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Ephemeral Wings
Like many of us, Maggie is navigating her path through a complex world—except, her world is the stream.
Having lost her home to changes in the current, Maggie, a mayfly, is searching the stream for the richest of foods with which to nourish her brief flight in the world of air. But the stream, with its ever-changing currents, seems a confusing array of possibilities. Where are the richest of foods? How might she find them? And what are the qualities that makes one’s forage truly rich?
As Maggie travels the stream, she meets other streamlings—some malevolent, some benign—who offer her advice based on their own experiences within the stream. Through these meetings—from a midge who seeks to understand the stream by classifying the minute grains of the streambed to a water scorpion who tells Maggie her only value is as fish food—Maggie, unsure of herself, must define her own vision or risk missing the fulfillment that she seeks.
Having lost her home to changes in the current, Maggie, a mayfly, is searching the stream for the richest of foods with which to nourish her brief flight in the world of air. But the stream, with its ever-changing currents, seems a confusing array of possibilities. Where are the richest of foods? How might she find them? And what are the qualities that makes one’s forage truly rich?
As Maggie travels the stream, she meets other streamlings—some malevolent, some benign—who offer her advice based on their own experiences within the stream. Through these meetings—from a midge who seeks to understand the stream by classifying the minute grains of the streambed to a water scorpion who tells Maggie her only value is as fish food—Maggie, unsure of herself, must define her own vision or risk missing the fulfillment that she seeks.
- GenresNovels
180 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2022
15 people are currently reading
1642 people want to read
About the author
Eva Silverfine
3 books126 followersFrom living above her parents’ hardware store in Brooklyn to living a mile down a gravel road in semi-rural Texas with her husband, sons, and the local wildlife, Eva Silverfine has explored a variety of urban to rural landscapes. On that journey, she earned two degrees in the environmental sciences, worked in a research lab, and eventually retooled as a copyeditor. She freelances for several academic presses and writes personal narrative and fiction in the in-between spaces.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 24, 2022
An enchanting tale.
I have read many anthropomorphic stories involving mammals but this is the first time I have read one about insects. The reader will at once appreciate the amount of research that went into creating this small literary work. Silverfine describes the habits of the insect world with the same precision and eye for detail that Gerald Durrell had. Don’t miss the introductory “handshake” between Maggie and another acquaintance. No doubt, Silverfine draws from her professional experience as a biologist. Look at this evocative description tinged with a humourous touch, heralding the irony of what is to come.
When she reached the entrance, though, she recalled how dark and circuitous the passageway was. Unsure of whether she could find her way through on her own, Maggie poked her head into the tunnel and called, “Hello. Hello.” But her voice did not carry; it only blended with the sounds of water echoing in the passageways. “What did I expect,” she asked herself, “a welcoming committee?”
The writing style is simple, pleasing but effective. The following passage sets the stage for what is to unfold. It is a simple yet powerful excerpt. Maggie goes on an urgent quest to find a safe place for laying her eggs before her short life is over. She does not know what she is after and she cannot do it alone. She has to rely on the help of other insects, be it reliable or unreliable. There are obstacles—the menace of the fish predators, the untrustworthiness of her associates, and the hazardous state of the stream. But, goes she does, out of selflessness, concerned only about the safety of her progeny after the eggs hatch. She does not want them to endure the same hardships of an unforgiving milieu that she had to endure. The story flows along easily and gracefully, and I read the entire book in a two-hour sitting, testament to the author’s effortless writing style. The reader will be immersed in Maggie’s journey as we flow down the steam with her.
“What are you looking for that isn’t here?” Rensaleer asked her.
“I’m not sure,” Maggie replied. “I’ll know better when I see it.”
“How will you know you’ve found it if you don’t know what it looks like?” Rensaleer asked.
“I’m not sure,” Maggie confessed.
There is surprising deeper meaning in the simple story—hope, perseverance, charity and camaraderie when the various insects come together to work for a common higher goal as this passage demonstrates with unaffected elegance.
We’re all streamlings here, working for the same thing.”
“What’s that?” Maggie asked.
“The health and prosperity of our community, of our children to be,” Rudy sang out. “And we’re working not only for our own kind but for the stream. Yes, our plant produces food and nutrients for streamlings much smaller than ourselves. Taking the old from the stream, making food for the new—if we didn’t maintain our vigilance, what a pileup of rotting vegetable matter there would be!”
Maggie was impressed. To what finer goal could one aspire than finding one’s sustenance not only in feeding toward one’s own adulthood but also in contributing toward the fulfillment of others?
The insects’ lifestyle is simple, orderly and innocent as they look after their environment and make do with what it has to offer. However, not all the insects have the same amount of courage the fragile and vulnerable Maggie has, as we learn in this other rich and powerful piece.
We all have some means to stand our ground in a current that can wash us away. It is when we forsake maintaining our integrity that we are abandoned to the stream’s vicissitudes.”
“You,” Trichop said, “you are a drifter of hope, whereas I, I am a drifter of whim.”
The story comes full circle in the final chapter in a delightful manner. Don’t miss it. Part of me regretted the book wasn’t longer. I would have liked there to be more incidents and drama. Some poetry and graphics are thrown into the creative pot to enhance the reading experience. Although they do not propel the story along, the graphics provide visual texture, blending in well with the text.
In his masterpiece, “My Family and Other Animals”, Gerald Durrell was fascinated by the insect world as he observed their habits and their ways of interacting with nature. As seen through the eyes of a young boy, it was so welcoming and colourful. He delighted in the orderliness and innocence of their lifestyle. He contrasted it with the unruly, eccentric, unreliability, and unpredictability of his many family members in their chaotic household. Oftentimes, he wondered who the real animals were and who his family were. He was in his comfort zone among the peacefulness of the Mediterranean nature reserve, always looking for a break from the dysfunctionality of his humankind. Similarly, after reading this book you are left with the warm afterglow from having immersed yourself in another animal world—a welcome break from the urban hustle and bustle.
To conclude, a charming tale that is a joy to read.
I have read many anthropomorphic stories involving mammals but this is the first time I have read one about insects. The reader will at once appreciate the amount of research that went into creating this small literary work. Silverfine describes the habits of the insect world with the same precision and eye for detail that Gerald Durrell had. Don’t miss the introductory “handshake” between Maggie and another acquaintance. No doubt, Silverfine draws from her professional experience as a biologist. Look at this evocative description tinged with a humourous touch, heralding the irony of what is to come.
When she reached the entrance, though, she recalled how dark and circuitous the passageway was. Unsure of whether she could find her way through on her own, Maggie poked her head into the tunnel and called, “Hello. Hello.” But her voice did not carry; it only blended with the sounds of water echoing in the passageways. “What did I expect,” she asked herself, “a welcoming committee?”
The writing style is simple, pleasing but effective. The following passage sets the stage for what is to unfold. It is a simple yet powerful excerpt. Maggie goes on an urgent quest to find a safe place for laying her eggs before her short life is over. She does not know what she is after and she cannot do it alone. She has to rely on the help of other insects, be it reliable or unreliable. There are obstacles—the menace of the fish predators, the untrustworthiness of her associates, and the hazardous state of the stream. But, goes she does, out of selflessness, concerned only about the safety of her progeny after the eggs hatch. She does not want them to endure the same hardships of an unforgiving milieu that she had to endure. The story flows along easily and gracefully, and I read the entire book in a two-hour sitting, testament to the author’s effortless writing style. The reader will be immersed in Maggie’s journey as we flow down the steam with her.
“What are you looking for that isn’t here?” Rensaleer asked her.
“I’m not sure,” Maggie replied. “I’ll know better when I see it.”
“How will you know you’ve found it if you don’t know what it looks like?” Rensaleer asked.
“I’m not sure,” Maggie confessed.
There is surprising deeper meaning in the simple story—hope, perseverance, charity and camaraderie when the various insects come together to work for a common higher goal as this passage demonstrates with unaffected elegance.
We’re all streamlings here, working for the same thing.”
“What’s that?” Maggie asked.
“The health and prosperity of our community, of our children to be,” Rudy sang out. “And we’re working not only for our own kind but for the stream. Yes, our plant produces food and nutrients for streamlings much smaller than ourselves. Taking the old from the stream, making food for the new—if we didn’t maintain our vigilance, what a pileup of rotting vegetable matter there would be!”
Maggie was impressed. To what finer goal could one aspire than finding one’s sustenance not only in feeding toward one’s own adulthood but also in contributing toward the fulfillment of others?
The insects’ lifestyle is simple, orderly and innocent as they look after their environment and make do with what it has to offer. However, not all the insects have the same amount of courage the fragile and vulnerable Maggie has, as we learn in this other rich and powerful piece.
We all have some means to stand our ground in a current that can wash us away. It is when we forsake maintaining our integrity that we are abandoned to the stream’s vicissitudes.”
“You,” Trichop said, “you are a drifter of hope, whereas I, I am a drifter of whim.”
The story comes full circle in the final chapter in a delightful manner. Don’t miss it. Part of me regretted the book wasn’t longer. I would have liked there to be more incidents and drama. Some poetry and graphics are thrown into the creative pot to enhance the reading experience. Although they do not propel the story along, the graphics provide visual texture, blending in well with the text.
In his masterpiece, “My Family and Other Animals”, Gerald Durrell was fascinated by the insect world as he observed their habits and their ways of interacting with nature. As seen through the eyes of a young boy, it was so welcoming and colourful. He delighted in the orderliness and innocence of their lifestyle. He contrasted it with the unruly, eccentric, unreliability, and unpredictability of his many family members in their chaotic household. Oftentimes, he wondered who the real animals were and who his family were. He was in his comfort zone among the peacefulness of the Mediterranean nature reserve, always looking for a break from the dysfunctionality of his humankind. Similarly, after reading this book you are left with the warm afterglow from having immersed yourself in another animal world—a welcome break from the urban hustle and bustle.
To conclude, a charming tale that is a joy to read.
March 11, 2025
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Ephemeral Wings
Author: Eva Silverfine
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
8 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 2 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is the story of a mayfly which is cool. I have never read a novel about an insect before! 😊 I think it was interesting and, well, different. I think YAs interested in nature will enjoy it the most. A for originality!” Girl, aged 15
“I liked the story but it’s a bit too technical and hard to follow, so I was sort of pulled out of the story.” Boy, aged 14
“I liked how all the tiny characters she met were almost human. I felt that worked well. I was very invested in the mayfly’s adventure, and I loved the ending. Cool story, but a bit difficult to follow in parts.” Girl, aged 15
“It’s clever how the mayfly’s journey in the stream is sort of like a human girl growing up and trying to find her way. She can’t trust everybody, particularly if they want to gobble her up!” Girl, aged 14
“I felt this was such a sweet story. I didn’t follow every word, but I liked getting to know the mayfly – and the stream! I think it’s sort of thought-provoking too, how it mirrors human life – growing up, learning who to trust, who not to trust. I will check out other books by this author.” Girl, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A delightful story of a mayfly filled with imagery and thought-provoking moments. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Ephemeral Wings
Author: Eva Silverfine
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
8 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 2 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is the story of a mayfly which is cool. I have never read a novel about an insect before! 😊 I think it was interesting and, well, different. I think YAs interested in nature will enjoy it the most. A for originality!” Girl, aged 15
“I liked the story but it’s a bit too technical and hard to follow, so I was sort of pulled out of the story.” Boy, aged 14
“I liked how all the tiny characters she met were almost human. I felt that worked well. I was very invested in the mayfly’s adventure, and I loved the ending. Cool story, but a bit difficult to follow in parts.” Girl, aged 15
“It’s clever how the mayfly’s journey in the stream is sort of like a human girl growing up and trying to find her way. She can’t trust everybody, particularly if they want to gobble her up!” Girl, aged 14
“I felt this was such a sweet story. I didn’t follow every word, but I liked getting to know the mayfly – and the stream! I think it’s sort of thought-provoking too, how it mirrors human life – growing up, learning who to trust, who not to trust. I will check out other books by this author.” Girl, aged 15
To Sum It Up:
‘A delightful story of a mayfly filled with imagery and thought-provoking moments. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
October 6, 2022
Ephemeral Wings qualifies as a timeless fable—a story with animals as characters, carrying a moral (or in this case, multiple philosophical discourses) that enlighten the reader. On the surface, it is a story about a short-lived Mayfly nymph navigating her way through a mountain stream, meeting friends and foes, outflanking predators, pushing up against the boundary of water and the “other world” of air, and finally becoming an adult imago, with freedom to fly (no pun intended). The stream is a metaphor for life; the hardships along the way are the things that shape who we are and who we will be.
As I read the story, I kept thinking, this would be great for grades 3-5, because it teaches not only lessons about life, but gives an unusual insect-eye view of biology, botany, ecology, minerology, and the connectedness of all things. It uses some specialized scientific terms, but that’s okay within the context of a curriculum.
I can see how the book could also be linked to an educational website that would intrigue children of the right age and disposition and hook them on science.
Bravo!
As I read the story, I kept thinking, this would be great for grades 3-5, because it teaches not only lessons about life, but gives an unusual insect-eye view of biology, botany, ecology, minerology, and the connectedness of all things. It uses some specialized scientific terms, but that’s okay within the context of a curriculum.
I can see how the book could also be linked to an educational website that would intrigue children of the right age and disposition and hook them on science.
Bravo!
December 30, 2024
Honestly like nothing I've ever read before. The closest I could say would be a cross between the great Silent Spring and the Ghibli movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Meticulously researched and endlessly imaginative, this novel does the impossible and has you rooting for a mayfly (that's right) to survive and thrive in a compact world that contains everything she could possibly need - if only she would understand it properly. For me, the novel acts as a clear metaphor to human beings in the present day. We live in a bountiful garden of Eden, yet we've chosen to systematically strip it bare and poison the rest out of greed and a desire for self-preservation. Novels like Ephemeral Wings show that it is never to late to restore our connection to nature and preserve what is left for the lasting benefit of all.
September 27, 2022
The Ephemeral Wings is a story about Maggie, a mayfly nymph, on her quest for the best feeding grounds after she was washed away from her first pool by a change in the current. Foraging toward her adulthood, she keeps dreaming of the freedom her future flight in the other world will bring her. At the same time, she hones her ideals through conversations with the creatures of the stream she meets along the way about what constitutes the best nourishment, the best ways to procure it, and the nature of the stream and the appropriate attitude toward it. As she continues her search, besieged with fears and doubts, she realizes the importance of personal integrity, what it means to stand your ground in an ever-changing world and the nature of what it means to be a mayfly.
April 14, 2023
This page-turning, beautifully written story chronicles the journey of a determined mayfly nymph named Maggie. She's making her way into the often bewildering world of a stream, with an eye toward her brief, eventual flight. In the classic quest style, she meets various helpers along the way - all types of "streamlings" with whom she shares this ecosystem - and encounters various perils, like fish who wish to eat her. This coming-of-age story is a wonderful way for readers of all ages to learn about stream ecosystems, and it also operates on an allegorical level, as Maggie and some of her fellow streamlings have a philosophical bent. Beautifully written. I came away with a new appreciation for the insect world.
October 3, 2022
Maggie the mayfly embarks on a journey through a world that humans normally don't even look at. Seen through her eyes, a simple stream is as wondrous a place as any frontier, ocean, planet, or galaxy. Learning to navigate the stream, Maggie comes to understand the connectedness of all beings. She learns to accept her fate as a nymph that will become a fly, but even more profound: she comes to understand her place in the cosmos. A coming of age story as old as the hills but completely original.
I really enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed it!
September 22, 2022
This book shouldn't be confused with just another children's book about bugs, insects, and other creatures of nature. It allows the reader a closer look at the natural world where often unnoticed to us, living creatures go through their entire life cycle in a very short by our standard time. A thoughtful reader should find parallels to our - human - relations with nature, each other, and society.
From now on, I will always watch my step, not to squash another bug.
From now on, I will always watch my step, not to squash another bug.
January 13, 2023
I really wanted to finish this book. I found it very hard to read and spent too much time trying to decipher scientific names which slowed my reading down to almost a halt. I could kind of get the basics of the story but that someone with an entomology background would like this story so much more. Maggie the mayfly nymph was in search for a better pool. She was finding out that life isn't always better in another pool. #goodreads #evasilverfine
September 16, 2022
Wonderful, charming and insightful story. A coming of age adventure layered with philosophical reflection. It’s The main character is a young “woman” on a hero’s journey, a search for a world view of her own and meaning. The parade of characters she meets who contribute to her journey are a Shakespearean quality cast. Loved it!
February 14, 2023
Such a unique take on a coming-of-age story! Following Maggie, the mayfly nymph as she ventures forth along the stream is a joy thanks to the author's lush descriptions of the setting and her ability to imbue Maggie with emotions and actions that a human can relate to. It's so clever and engaging, and I'll never look at the streams near me in the same way again.
October 9, 2022
Where science and philosophy meet.
November 19, 2022
Delightful story, unexpected, and I love the ending!
December 12, 2022
Eva Silverfine's Ephemeral Wings is a unique and surprising tale--the world as insects might experience it. Affecting and engaging. An enjoyable read.
January 1, 2023
A delightful novel and science writing at its best. At its heart, Ephemeral Wings is a lucid story on the nature of risk and the adventure of embracing change. I smiled throughout reading it.
April 19, 2023
A novel novel! And a delightful read. Thank you, Eva, for writing this book!
December 5, 2022
I read Ephemeral Wings just before its release. In short, Ephemeral Wings is equal parts coming-of-age allegory and stream ecology lesson.
----
In a bit more detail (!)
Ephemeral Wings operates on two levels, using a mystical story of talking aquatic insects as a platform for a coming-of-age allegory and, simultaneously, a treatise on stream ecology. The heroine, a mayfly named Maggie, travels along the stream bottom, seeking always to find an improved feeding patch and position herself for a better life. Maggie's efforts are in service of achieving her ultimate fulfillment: emergence from the watery confines of the stream to become a winged insect flying through the air.
As she travels, Maggie meets myriad interesting characters, from a caddisfly who tells her to just go with the flow and to quit being so directed in her life and travels, to a group of stoneflies who teach Maggie about the positives (and pains) of collaboration, to a water scorpion who wants little more than to eat her. As Maggie moves downstream, each interaction provides new fodder for her consideration of how she wants to mature, how she wants to grow mentally before transcending from her aquatic confines. Is it better to live a safe, predictable life, or to explore while guiding your own path, or to simply drift in the current and let it take you where it may? What if you let go but never find footing and solid ground to anchor to again?
Along the way, Ott uses Maggie's story as the foundation for a mini-dissertation on stream ecology. Ephemeral Wings is a story interspersed with text-book-worthy discussions and descriptions of stream morphology (beautiful descriptions of the steam bottom as mountains and valleys Maggie has to traverse), aquatic entomology, energetic calculations, and macro invertebrate anatomy. Ott also intersperses the book with scientific names of plants, algae, and diatoms the insects are considering. The educational aspect of the book could be increased tenfold if it included a glossary or footnotes for defining terms and processes (e.g., palps, masticators, composite of returns, stream foraging calculations) and pairing scientific (e.g., for Gomphonema, Cladophora, Chroococcus) with their common names or groups. Likewise, sketches to illustrate single cell organisms, aquatic plants, and benthic and other aquatic organisms and their anatomic parts would greatly benefit the reader.
What binds Ephemeral Wings together, the scaffolding that holds the book's educational lessons, is the metaphorical journey Maggie experiences during her "real life" travels down the stream. "Will I ever come to know the nature of the stream?" Maggie asks early on. Later, experiences gathered, Maggie begins to realize that the stream, like life, is ever changing and ever connected. Her friend, a mayfly named Ephemeral, summarizes that lesson for her, saying, "We are all moored to the stream by a network of relationships..."
The story closes when Maggie magically reaches her time to emerge as an adult into the air. Upon emergence, Maggie finds the ultimate wisdom in her lifelong search for fulfillment, saying, "[I]f we don't believe in the world we want, how will it be?"
And indeed, how will it be?
Scott Bischke
author of Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times, and Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions
----
In a bit more detail (!)
Ephemeral Wings operates on two levels, using a mystical story of talking aquatic insects as a platform for a coming-of-age allegory and, simultaneously, a treatise on stream ecology. The heroine, a mayfly named Maggie, travels along the stream bottom, seeking always to find an improved feeding patch and position herself for a better life. Maggie's efforts are in service of achieving her ultimate fulfillment: emergence from the watery confines of the stream to become a winged insect flying through the air.
As she travels, Maggie meets myriad interesting characters, from a caddisfly who tells her to just go with the flow and to quit being so directed in her life and travels, to a group of stoneflies who teach Maggie about the positives (and pains) of collaboration, to a water scorpion who wants little more than to eat her. As Maggie moves downstream, each interaction provides new fodder for her consideration of how she wants to mature, how she wants to grow mentally before transcending from her aquatic confines. Is it better to live a safe, predictable life, or to explore while guiding your own path, or to simply drift in the current and let it take you where it may? What if you let go but never find footing and solid ground to anchor to again?
Along the way, Ott uses Maggie's story as the foundation for a mini-dissertation on stream ecology. Ephemeral Wings is a story interspersed with text-book-worthy discussions and descriptions of stream morphology (beautiful descriptions of the steam bottom as mountains and valleys Maggie has to traverse), aquatic entomology, energetic calculations, and macro invertebrate anatomy. Ott also intersperses the book with scientific names of plants, algae, and diatoms the insects are considering. The educational aspect of the book could be increased tenfold if it included a glossary or footnotes for defining terms and processes (e.g., palps, masticators, composite of returns, stream foraging calculations) and pairing scientific (e.g., for Gomphonema, Cladophora, Chroococcus) with their common names or groups. Likewise, sketches to illustrate single cell organisms, aquatic plants, and benthic and other aquatic organisms and their anatomic parts would greatly benefit the reader.
What binds Ephemeral Wings together, the scaffolding that holds the book's educational lessons, is the metaphorical journey Maggie experiences during her "real life" travels down the stream. "Will I ever come to know the nature of the stream?" Maggie asks early on. Later, experiences gathered, Maggie begins to realize that the stream, like life, is ever changing and ever connected. Her friend, a mayfly named Ephemeral, summarizes that lesson for her, saying, "We are all moored to the stream by a network of relationships..."
The story closes when Maggie magically reaches her time to emerge as an adult into the air. Upon emergence, Maggie finds the ultimate wisdom in her lifelong search for fulfillment, saying, "[I]f we don't believe in the world we want, how will it be?"
And indeed, how will it be?
Scott Bischke
author of Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times, and Bat Cave: A Fable of Epidemic Proportions
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews