One needs only to read the first paragraph of Leaning on Air by Cheryl Grey Bostrom to know that Bostrom is a naturalist. She is also a photographer, and the way she starts the story developed a picture in my mind immediately. The first paragraph follows here:
“Above the pond, a cloud of gnats shimmered in the June morning as a [Canada] goose rousted her brood through reeds of yellow iris toward a floating gander. On the opposite shore, Celia Burke leaned against a fat alder tree and watched the goose family cross the pond like a giant centipede.”
When I requested Leaning on Air from BookTrib, I must have overlooked that the book is a sequel to Sugar Birds. I will say, though, I found Leaning on Air well able to stand on its own. It will be intriguing to go back and read Sugar Birds to see if I missed something in the sequel.
Leaning on Air is a complex story of love, loss, hope, and redemption. That is not a trite description. The story truly is multi-layered. Bostrom’s addition of the natural world adds another dimension to the story too.
I don’t know much about the Pacific Northwest. It becomes as much a character in the story as the humans. I appreciated Bostrom’s descriptions of wildlife and terrain. For book clubs, Leaning on Air will provide a lively discussion centering on love and loss. Members will also discuss Burnaby’s autism and how it plays into the relationship between him and Celia. Bostrom also includes book club questions at the end of the book, something as a book club leader I am always delighted to find.
Parkdalear's Blog 