Little Wing: A beautifully written, emotional and heartwarming story

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I think some individuals might be more concerned about their past than others. My husband lived decades before he felt compelled to find answers. In Little Wing, Nell is determined to find answers. Between the sprawl of London, suburban Essex, and the wild, unpredictable Outer Hebrides, three lives collide and interweave as questions are asked and secrets surface. What happened to Florence? Why is Dougie now so reluctant to return home? How can Nell make peace with the lies she's been told? I loved the characters in this book and I cared about them all. I also loved the sound of windswept and beautiful Harris in Scotland and was sorely tempted to jump on a plane and go there until I thought to look up the weather forecast which for this week in February is 7 straight days of rain, short days and highs of 7 degrees. Little Wing is a book that I know I will return to again, and one that I will recommend for a long time to come. Little Wing is told from the perspectives of three characters: Florence, who is sixteen and pregnant and has been banished to one of the remotest parts of the UK in 1969. And the parallel lives of Nell and Dougie in 2005. As the reader, we know that Florence, Nell and Dougie must be linked somehow; the result is incredibly emotive. I especially loved the moment Nell and Dougie’s lives connected, it made me smile so much.

Little Wing by Freya North | Waterstones Little Wing by Freya North | Waterstones

I enjoyed the characters and while it was hard to make out quite what was going on in the beginning, come the middle and end, I was able to relax into the different story lines. Learning about Flora and her journey was so beautiful and heartbreaking, her storyline was definitely my favorite. I really loved Gordon who is such a loving and caring father figure to Dougie. The ending really wrapped it up for me and warmed my heart. I was smiling to myself constantly with sheer happiness for our main characters. I adore books about ordinary people living extraordinary lives and Little Wing is liberally but sensitively strewn with characters full of longing and hope, despair and resilience, where the minutely observed detail of everyday life and relationships remind us how the little moments are the biggest part of our beings. In the 1960s, a pregnant 16-year-old is banished to one of the remotest parts of the UK. Years later, Nell and Dougie are both at critical moments in their lives when their paths cross. Between Camden, Colchester and the Outer Hebrides, the three storylines collide when secrets are uncovered and answers sought."I loved the difficulties Nell and Dougie face, the way the lives of the characters have such rich histories and how two very different worlds collide in the early 70s and then almost 40 years later. Harris and the Outer Hebrides is almost a character in it's own right. My dad lives in the highlands (one of the most stunning places I've ever been), so I can only imagine the rugged and harsh beauty of the most remote part of the UK. North gave such wonderful descriptions, I wanted to go immediately!

Little Wing by Freya North | Goodreads Little Wing by Freya North | Goodreads

This book, like so many of Freya’s other publications, is gently gripping. It wraps itself around your heart whilst you are reading it, endearing you to beautiful settings, loveable characters and unravelling secrets. It is quite simply a book from Freya’s heart and that is very clear throughout every chapter.As the past begins to close in on them both, they find themselves travelling to a remote village called Harris in the Outer Hebrides It has been over six years since I read one of Freya North’s books, and why oh why did I wait so long. They have always been firmly in the five star reads list and Little Wing is no exception to this. I’m so glad to have discovered Freya’s writing all over again. This is a story about self-discovery, belonging, love, loss, family, friendships, motherhood, strength, resilience and the courage to live with and accept the truth. North has crafted her characters so boldly, so intricately; endowed them with qualities so inherently human, you cannot help but take them into your heart. I cared for all of three. For Florence and her exile to a foreign place. For Nell and her heartbreaking search for the truth. And for Dougie and the scars that refuse to heal.

Little Wing: A beautifully written, emotional and - WHSmith Little Wing: A beautifully written, emotional and - WHSmith

Oh my gosh - what a blindsider of a read! Emotional, poignant, tender, and with descriptive prose to die for, this hit me with all the feels. I expected light and fluffy and got instead the most affecting, absorbing story of identity, belonging and second chances. And the clincher: the ruggedly beautiful setting of the Outer Hebrides. I drowned in it and savored every word. Don’t you just love it when characters in a book become to feel like friends or family? That is precisely what happened with the characters in Little Wing, Nell and Dougie especially. They just brought such warmth to me, and I wanted nothing but the best outcome for them both. It is not mawkish and syrupy at all but a book full of tenderness and grace as Nell embarks upon a personal journey in her hunt for a sense of belonging. The second timeline joins Nell and Dougie who are both in critical times of their lives. Nell's 'mother', Wendy, is in a nursing home suffering from advancing dementia, and her father is out of the picture. When Nell visits her mother, Wendy denies she ever had a daughter and thinks that Nell is someone called Florence.There are no ways to tell a story such as this than be realistic, down to earth and not whitewash things.