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When She Flew
A new novel about faith, family, and finding the courage to do the right thing from the author of Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe .
Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she’s wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.
But then Jess discovers a girl and her father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts—and curses—of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she’s never dared. Because even though she’s used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken…
Police officer Jessica Villareal has always played by the book and tried to do the right thing. But now, she finds herself approaching midlife divorced, estranged from her daughter, alone, and unhappy. And she’s wondering if she ever made a right choice in her life.
But then Jess discovers a girl and her father living off the radar in the Oregon woods, avoiding the comforts—and curses—of modern life. Her colleagues on the force are determined to uproot and separate them, but Jess knows the damage of losing those you love. She recognizes her chance to make a difference by doing something she’s never dared. Because even though she’s used to playing by the rules, there are times when they need to be broken…
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2009
22 people are currently reading
635 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Shortridge
6 books163 followersJennie Shortridge is the author of five bestselling novels: Love Water Memory, When She Flew, Love & Biology at the Center of the Universe, Eating Heaven, and Riding With the Queen.
She is an avid volunteer and mentor, and is co-founder of Seattle7Writers.org, a nonprofit collective of authors that raises money and awareness for literacy.
Jennie is currently working on a memoir.
She is an avid volunteer and mentor, and is co-founder of Seattle7Writers.org, a nonprofit collective of authors that raises money and awareness for literacy.
Jennie is currently working on a memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
November 27, 2009
This is my first book by Jennie Shortridge, though she has written a total of 4 and I've heard wonderful things about her other books. While When She Flew didn't blow me away, it was a nice read and good story.
When She Flew, a fictional story based on true events, is told in alternating narratives by two of the main characters. The third person narrative is used to tell the story from the viewpoint of Officer Jessica Villareal. A divorced woman in her late 30's, with a sadly distant relationship with her daughter and grandson, "Jess" devotes herself to her work as a police officer.
The second narrative is that of the child, Lindy, and is told in first person. Lindy has a fascination with birds, and one day while observing a blue heron in the woods where she lives, she is observed by a fellow bird watcher. Up until that point, Lindy had been living with her father, an Iraq war vet, who saved her from the care of her unstable mother, in the woods. The bird watcher reports the girl and the police start a search to find the child in the woods.
Officer Villareal joins in on the search and helps find the father and child. The officials decide the father and child should be separated so the child, Lindy, can be provided with safe shelter in a foster home. But Officer Villareal is then touched by the love she sees between the father and child so she takes matters into her own hands, breaks the rules, all to stand up for what she believes is best. What follows is the story of what Villareal does and the subsequent consequences.
The writing was, in general, engaging. For the first 100 pages, I wasn't sure if I'd really get into the story, but around that point I became hooked and wanted to read more. I definitely liked the first person narration of the young girl better of the two; hers seemed more genuine and less forced. The situation the characters found themselves in was intriguing, but I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It wasn't bad, but it just seemed anti-climactic.
What I believe the author aimed for is a story about two different "women" (one woman and one girl) and how they each "flew" and took on a challenge or experienced something different. In that sense, the author accomplished her task and provided good female role models. I do think I would have liked the book better if the first part was shorter and the story lasted longer on the end and included a little more. But, in all, it was an enjoyable read that touched on some serious topics that may induce some interesting, and possibly heated, book club discussions!
*educational sidenote on the child welfare system*
I did want to add, however, that there were a couple things I found very inaccurate. I don't think it took away from the story, but as a professional in the field of child abuse, I tend to be sensitive about inaccuracies of the system. Now, keep in mind I only really know how Florida works, but if other states do, in fact, do these things, then they are waaaaaay behind the times.
For one, children do not arbitrarily have physical exams done (down there) to prove whether or not they've been sexually abused. How traumatic and barbaric! And even IF that really was done, the lack of anything there doesn't mean anything! In the MAJORITY of sexual abuse exams of children who have been sexually abused, there are NO findings. There are a lot of reasons for that and I won't get into that, but just keep that in mind. When the characters were in that situation I was thinking, "what?!!??"
The second thing is that the author chose to leave out child protective services from the story though they were integral to the situation. Again, I'm restricted to the knowledge of my state, but here law enforcement has zero say in what happens to a child protection-wise. They deal with only the criminal aspect. I'd be interested in learning more if this is not the case in other states.
*end of sidenote*
When She Flew, a fictional story based on true events, is told in alternating narratives by two of the main characters. The third person narrative is used to tell the story from the viewpoint of Officer Jessica Villareal. A divorced woman in her late 30's, with a sadly distant relationship with her daughter and grandson, "Jess" devotes herself to her work as a police officer.
The second narrative is that of the child, Lindy, and is told in first person. Lindy has a fascination with birds, and one day while observing a blue heron in the woods where she lives, she is observed by a fellow bird watcher. Up until that point, Lindy had been living with her father, an Iraq war vet, who saved her from the care of her unstable mother, in the woods. The bird watcher reports the girl and the police start a search to find the child in the woods.
Officer Villareal joins in on the search and helps find the father and child. The officials decide the father and child should be separated so the child, Lindy, can be provided with safe shelter in a foster home. But Officer Villareal is then touched by the love she sees between the father and child so she takes matters into her own hands, breaks the rules, all to stand up for what she believes is best. What follows is the story of what Villareal does and the subsequent consequences.
The writing was, in general, engaging. For the first 100 pages, I wasn't sure if I'd really get into the story, but around that point I became hooked and wanted to read more. I definitely liked the first person narration of the young girl better of the two; hers seemed more genuine and less forced. The situation the characters found themselves in was intriguing, but I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It wasn't bad, but it just seemed anti-climactic.
What I believe the author aimed for is a story about two different "women" (one woman and one girl) and how they each "flew" and took on a challenge or experienced something different. In that sense, the author accomplished her task and provided good female role models. I do think I would have liked the book better if the first part was shorter and the story lasted longer on the end and included a little more. But, in all, it was an enjoyable read that touched on some serious topics that may induce some interesting, and possibly heated, book club discussions!
*educational sidenote on the child welfare system*
I did want to add, however, that there were a couple things I found very inaccurate. I don't think it took away from the story, but as a professional in the field of child abuse, I tend to be sensitive about inaccuracies of the system. Now, keep in mind I only really know how Florida works, but if other states do, in fact, do these things, then they are waaaaaay behind the times.
For one, children do not arbitrarily have physical exams done (down there) to prove whether or not they've been sexually abused. How traumatic and barbaric! And even IF that really was done, the lack of anything there doesn't mean anything! In the MAJORITY of sexual abuse exams of children who have been sexually abused, there are NO findings. There are a lot of reasons for that and I won't get into that, but just keep that in mind. When the characters were in that situation I was thinking, "what?!!??"
The second thing is that the author chose to leave out child protective services from the story though they were integral to the situation. Again, I'm restricted to the knowledge of my state, but here law enforcement has zero say in what happens to a child protection-wise. They deal with only the criminal aspect. I'd be interested in learning more if this is not the case in other states.
*end of sidenote*
October 1, 2025
Even though I have alredy sent this, I am updating for my Best of 2009 list, and this review goes along with Peter Rock's MY ABANDONMENT:
Both of these are based on the true story of the father and pre-teen daughter who lived off the grid in Portland’s Forest Park for four years but each author treats the story a little differently. Rock’s story is told in an almost surreal and disassociated manner and Shortridge delivers more of an emotional punch. Both are interesting and would be great for book groups.
If you want to read more from previous review:
A while ago I posted a review of MY ABANDONMENT by Peter Rock, a fictionalized version of the true story of the father and pre-teen daughter found living in Portland’s Forest Park. Jennie Shortridge has also written a novel based on the same event but has made it more of an emotional and moral tale. If you can’t remember the event, in 2004 a father and daughter were found and it was found that they had been living completely off the grid for 4 years, yet even though their living conditions were primitive, the daughter still was well-educated and clean (the library played an important part of her self-taught education). Rock’s book took a strange twist that prevented me from giving it 5 stars, but I am giving Shortridge’s book five stars as it was very well done and this moving novel deserves to get a lot of attention. The story revolves around Jessica Villareal, a woman police officer who is with the team that finds the couple. The story switches between the young girl’s version of their life and what happens after they are found, and the police officer’s story of her issues with her daughter along with her idea that the father and daughter shouldn’t be separated and should be kept together at all costs, even if means breaking the law and losing her job. Very well done and I highly recommend reading both books for the different take on the story and what happens (fiction-wise) to the father and daughter.
Both of these are based on the true story of the father and pre-teen daughter who lived off the grid in Portland’s Forest Park for four years but each author treats the story a little differently. Rock’s story is told in an almost surreal and disassociated manner and Shortridge delivers more of an emotional punch. Both are interesting and would be great for book groups.
If you want to read more from previous review:
A while ago I posted a review of MY ABANDONMENT by Peter Rock, a fictionalized version of the true story of the father and pre-teen daughter found living in Portland’s Forest Park. Jennie Shortridge has also written a novel based on the same event but has made it more of an emotional and moral tale. If you can’t remember the event, in 2004 a father and daughter were found and it was found that they had been living completely off the grid for 4 years, yet even though their living conditions were primitive, the daughter still was well-educated and clean (the library played an important part of her self-taught education). Rock’s book took a strange twist that prevented me from giving it 5 stars, but I am giving Shortridge’s book five stars as it was very well done and this moving novel deserves to get a lot of attention. The story revolves around Jessica Villareal, a woman police officer who is with the team that finds the couple. The story switches between the young girl’s version of their life and what happens after they are found, and the police officer’s story of her issues with her daughter along with her idea that the father and daughter shouldn’t be separated and should be kept together at all costs, even if means breaking the law and losing her job. Very well done and I highly recommend reading both books for the different take on the story and what happens (fiction-wise) to the father and daughter.
December 4, 2009
Jessica Villareal is a police officer. She enjoys her job, especially when she can help people. Though, she seems to be at a lost when it comes to her daughter, Nina. Jessica is at her wits end. She doesn’t know what to do. Issues between her and her daughter will have to wait. Jessica has a bigger situation on her hands. Someone spotted a little girl wandering. They chased after her, only to discover and she was not alone.
Ray, a war bet and his daughter, Melinda “Lindy” have been living off the lands for quite some time. They were happy…till the authorities got involved and separated them. Lindy is currently in the care of Jessica. Lindy and Jessica may be from different worlds but they will learn how much they need each other.
It seems that I am in the minority in regards to this book. Most of the reviews I have seen, people really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same. While I thought the story line had a lot of substance and emotions, it was the characters that I found lacking to make any type of connection with me. Therefore, I couldn’t get into this book. I kind of found Jessica weak. She let her daughter dictate her as well as her boss. Towards the end, it seemed that Jessica was pulling it all together but it was too late for me. I can’t really comment too much on this book as When She Flew, she flew away from me.
Ray, a war bet and his daughter, Melinda “Lindy” have been living off the lands for quite some time. They were happy…till the authorities got involved and separated them. Lindy is currently in the care of Jessica. Lindy and Jessica may be from different worlds but they will learn how much they need each other.
It seems that I am in the minority in regards to this book. Most of the reviews I have seen, people really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same. While I thought the story line had a lot of substance and emotions, it was the characters that I found lacking to make any type of connection with me. Therefore, I couldn’t get into this book. I kind of found Jessica weak. She let her daughter dictate her as well as her boss. Towards the end, it seemed that Jessica was pulling it all together but it was too late for me. I can’t really comment too much on this book as When She Flew, she flew away from me.
November 24, 2009
I recieved this book as an ARC from Library Thing and at first put off reading it as I was into about 3 other books at the time.I picked it up on Friday and finished it Sunday. It is fast paced and a very believeable read.
The book deals with an Iraq vet and his daughter who are homeless and what the system of govt tries to do for them believing they know best. It truly makes you think about what home really is and family and that sometimes in trying to do good the system actually does harm when it seperates families who are only guilty of poverty.
The book is loosely based on actual events that took place here in Portland in 2004 I believe.The city in the story is actually Portland and the Park is Forest Park in Portland. There is another book based on this event called My Abandonment which is a good book to read along this with this one.
I found at the end of the story what actually happened to the girl in the real story.
I feel that Jennie Shortridge who is from the Seattle area also gets the culture of the Nortwest and Oregon down to a T.
This is the first book of hers that I have read but will read more.
The book deals with an Iraq vet and his daughter who are homeless and what the system of govt tries to do for them believing they know best. It truly makes you think about what home really is and family and that sometimes in trying to do good the system actually does harm when it seperates families who are only guilty of poverty.
The book is loosely based on actual events that took place here in Portland in 2004 I believe.The city in the story is actually Portland and the Park is Forest Park in Portland. There is another book based on this event called My Abandonment which is a good book to read along this with this one.
I found at the end of the story what actually happened to the girl in the real story.
I feel that Jennie Shortridge who is from the Seattle area also gets the culture of the Nortwest and Oregon down to a T.
This is the first book of hers that I have read but will read more.
June 15, 2020
Didn't have high expectations for this but I ended up really enjoying it! I didn't realize that this was inspired by a true story until I was about halfway through, which was an exciting surprise.
January 4, 2021
This sweet and compelling tale is based on real events. Its fast pace provides an interesting counterpoint to its quiet depth. I felt so concerned about the fate of the girl at the heart of the story that I never wanted to put the book down.
"When She Flew" focuses on a life-changing moment in the lives of two very different people: a girl on the threshold of her teens and a woman on the threshold of middle-age. Lindy is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her father in a camp in the Oregon woods. Her dad is a disabled Iraq War veteran who can't get a job. Lindy feels an affinity for birds, and it's while following one that she is spotted by hikers. Police begin a search for an apparent minor at risk. Officer Jessica Villareal is a 39-year-old cop who takes part in the search. When she finds the well-educated, well-cared-for girl, she must decide whether to place her in foster care, or return her to a father with mental issues who cannot provide a home with four walls.
I fell in love with young Lindy, almost a creature of nature herself, but with the best characteristics of humanity: intelligence, curiosity and compassion. Shortridge writes with a light touch that reveals the emotional contours beneath the surface of things, and Lindy is her strongest voice. When the girl and her dad are fleeing from police, she says, "I wished I could fly, but even if I were covered with feathers, I would not be able to avoid gravity." Meanwhile, Jessica is a mother at a crossroads in her estranged relationship with her own daughter. Lindy brings out Jessica's strong maternal instincts, but Jessica must decide if those instincts are compatible with those of a good cop.
By reshaping the true story and filling it with characters who feel like people I might know, Shortridge effectively dropped me in the middle of it all and showed me every point of view. I found myself stretching my definitions of family and home. I was reminded that life's most important choices require sacrifice. We both gain something and lose something, whether we take the risk to go our own way or the equal risk to reach out to others.
"When She Flew" focuses on a life-changing moment in the lives of two very different people: a girl on the threshold of her teens and a woman on the threshold of middle-age. Lindy is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her father in a camp in the Oregon woods. Her dad is a disabled Iraq War veteran who can't get a job. Lindy feels an affinity for birds, and it's while following one that she is spotted by hikers. Police begin a search for an apparent minor at risk. Officer Jessica Villareal is a 39-year-old cop who takes part in the search. When she finds the well-educated, well-cared-for girl, she must decide whether to place her in foster care, or return her to a father with mental issues who cannot provide a home with four walls.
I fell in love with young Lindy, almost a creature of nature herself, but with the best characteristics of humanity: intelligence, curiosity and compassion. Shortridge writes with a light touch that reveals the emotional contours beneath the surface of things, and Lindy is her strongest voice. When the girl and her dad are fleeing from police, she says, "I wished I could fly, but even if I were covered with feathers, I would not be able to avoid gravity." Meanwhile, Jessica is a mother at a crossroads in her estranged relationship with her own daughter. Lindy brings out Jessica's strong maternal instincts, but Jessica must decide if those instincts are compatible with those of a good cop.
By reshaping the true story and filling it with characters who feel like people I might know, Shortridge effectively dropped me in the middle of it all and showed me every point of view. I found myself stretching my definitions of family and home. I was reminded that life's most important choices require sacrifice. We both gain something and lose something, whether we take the risk to go our own way or the equal risk to reach out to others.
November 21, 2009
I was fortunate to see the author read from this novel and discuss the genesis of the book. In 2004, a Vietnam War veteran and her daughter were found living off the grid in a large park near Portland. Their encampment was clean, and the girl was 13 but read at a 12th grade level. People were worried about abuse, but they were just a loving father and daughter. A media frenzy ensued.
What intrigued Shortridge was that one of the officers on the case, a single father, felt that they shouldn't be separated - few agreed with him. Shortridge befriended the officer, who even took her on a hike to their former encampment, where they found a mud-encrusted yo-yo that Shortridge kept on her desk while she wrote When She Flew.
Shortridge took that real-life event and created a work of fiction that explores family relationships and what's "normal" by societal standards. The book is written from two perspectives: in the first person for Lindy, the young girl in the forest, and the third person for Jess, the officer who is on the search team that finds her, and who decides they shouldn't be separated. I fell in love with the characters and felt warm and contented when I read the last page.
What intrigued Shortridge was that one of the officers on the case, a single father, felt that they shouldn't be separated - few agreed with him. Shortridge befriended the officer, who even took her on a hike to their former encampment, where they found a mud-encrusted yo-yo that Shortridge kept on her desk while she wrote When She Flew.
Shortridge took that real-life event and created a work of fiction that explores family relationships and what's "normal" by societal standards. The book is written from two perspectives: in the first person for Lindy, the young girl in the forest, and the third person for Jess, the officer who is on the search team that finds her, and who decides they shouldn't be separated. I fell in love with the characters and felt warm and contented when I read the last page.
November 11, 2010
This novel is based on the actual event of a father and his daughter who were living, by choice, in a forest. They lived off the land, hid from hikers, took trips to the City to buy food and use the library. The daughter was well-adjusted, intelligent, and homeschooled by her father. Then they were discovered and the authorities got involved. Jennie Shortridge makes an admirable effort, through fiction, to understand not only the motivations of these people but that of the authorities involved in the case. unfortunately, her characters were too mainstream for me to relate to or care much about. Her novel was certainly compelling, but I enjoyed Peter Rock's My Abadonment much more. I felt he did a better job of depicting what I would expect two forest-loving and forest-living individuals to be like. Still, it's worth reading them both.
May 31, 2017
This was a pleasant read and a quick one. I feel like Shortridge could have gone a little deeper with the relationships. She paints a lovely picture of Lindy as a much-younger-than-her-years sort of character, while also being wise beyond her years. I love the spotlight on alternative parenting and poverty issues. I love the message of following your gut. Jess, the protagonist, could have been painted a little more three dimensionally. You never really feel her pain regarding her relationship with her daughter. One could say that Jess is in denial and tamps down those emotions, but I feel that the reader loses out on the core of the suffering driving this plot. I liked the bird metaphors for Lindy.
October 26, 2016
Wonderful little book with real heart based on a true story! A touching story with great characters who live outside of traditional means--an injured Vietnam war veteran and his smart intelligent young daughter who were found living healthy, well-adjusted stable life in a treehouse "off the grid" in a large Oregon park for 6 years--and then what happens to them after they were discovered by the community and the "system" got involved--- the author guides us to really take a closer look at the homeless and have thoughtful reflections while we discover their challenges, struggles, victories and most importantly their humanness thru the real life story of these fascinating folks.
December 17, 2009
I'm so glad that Robin Beerbower recommended this book. I did a little experiment and read it at the same time as My Abandonment by Peter Rock; both books based on the same story of a father and daughter who had lived undetected for four years in a park inside Portland's city limits. Shortridge approached the story from a cop's perspective, letting things unfold a bit more like a mystery.
May 6, 2013
This is what I call a good "bus book." I read it on my commute to and from work, and it was the right blend of interesting and simple for the bus.
I liked the parts of the book that were in Lindy's POV, but I never cared about Jess as a character, or about any of the issues she was trying to deal with. She felt like a cardboard figure with predictable hang-ups and and an overly angsty storyline.
I liked the parts of the book that were in Lindy's POV, but I never cared about Jess as a character, or about any of the issues she was trying to deal with. She felt like a cardboard figure with predictable hang-ups and and an overly angsty storyline.
May 22, 2021
This was a nice read. Very thought provoking. Great writing. There are 2 POVs throughout the book- one is in third person for Jess and the other is in first person for the young girl Lindy. The young girls POV is much more appealing. Basically, the father and daughter are living in a forest and they are discovered and the police have to make a decision on what to do with them.
July 11, 2010
The book is based on a true story, so I guess I shouldn't be too critical of the ending.
July 23, 2017
The most real & believable police lead ever. I want a follow-up book so much . Great read.
May 2, 2020
3.5 stars. Interesting fiction based on actual events.
May 4, 2020
3.5. While it didn't blow me away, it's very well worth reading.
July 21, 2019
"But just like with the svastika, I was starting to realize you couldn't count on such things to keep you safe. Seemed to me you had to do that for yourself, somehow."
"I was as much a beating heart as a hummingbird, as much instinct as a bobcat. I could be timid like a deer mouse and stealthy as a mink. I could run as fast downhill as the creek and forage as well as a raccoon. I was part of everything in this world, of all that was happening all around me."
Pater Wiggs, an Iraqi vet, and his daughter, Lindy, lived in a treehouse in the state forest outside Portland, OR. They went to town three days a week, to the library, to buy food, and to wash their clothes. They had a neat, clean camp. Lindy was homeschooled by her dad, so she spent lots of time studying. They had replanted the ferns around the stream, and diverted it so there was an area to keep food refrigerated, and an area to bathe. They weren't the typical homeless family. Pater received a monthly check for his injuries in the military to help defray their expenses. One day, Lindy was out exploring, viewing her first heron, when some birdwatchers saw her. They were alarmed to see a lone girl in the woods, so they reported her to the police. Understandably, the law became involved, thinking she was a runaway. After hours of looking with a dog, they finally found the girl and her father. Instead of letting them go, they fingerprinted then separated them. He was taken to a shelter overnight, and Jessica Villareal, a police officer, was instructed to take her to a foster home. Jess felt she should be with her father, so she took her to a sanctuary, where they met her father, then traveled to a safe house. That is not the end of the story; it continues on.
A secondary theme centers around Jess Villareal. Her father was a police officer who died in the line of duty when she was young. She became pregnant as a teenager and married a drinker and druggie. When she found her daughter following in her footsteps, she reacted, and her daughter went to live with the father. Jess rues the day her daughter went away and hopes that they may be reunited.
The plot is predictable, a bit boring, nothing outstanding. And if police officers swear and curse like the ones in the book did, I think we're in trouble.
"I was as much a beating heart as a hummingbird, as much instinct as a bobcat. I could be timid like a deer mouse and stealthy as a mink. I could run as fast downhill as the creek and forage as well as a raccoon. I was part of everything in this world, of all that was happening all around me."
Pater Wiggs, an Iraqi vet, and his daughter, Lindy, lived in a treehouse in the state forest outside Portland, OR. They went to town three days a week, to the library, to buy food, and to wash their clothes. They had a neat, clean camp. Lindy was homeschooled by her dad, so she spent lots of time studying. They had replanted the ferns around the stream, and diverted it so there was an area to keep food refrigerated, and an area to bathe. They weren't the typical homeless family. Pater received a monthly check for his injuries in the military to help defray their expenses. One day, Lindy was out exploring, viewing her first heron, when some birdwatchers saw her. They were alarmed to see a lone girl in the woods, so they reported her to the police. Understandably, the law became involved, thinking she was a runaway. After hours of looking with a dog, they finally found the girl and her father. Instead of letting them go, they fingerprinted then separated them. He was taken to a shelter overnight, and Jessica Villareal, a police officer, was instructed to take her to a foster home. Jess felt she should be with her father, so she took her to a sanctuary, where they met her father, then traveled to a safe house. That is not the end of the story; it continues on.
A secondary theme centers around Jess Villareal. Her father was a police officer who died in the line of duty when she was young. She became pregnant as a teenager and married a drinker and druggie. When she found her daughter following in her footsteps, she reacted, and her daughter went to live with the father. Jess rues the day her daughter went away and hopes that they may be reunited.
The plot is predictable, a bit boring, nothing outstanding. And if police officers swear and curse like the ones in the book did, I think we're in trouble.
January 9, 2018
This was a book recommended by one of my Goodreads Friends, Bancha Moon. I was attracted to it because it's another version or another tale which grew out of a book I thoroughly enjoyed "My Abandonment" by Peter Rock, which in turn was based on a real life incident. A father takes his daughter off the grid and the two of them live happily and healthily deep in the forests of Oregon until their Eden is spoiled by the establishment which basically doesn't want people living off the grid.
This was a fun read but focuses mainly on the story of the cops discovery of the father and daughter and how the cops try to screw up their lives. "My Abandonment" focused mainly on the father and daughter and how they lived and perceived the world. I highly recommend M/A and if you love it, you'll probably want to read this one too. Whereas M/A is like an award winning feature film, "When She Flew" is like a Hallmark made for tv movie. Still entertaining and fun to experience but time is limited.
This was a fun read but focuses mainly on the story of the cops discovery of the father and daughter and how the cops try to screw up their lives. "My Abandonment" focused mainly on the father and daughter and how they lived and perceived the world. I highly recommend M/A and if you love it, you'll probably want to read this one too. Whereas M/A is like an award winning feature film, "When She Flew" is like a Hallmark made for tv movie. Still entertaining and fun to experience but time is limited.
December 29, 2009
The seeds of a story can come from anywhere: a conversation overheard, the sound of a train rolling by, our own life experiences or even a story heard in the news. Jennie Shortridge was inspired by the true life story of a Vietnam Veteran and his daughter who had been living in the woods for a number of years. The daughter was healthy and well-adjusted, home schooled by her father. They had lived in the wooded park for four years, living off the land. Shortridge's wonderings about their life began to spin together into what would become the novel When She Flew.
After completing When She Flew, I just had to know more about the real life father and daughter who had lived in Forest Park near Portland, if only to know they were okay. While Shortridge's story is very much her own, echoes of Frank and Ruth's story, the real life father and daughter pair, can be seen.
Ray is an Iraqi veteran, disabled and down on his luck. Unable to find work, Ray and his daughter, Lindy, take refuge in the forest of a park in Columbia, Oregon where they end up living for years. One fateful day as Lindy follows a heron, she wanders too far from home and a couple of bird watchers catch sight of her. Her quiet little world is suddenly upended.
Police Officer Jessica Villareal is one of the officers assigned to search the woods for the girl. Recent violent crimes against children have the police force on high alert. They fear for her safety and only want to ensure she is alright. Jess's interest in the girl is twofold, both as a cop and as a mother. She has always played by the rules, tried to do her best on the job and for her daughter. Approaching 40, divorced, and estranged from her daughter who has a child of her own, Jess is doubting herself, doubting the choices she has made throughout her life.
Jess and her colleagues are shocked at what they find in the forest. Ray and Lindy seem happy and strongly connected, and Jess soon realizes that separating them could be the worst thing that could happen to the pair. Her fellow officers and superior do not agree and Jess must make a choice: break up a family or risk her own career to stand up for what she believes is right?
It took me a few pages to warm up to Jess, and I think that is a testament to the author. Jess is the kind of person who does not know how to let people get close to her. On the job especially, she is the consummate professional. And yet underneath that tough exterior lies someone who is lonely and sad. Jess has had to wear a hard shell much of her life, both as a child and as a mother. In trying to protect her daughter she only alienated her more, creating a strain that Jess longed to heal but unsure how. She feels it even more now that she has a grandchild. Her relationship with her own mother is not an easy one and has not been since the death of her father, who died when Jess was a child.
I especially liked the voice of Lindy, the 13 year old girl who had been living in the forest with her father. She seemed so innocent and yet wise beyond her years. She is perceptive and smart. Her father encourages her and loves her, and it shows. It is through her eyes that the reader understands why Lindy and her father are living in the forest and just how strong the bond is between them. My heart ached at the thought of the two of them being separated.
Ray himself is a complicated character. He is a disabled war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His life has not been an easy one and he bears a lot of guilt. He clearly loves his daughter and wants to do right by her. What he thinks is right, however, may not be what others think is right.
Having read and enjoyed Love and Biology and the Center of the Universe, I looked forward to reading When She Flew. And Jennie Shortridge proves yet again that she has a talent for creating characters that are real in every way but flesh. They are flawed and vulnerable and yet strong and capable. I longed for a happy ending for all the characters, hoping they would find peace. I cared about each of them that much. And I truly hated to see the novel end. Days after finishing the book, I still wonder what Ray and Lindy are up to.
It's not just the characters themselves though that draw me to Shortridge's novels. She tackles the many sides of relationships, putting them under a microscope. The parent/child relationship is one we can all relate to in some way, each of us having parents, some of us having children. Jess's struggles with her own mother mirror those she has with her daughter in some respects. The anger and blame. The self-doubts. The events in the novel prove to be a turning point in their relationships, just as it is for Ray and Lindy. My only complaint is that I wish more time could have been spent on Jess and her daughter, especially near the end. The resolution to their story seemed to come too easily. Even so, that's minor compared to my enjoyment of the book overall.
On a more social scale, When She Flew brings into light the issue of the U.S. war veterans and homelessness as well as those with disabilities and mental health issues, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And what of homelessness of parents with children? Shortridge puts human faces to terms and labels we all hear so frequently in the media and our everyday lives.
When She Flew deals with heavy topics but Shortridge's writing is like sitting down with a friend for an afternoon meal. The story flows across the pages and I lost track of time as I read. The novel is both thought provoking and entertaining. I really cannot say which I like better. Love and Biology and the Center of the Universe or When She Flew. Both books are so different from one another.
Now to remember to set the book near my purse Monday morning so I'll remember to take it with me. I think this is one my boss will really like as well.
After completing When She Flew, I just had to know more about the real life father and daughter who had lived in Forest Park near Portland, if only to know they were okay. While Shortridge's story is very much her own, echoes of Frank and Ruth's story, the real life father and daughter pair, can be seen.
Ray is an Iraqi veteran, disabled and down on his luck. Unable to find work, Ray and his daughter, Lindy, take refuge in the forest of a park in Columbia, Oregon where they end up living for years. One fateful day as Lindy follows a heron, she wanders too far from home and a couple of bird watchers catch sight of her. Her quiet little world is suddenly upended.
Police Officer Jessica Villareal is one of the officers assigned to search the woods for the girl. Recent violent crimes against children have the police force on high alert. They fear for her safety and only want to ensure she is alright. Jess's interest in the girl is twofold, both as a cop and as a mother. She has always played by the rules, tried to do her best on the job and for her daughter. Approaching 40, divorced, and estranged from her daughter who has a child of her own, Jess is doubting herself, doubting the choices she has made throughout her life.
Jess and her colleagues are shocked at what they find in the forest. Ray and Lindy seem happy and strongly connected, and Jess soon realizes that separating them could be the worst thing that could happen to the pair. Her fellow officers and superior do not agree and Jess must make a choice: break up a family or risk her own career to stand up for what she believes is right?
It took me a few pages to warm up to Jess, and I think that is a testament to the author. Jess is the kind of person who does not know how to let people get close to her. On the job especially, she is the consummate professional. And yet underneath that tough exterior lies someone who is lonely and sad. Jess has had to wear a hard shell much of her life, both as a child and as a mother. In trying to protect her daughter she only alienated her more, creating a strain that Jess longed to heal but unsure how. She feels it even more now that she has a grandchild. Her relationship with her own mother is not an easy one and has not been since the death of her father, who died when Jess was a child.
I especially liked the voice of Lindy, the 13 year old girl who had been living in the forest with her father. She seemed so innocent and yet wise beyond her years. She is perceptive and smart. Her father encourages her and loves her, and it shows. It is through her eyes that the reader understands why Lindy and her father are living in the forest and just how strong the bond is between them. My heart ached at the thought of the two of them being separated.
Ray himself is a complicated character. He is a disabled war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His life has not been an easy one and he bears a lot of guilt. He clearly loves his daughter and wants to do right by her. What he thinks is right, however, may not be what others think is right.
Having read and enjoyed Love and Biology and the Center of the Universe, I looked forward to reading When She Flew. And Jennie Shortridge proves yet again that she has a talent for creating characters that are real in every way but flesh. They are flawed and vulnerable and yet strong and capable. I longed for a happy ending for all the characters, hoping they would find peace. I cared about each of them that much. And I truly hated to see the novel end. Days after finishing the book, I still wonder what Ray and Lindy are up to.
It's not just the characters themselves though that draw me to Shortridge's novels. She tackles the many sides of relationships, putting them under a microscope. The parent/child relationship is one we can all relate to in some way, each of us having parents, some of us having children. Jess's struggles with her own mother mirror those she has with her daughter in some respects. The anger and blame. The self-doubts. The events in the novel prove to be a turning point in their relationships, just as it is for Ray and Lindy. My only complaint is that I wish more time could have been spent on Jess and her daughter, especially near the end. The resolution to their story seemed to come too easily. Even so, that's minor compared to my enjoyment of the book overall.
On a more social scale, When She Flew brings into light the issue of the U.S. war veterans and homelessness as well as those with disabilities and mental health issues, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And what of homelessness of parents with children? Shortridge puts human faces to terms and labels we all hear so frequently in the media and our everyday lives.
When She Flew deals with heavy topics but Shortridge's writing is like sitting down with a friend for an afternoon meal. The story flows across the pages and I lost track of time as I read. The novel is both thought provoking and entertaining. I really cannot say which I like better. Love and Biology and the Center of the Universe or When She Flew. Both books are so different from one another.
Now to remember to set the book near my purse Monday morning so I'll remember to take it with me. I think this is one my boss will really like as well.
June 4, 2020
Ray is a veteran whose rescued his daughter from her drug abusing mother, but with his war injuries making it hard to get hired, and insufficient government aid, he has found alternate life for them out in the woods with a clean, well set up little homestead... except it’s not a traditional home and it’s on public land... and the daughter gets spotted alone out there. Enter the police.
I had a lot of frustrated feelings reading this. Occasionally it was for the writing, but mostly it was for the story itself, so good job to Jennie for writing something evocative. That said, I didn’t particularly enjoy the read because, again, frustration. Not that I’m all in for feel good books, my reading history clearly says not, but there were just so many layers of messed up and asinine in the set up to the whole situation.
I had a lot of frustrated feelings reading this. Occasionally it was for the writing, but mostly it was for the story itself, so good job to Jennie for writing something evocative. That said, I didn’t particularly enjoy the read because, again, frustration. Not that I’m all in for feel good books, my reading history clearly says not, but there were just so many layers of messed up and asinine in the set up to the whole situation.
February 23, 2020
Great book. Love this author!
March 20, 2020
I discovered this book randomly browsing the shelves at the Library, PNW author, so I gave it a try.
Based on fact, an incident that happened locally that I knew nothing about.
Based on fact, an incident that happened locally that I knew nothing about.
July 10, 2021
I almost gave it a 2 but since I was able to finish it I gave it a 3. Just not a very good book.
January 3, 2010
Jessica Villareal is a cop. She's also a mother but she considers herself a better cop than parent and whenever she talks to her daughter she's reminded of her motherly shortcomings. Regret has a big part in Jess's life. She regrets many things, but mostly the over-protectiveness of her daughter as a teenager that eventually pushed her to go live with Jess's ex-husband, taking her young grandson with her. She would give anything to go back and do things differently. But when you're a cop and you've seen the things Jess has seen, its easy to become obsessed with protecting your family.
WHEN SHE FLEW by Jennie Shortridge is a fictionalized story taken straight from actual events that asks the question What makes a good parent? Is good parenting determined by following societies interpretation of what acceptable parenting should be? Or is it a case by case basis taking individual circumstances into account? Is it illegal to go against the grain of society and do what you think is right for your child no matter what? And should you be persecuted for not conforming to 'normal' social practices?
These are the questions that Officer Villareal faces when she meets Lindy, a thirteen year old girl and her father, an Iraq war veteran who is down on his luck and living in the forests of Oregon. When Lindy is spotted near a wildlife preserve, and takes off running when she realizes she's been seen, fear for her safety becomes paramount. The police assemble an all out man hunt to find this supposed 'lost' child. What they find instead is a father and daughter living self sufficiently in the forest at a camp with sparse, but clean living conditions, a garden of fresh food and no evidence at all that the girl is being harmed in any way.
Things begin to get complicated when Jess learns more about Lindy's family life and disagrees with the actions of social services. As she gets to know Lindy and her father, she begins to understand the choices he's made. Her mothering instincts come out and at the same time she can't help reflecting on her relationship with her own daughter. Jess has always been a follow-the-rules kind of cop but she soon finds herself making decisions that could not only put her job in jeopardy, but also land her on the wrong side of the law.
Jennie Shortridge does an amazing job of telling this story in a way that unfolds beautifully and realistically while bringing to the forefront the different perceptions of the proper way to raise a child. It is told in alternating voices between Jess and Lindy, giving deep insight to each character. We learn that although Jess has made mistakes in her personal life, she is trying hard to make amends yet still stick to her principles. In Lindy, we discover a thriving, smart, teenager who, thanks to her father, appreciates the natural world around her. A girl who as she begins to mature is not naive to her circumstances. She realizes she has dreams of her own and that the situation with her father is unique. She is a young lady with a soul much older than her years, which in this case, is not necessarily a bad thing.
As soon as I started reading I knew I was going to enjoy this book. Between the interesting story and Shortridge's wonderful writing style, I was hooked. I'll be reading more from this author in the future.
WHEN SHE FLEW by Jennie Shortridge is a fictionalized story taken straight from actual events that asks the question What makes a good parent? Is good parenting determined by following societies interpretation of what acceptable parenting should be? Or is it a case by case basis taking individual circumstances into account? Is it illegal to go against the grain of society and do what you think is right for your child no matter what? And should you be persecuted for not conforming to 'normal' social practices?
These are the questions that Officer Villareal faces when she meets Lindy, a thirteen year old girl and her father, an Iraq war veteran who is down on his luck and living in the forests of Oregon. When Lindy is spotted near a wildlife preserve, and takes off running when she realizes she's been seen, fear for her safety becomes paramount. The police assemble an all out man hunt to find this supposed 'lost' child. What they find instead is a father and daughter living self sufficiently in the forest at a camp with sparse, but clean living conditions, a garden of fresh food and no evidence at all that the girl is being harmed in any way.
Things begin to get complicated when Jess learns more about Lindy's family life and disagrees with the actions of social services. As she gets to know Lindy and her father, she begins to understand the choices he's made. Her mothering instincts come out and at the same time she can't help reflecting on her relationship with her own daughter. Jess has always been a follow-the-rules kind of cop but she soon finds herself making decisions that could not only put her job in jeopardy, but also land her on the wrong side of the law.
Jennie Shortridge does an amazing job of telling this story in a way that unfolds beautifully and realistically while bringing to the forefront the different perceptions of the proper way to raise a child. It is told in alternating voices between Jess and Lindy, giving deep insight to each character. We learn that although Jess has made mistakes in her personal life, she is trying hard to make amends yet still stick to her principles. In Lindy, we discover a thriving, smart, teenager who, thanks to her father, appreciates the natural world around her. A girl who as she begins to mature is not naive to her circumstances. She realizes she has dreams of her own and that the situation with her father is unique. She is a young lady with a soul much older than her years, which in this case, is not necessarily a bad thing.
As soon as I started reading I knew I was going to enjoy this book. Between the interesting story and Shortridge's wonderful writing style, I was hooked. I'll be reading more from this author in the future.
May 30, 2010
I will admit to being a little nervous when my friend Mary gave be the book When She Flew, by Jennie Shortridge. Shortridge is a childhood friend of hers, and as a result I started worrying about what I would write here if I didn't like the book. (It never occurred to me not to write a review...guess I'm a book blogger for real now!) Thankfully I enjoyed the book, and am therefore let off the hook of having to write a negative review of a friend (which is what it would have felt like!).
When She Flew is the story of Jess and Lindy. Jess is a police-officer, a single mom of a single mom-her daughter had a baby at 16 and left home to live with her father. Lindy is the 13 year-old daughter of an Iraq war vet. She and her dad have been living "off the grid" in the Oregon wilderness. When a birdwatcher catches sight of Lindy and reports a child in danger to the police, Jess and Lindy's worlds meet with jarring consequences.
In terms of story, this book reminded me a little bit of Jodi Picoult Light, and I mean that as a compliment. It's the kind of story that Jodi Picoult likes to tell-one about family and love and society and redemption. However, Shortridge's book is heavier on the personal and lighter on the political than a Picoult book is. The story is simple without being simplistic, an easy read that still provides depth and substance. It highlights one of the most current of current-events, the Iraq war and its repercussions, in a way that isn't preachy or jingoistic, just honest.
My only criticism is that Jess's character seemed so guilt-ridden over her choices as a mother. Her daughter, enraged by her mother for kicking her father out when she was 10 or so, becomes combative, finally removing herself mostly from Jess's life when she gets pregnant. Throughout the book Jess expresses remorse again and again for putting her career before her daughter, but nothing about the way that their life is described makes me think she was an absent mother. I think that too often working women are portrayed in media, and made to feel guilty for, having a career and interests outside of child-rearing. We are all supposed to be horribly conflicted and feel guilty the whole time we are away, living only for the moment we can be with our precious child again. While I'm sure that is the experience of some women, there are also plenty of women who see their career as an important part of their identity, and who don't feel as though they have to sacrifice everything about themselves to say they are a good mom. Balance is possible. I understand why Shortridge wrote Jess that way-she needed a plausible motivation for her actions in the story. I just wish some other mechanism could have been found to make that happen.
But, as my friend Mary will tell you, I tend to over-analyze anything remotely feminist in nature. Mary, if you're reading this, I'm sure you are shaking your head and chuckling that I manage to find something political in such a simple, personal story. Well, you know me...I love nothing more than a good debate! Regardless of how I feel about Jess's motivation in the story, this book is an enjoyable, poignant read.
When She Flew is the story of Jess and Lindy. Jess is a police-officer, a single mom of a single mom-her daughter had a baby at 16 and left home to live with her father. Lindy is the 13 year-old daughter of an Iraq war vet. She and her dad have been living "off the grid" in the Oregon wilderness. When a birdwatcher catches sight of Lindy and reports a child in danger to the police, Jess and Lindy's worlds meet with jarring consequences.
In terms of story, this book reminded me a little bit of Jodi Picoult Light, and I mean that as a compliment. It's the kind of story that Jodi Picoult likes to tell-one about family and love and society and redemption. However, Shortridge's book is heavier on the personal and lighter on the political than a Picoult book is. The story is simple without being simplistic, an easy read that still provides depth and substance. It highlights one of the most current of current-events, the Iraq war and its repercussions, in a way that isn't preachy or jingoistic, just honest.
My only criticism is that Jess's character seemed so guilt-ridden over her choices as a mother. Her daughter, enraged by her mother for kicking her father out when she was 10 or so, becomes combative, finally removing herself mostly from Jess's life when she gets pregnant. Throughout the book Jess expresses remorse again and again for putting her career before her daughter, but nothing about the way that their life is described makes me think she was an absent mother. I think that too often working women are portrayed in media, and made to feel guilty for, having a career and interests outside of child-rearing. We are all supposed to be horribly conflicted and feel guilty the whole time we are away, living only for the moment we can be with our precious child again. While I'm sure that is the experience of some women, there are also plenty of women who see their career as an important part of their identity, and who don't feel as though they have to sacrifice everything about themselves to say they are a good mom. Balance is possible. I understand why Shortridge wrote Jess that way-she needed a plausible motivation for her actions in the story. I just wish some other mechanism could have been found to make that happen.
But, as my friend Mary will tell you, I tend to over-analyze anything remotely feminist in nature. Mary, if you're reading this, I'm sure you are shaking your head and chuckling that I manage to find something political in such a simple, personal story. Well, you know me...I love nothing more than a good debate! Regardless of how I feel about Jess's motivation in the story, this book is an enjoyable, poignant read.
December 28, 2009
Jennie Shortridge's When She Flew is a beautifully written novel about pivotal decisions and their unexpected consequences. Told from the point of view of Officer Jessica Villareal and Melinda aka Lindy Wiggs, the novel shifts from the legal ramifications of Villareal's decision not to split up Melinda from her family and Melinda's experiences with her Iraq War veteran father, her drug addicted mother, and her new home. The novel is peppered with beautiful imagery and a number of passages with birds, which emphasize flight and escape.
"Pater keeps looking out the windows, walking from on to the other, hitching up his pants. he reminds me of a finch, all nervous and fidgety, eyes darting this way and that." (Page 255)
Lindy's narration focuses mainly on the love of the forest in which she lives, of her father, and even of her mother whom she left behind, but there are glimpses into the terrible events of her life under the guardianship of her mother while her father served his country. She misses her mother, but for the most part there is a sense of contentment until one day she follows a blue heron too far.
"The central library was my favorite building. It's like going to a palace full of books. I feel like a princess or an important person when I walk up the steps toward that huge brick building with its pretty windows and a roof that looks like a steeple, and go inside the tall oak doors, and the man in uniform smiles and says, 'Good afternoon.' I feel even more like royalty when we glide across the shiny stone floor. Everything is so elegant that I want to just stand and look but Pater always says to hurry along." (Page 14)
Officer Villareal is a mother who hasn't exactly lived up to her own expectations as an officer or as a mother, but she copes with her circumstances by working and burying herself in memories of her daughter Nina, who escaped her mother's tight supervision to live with her father and raise her own son.
"The dirt dwellers she dealt with were like subterranean worms and bugs: drug dealers and pimps, abusive parents, gangsters and thieves. She had tried for years not to notice them when off duty, but she couldn't help it." (Page 5)
Shortridge's prose is gorgeous and immediate, sucking readers into the world she's created in the wilderness of Oregon and the small town outside the forest. When She Flew is about finding one's convictions to break the mold and follow the right path. It is about striving to be better and to find the freedom to grow. Shortridge's writing will blow readers away.
"Pater keeps looking out the windows, walking from on to the other, hitching up his pants. he reminds me of a finch, all nervous and fidgety, eyes darting this way and that." (Page 255)
Lindy's narration focuses mainly on the love of the forest in which she lives, of her father, and even of her mother whom she left behind, but there are glimpses into the terrible events of her life under the guardianship of her mother while her father served his country. She misses her mother, but for the most part there is a sense of contentment until one day she follows a blue heron too far.
"The central library was my favorite building. It's like going to a palace full of books. I feel like a princess or an important person when I walk up the steps toward that huge brick building with its pretty windows and a roof that looks like a steeple, and go inside the tall oak doors, and the man in uniform smiles and says, 'Good afternoon.' I feel even more like royalty when we glide across the shiny stone floor. Everything is so elegant that I want to just stand and look but Pater always says to hurry along." (Page 14)
Officer Villareal is a mother who hasn't exactly lived up to her own expectations as an officer or as a mother, but she copes with her circumstances by working and burying herself in memories of her daughter Nina, who escaped her mother's tight supervision to live with her father and raise her own son.
"The dirt dwellers she dealt with were like subterranean worms and bugs: drug dealers and pimps, abusive parents, gangsters and thieves. She had tried for years not to notice them when off duty, but she couldn't help it." (Page 5)
Shortridge's prose is gorgeous and immediate, sucking readers into the world she's created in the wilderness of Oregon and the small town outside the forest. When She Flew is about finding one's convictions to break the mold and follow the right path. It is about striving to be better and to find the freedom to grow. Shortridge's writing will blow readers away.
December 28, 2009
The Short of It:
When She Flew is a gem of a little book. This story gently unfolds into a beautiful thing.
The Rest of It:
This is one of those stories that flows effortlessly. From the moment I picked it up, I knew it was going to be one of those books. As I was reading about Jessica and her relationship with her own daughter, I was struck with how realistically her life was drawn. The life of a cop, a female cop no less…the need to maintain a game face at all times, the pressure to hold it all together, it all rings true. Women struggle to be everything, to everyone and sometimes fail in the process. Jess isn’t perfect, and we see her flaws but she is an easy character to relate to. I appreciated the fact that Jess was strong, but flawed. It made her more human.
As she deals with Ray and Lindy, the ‘forest people’ trying desperately to make a life of their own on what little they have, we see what happens when oil and water meet. Jess has ideas of what a good parent is and she berates herself daily, over the mistakes she has made with her own daughter. However, when she sees the fierce love that Ray has for Lindy, she begins to realize that there may be more than one way to be a good parent. That providing the basics such as food and shelter is just a part of what being a parent is.
The story is told with alternating points of view, one of which being Lindy’s. Lindy is a delicate bird. At the age of thirteen, she is becoming a young lady and has learned to appreciate all she has. Taken from an abusive mother, her father sheltered her from society, yet raised her to be self-sufficient, to live off the land. She is educated and wiser than her years but she is anything but fragile. Like a bird, she is ready to take flight but possesses a sensibility that most young girls do not possess at this age.
Ray, Lindy’s father, is an Iraq war vet battling post-traumatic stress. He lives on a very small income and creates a sanctuary for Lindy out in the middle of the forest. Shortridge takes great care with Ray. As a reader, you cannot judge Ray. He’s troubled but makes the best decisions he can for the sake of his daughter. I was touched by his tenderness.
While I was reading the book, there was a small part of me expecting a very pat ending. I am happy to report that this is not the case. Shortridge crafts a beautiful story with well-developed characters. When I finished reading it, I felt the weight of it, and lingered in its warmth for a bit.
When She Flew is a gem of a little book. This story gently unfolds into a beautiful thing.
The Rest of It:
This is one of those stories that flows effortlessly. From the moment I picked it up, I knew it was going to be one of those books. As I was reading about Jessica and her relationship with her own daughter, I was struck with how realistically her life was drawn. The life of a cop, a female cop no less…the need to maintain a game face at all times, the pressure to hold it all together, it all rings true. Women struggle to be everything, to everyone and sometimes fail in the process. Jess isn’t perfect, and we see her flaws but she is an easy character to relate to. I appreciated the fact that Jess was strong, but flawed. It made her more human.
As she deals with Ray and Lindy, the ‘forest people’ trying desperately to make a life of their own on what little they have, we see what happens when oil and water meet. Jess has ideas of what a good parent is and she berates herself daily, over the mistakes she has made with her own daughter. However, when she sees the fierce love that Ray has for Lindy, she begins to realize that there may be more than one way to be a good parent. That providing the basics such as food and shelter is just a part of what being a parent is.
The story is told with alternating points of view, one of which being Lindy’s. Lindy is a delicate bird. At the age of thirteen, she is becoming a young lady and has learned to appreciate all she has. Taken from an abusive mother, her father sheltered her from society, yet raised her to be self-sufficient, to live off the land. She is educated and wiser than her years but she is anything but fragile. Like a bird, she is ready to take flight but possesses a sensibility that most young girls do not possess at this age.
Ray, Lindy’s father, is an Iraq war vet battling post-traumatic stress. He lives on a very small income and creates a sanctuary for Lindy out in the middle of the forest. Shortridge takes great care with Ray. As a reader, you cannot judge Ray. He’s troubled but makes the best decisions he can for the sake of his daughter. I was touched by his tenderness.
While I was reading the book, there was a small part of me expecting a very pat ending. I am happy to report that this is not the case. Shortridge crafts a beautiful story with well-developed characters. When I finished reading it, I felt the weight of it, and lingered in its warmth for a bit.
April 1, 2012
Actual events inspired Jennie Shortridge's fourth novel and provide the base for a moving and suspenseful story that explores family relationships, moral choices, and social responsibility.
Police officer Jess Villareal's dedication to her job is one of the factors in her strained relationship with her daughter Nina, and her relationship issues sometimes influence how she does her job. When her department forms a team to look for a young girl spotted in the woods - possibly a runaway, possibly kidnapped - Jess' maternal instincts drive her to ask for the assignment. They do find the girl, Lindy, along with her father, Ray; they've been living on their own in the woods for months, ever since Ray returned from military service in Iraq and took Lindy away from her meth-addicted mother, leaving Colorado for a promised job in Oregon. The job falls through due to Ray's physical and psychological injuries, leaving him and his daughter homeless and getting by on $400 per month from the VA.
Although Lindy seems to be well-cared-for, considering the circumstances, the police team has to consider their social and legal obligation, which requires getting the social-services system involved. Jess doesn't agree that separating father and daughter is the right thing to do, and while she states her agreement with the team decision, she feels compelled to act differently. She's well aware that following that compulsion could jeopardize her career, but doesn't have a sense of how it might affect the rest of her life as well.
The characters and circumstances of Lindy and Ray were inspired by a Vietnam vet and his young daughter found living in a forest park near Portland in 2004. Jennie Shortridge explores what their lives might have been like through chapters in Lindy's own first-person perspective, which alternate with third-person narration centered on Jess. I thought that the presentation of a complex situation from the two viewpoints was particularly effective, and the anxiety that situation provoked kept me eagerly reading, but it was the characters themselves that really made it work for me. I felt for Lindy - a strangely sheltered child in some ways, mature well beyond her years in others - but I really cared about Jess. She's a self-doubting, hard-working single parent who takes a lot to heart, and while I may have questioned her choices, I really wanted things to work out for her.
When She Flew was a fast read, but not a particularly light one; by way of its compelling characters, it touches on some important questions.
Police officer Jess Villareal's dedication to her job is one of the factors in her strained relationship with her daughter Nina, and her relationship issues sometimes influence how she does her job. When her department forms a team to look for a young girl spotted in the woods - possibly a runaway, possibly kidnapped - Jess' maternal instincts drive her to ask for the assignment. They do find the girl, Lindy, along with her father, Ray; they've been living on their own in the woods for months, ever since Ray returned from military service in Iraq and took Lindy away from her meth-addicted mother, leaving Colorado for a promised job in Oregon. The job falls through due to Ray's physical and psychological injuries, leaving him and his daughter homeless and getting by on $400 per month from the VA.
Although Lindy seems to be well-cared-for, considering the circumstances, the police team has to consider their social and legal obligation, which requires getting the social-services system involved. Jess doesn't agree that separating father and daughter is the right thing to do, and while she states her agreement with the team decision, she feels compelled to act differently. She's well aware that following that compulsion could jeopardize her career, but doesn't have a sense of how it might affect the rest of her life as well.
The characters and circumstances of Lindy and Ray were inspired by a Vietnam vet and his young daughter found living in a forest park near Portland in 2004. Jennie Shortridge explores what their lives might have been like through chapters in Lindy's own first-person perspective, which alternate with third-person narration centered on Jess. I thought that the presentation of a complex situation from the two viewpoints was particularly effective, and the anxiety that situation provoked kept me eagerly reading, but it was the characters themselves that really made it work for me. I felt for Lindy - a strangely sheltered child in some ways, mature well beyond her years in others - but I really cared about Jess. She's a self-doubting, hard-working single parent who takes a lot to heart, and while I may have questioned her choices, I really wanted things to work out for her.
When She Flew was a fast read, but not a particularly light one; by way of its compelling characters, it touches on some important questions.
February 22, 2010
When She Flew is a story of a somewhat emotionally broken police officer who discovers a little girl, Lindy, who has been living in the woods with her Iraq-veteran father for several years. Upon discovering the small, transient family, Officer Villareal has to decide whether to tear them apart for the sake of "following the rules" or defy her superiors and the regulations of the state in order to keep the girl with her father. When She Flew tells dual tales: that of Officer Villareal as she copes with the outcome of the choice that she made and Lindy and her father as they try desperately to stay together amidst media scrutiny and the suspicion of the rest of the world.
The beginning of this book was a bit slow and drawn out, but around the middle of the book the action begins to pick up and the story gets more interesting. Much of the plot is predictable; there are no real surprises or twists. But the story is enjoyable and the subject matter is rather interesting. The book does a good job of exploring social norms and raising the question as to whether such norms are necessarily "right." The circumstances of Lindy and her father certainly raise interesting issues regarding the child welfare system in this country and whether it may do more harm than good in certain situations. When She Flew would be an excellent choice for reading groups who are seeking a spirited and stimulating discussion/debate.
Overall, When She Flew was an interesting and fairly well-written novel. It was a quick read after the first few chapters and it raises thought-provoking issues. I would recommend this book for those who like contemporary fiction (although the author was inspired by true events, which is even more interesting) and especially for reading groups who like a lively discussion.
The beginning of this book was a bit slow and drawn out, but around the middle of the book the action begins to pick up and the story gets more interesting. Much of the plot is predictable; there are no real surprises or twists. But the story is enjoyable and the subject matter is rather interesting. The book does a good job of exploring social norms and raising the question as to whether such norms are necessarily "right." The circumstances of Lindy and her father certainly raise interesting issues regarding the child welfare system in this country and whether it may do more harm than good in certain situations. When She Flew would be an excellent choice for reading groups who are seeking a spirited and stimulating discussion/debate.
Overall, When She Flew was an interesting and fairly well-written novel. It was a quick read after the first few chapters and it raises thought-provoking issues. I would recommend this book for those who like contemporary fiction (although the author was inspired by true events, which is even more interesting) and especially for reading groups who like a lively discussion.
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