I really enjoyed this book.

The setting: this author’s beautiful descriptions of Washington State's Palouse capture the imagination and will make you want to jump in the car and go have a look for yourself.

The story: rich relationships, love of nature, greed and fear, all merge in this interlaced plot. The author has skillfully woven a story of struggle, disappointment, redemption and renewal in unexpected places and through complex characters. Thought-provoking themes will have you pondering them long after you turn the last page.

Thank you to Tyndale and NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy.

“ Perhaps only a writer who also possesses the gifts and sensibilities of a poet, naturalist, and photographer can produce a novel equal in scope to the multi-award-winning Sugar Birds. In Leaning on Air, Cheryl Grey Bostrom weaves a compelling story of mystery and romance into an elegiac field guide to the magnificent natural world of the Palouse. Both unpredictable and plausible, this intricately layered tale soars like the red-tailed hawk at its heart. Bostrom paints her plot and characters in deft brush-strokes that beautifully capture the language of creation.”

I finished Leaning on Air last night, and WOW. I am speechless. The story grabbed me from the very first page and did not let go. I was mesmerized. In this unique, layered love story, two different personalities, one autistic and the other not, learn to relate after being separated by misunderstanding and loss. Deeply complete main and secondary characters fill this book, and their interactions reveal the understanding this author has of intimate relationships, it is SO SO good.
(Many thanks to Tyndale/Net Galley for the pre-publication copy.)

Wow. After the first book by this author, I didn’t think any story could top it, but I was wrong. Bostrom takes her writing to another level in Leaning on Air. A relational story of hope and new beginnings. Her best so far!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale for this early opportunity to read.
Jan Maria

I loved Cheryl Grey Bostrom’s first novel, the multiple prize-winning Sugar Birds. But Leaning on Air is at another level. I have never physically been to the Palouse region of Washington State, and had never heard of it, but after reading this book, it feels like my home away from home. I do understand rationally that the characters in this book are not actually real people, but Celia and Burn have become people I care about, think about, and even pray over.
This book is that good.
As a writer myself (non-fiction only) I found myself copying lines from the book that were simply too beautifully written to just read once or twice. This novel is like a fine painting you want to hang on the wall and look at over and over again.
This is a love story based on overcoming tragedy and, as in real life, what we end up with is the overwhelming power of love to conquer all opposition. The nuanced plot and its various twists and turns will have you urgently trying to resist turning the pages to see what happens, and then happy you didn’t, when you discover the marvelous resolutions that await the patient reader.
Without giving too much away, there are many breathtaking (literally, at one point I had to remind myself to breathe) scenes. Those involving a young child who expresses himself through his artwork are something you will cherish and never forget.
Cheryl Grey Bostrom made a major splash with Sugar Birds. I am predicting a tidal wave of love for Leaning on Air.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young couple overcomes obstacles to be together and then fall apart after a tragedy. There are blessings and hurdles in their restoration.