuel for the plane, which burns castor oil, and enough coin to print copies of the fliers of their upcoming acts, which they drop over a town center the night before their afternoon show. Our intrepid wing-walker is Della the Daring Mackintosh, and her husband and pilot Zeno Marigold, who touts himself as a Double Ace of the Great War with eleven aerial victories over the trenches of France. Most nights they sleep under the wing of the plane in some farmer's field, and after the afternoon show they will fly on to the next town, drop fliers, and bed down for the night. They have to find a place to land before dark, so they can check out the landing area. And everywhere they go, everything they do, they are accompanied by Sark, their Scottish Terrier.
Della's dream as she wing walks and hangs from the undercarriage and does gymnastics on the fly from hardpoint to hardpoint while in flight is just to make it to Hollywood, which was her mother's dream, as well. She is fairly sure they will make it out of Georgia - eventually. Zeno just hopes the pistons and rings in the old motor of their Curtiss Flying Jenny will hold out until they get far enough south to winter over and rebuild the motor.
And then in New Orleans, they will meet author William Faulkner, who has dreams - and secrets - of his own. What a tale!
Preordered May 29, 2021, for delivery April 19, 2022
Reviewed on April 30, 2022, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and GooglePlay. Not available for review on Kobo.
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