The Sound of Wings

A Novel

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 03 May 2021 | Archive Date 30 Apr 2021

Talking about this book? Use #TheSoundofWings #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Now a USA TODAY BEST-SELLER, The Sound of Wings is a masterfully crafted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and the risks we take in the pursuit of justice.

Seventy-year-old Goldie Sparrows faces declining finances, questionable health, and a late husband who torments her from the beyond. She seeks refuge in her butterfly garden, which is filled with voices and memories from long ago.

Jocelyn Anderson is a struggling writer who finds escape from her custody battle in the journal of her late mother-in-law. As she gets pulled through the pages of time, Jocelyn discovers her own husband has a hidden history she knows nothing about. Is this secret now Jocelyn’s to keep?

Krystal Axelrod is living a life she never dreamed she could have. And yet the demons of a dysfunctional childhood and mean girl culture from her cheerleading days cast their shadow over her ability to feel whole, capable, and worthy. Does Goldie hold the key to Krystal’s path to freedom?
Now a USA TODAY BEST-SELLER, The Sound of Wings is a masterfully crafted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and the risks we take in the pursuit of justice.

Seventy-year-old Goldie Sparrows faces...

A Note From the Publisher

SUZANNE SIMONETTI grew up in the New York suburbs just outside of the city. After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus on her passion for crafting fiction. She lives on Cape May Harbor with her husband. When not on her paddle board or yoga mat, she can be found at the beach trailing the shoreline for seashells, scribbling in her notebook, and channeling dolphins for meaningful conversation.

SUZANNE SIMONETTI grew up in the New York suburbs just outside of the city. After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus...


Advance Praise

"Simonetti’s stirring novel excels at creating characters that are fully fleshed out and deeply committed to their artistic careers and their interpersonal relationships. The three principal characters are thoughtful and conscientious, and the deep dives into their thoughts and memories give sharp illustrations of their motivations and fears up to the touching conclusion.” 

Kirkus Reviews

“A story world so completely alive with the characters so real, I can feel them breathing behind me.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of With or Without You, Cruel Beautiful World, Is This Tomorrow, Pictures of You  

“Vividly written, with characters the reader will come to love as friends, The Sound of Wings is a compelling debut novel of great emotional depth. Highly recommended!" —Loretta Nyhan, author of The Other Family, Digging In, All the Good Parts 

"Gardens are home to many things--plants, winged visitors, secrets, and sorrows. In The Sound of Wings, Suzanne Simonetti weaves a story of memories that float on the garden air, of people who carry the past with them, who struggle with the pull of memories and the wish to move on from them. She has created a small-town life and a cast of characters that will stay with the reader long after the last page is read." —Patti Davis, author of The Earth Breaks in Colors, The Wrong Side of Night 

“A lyrical debut reminding us behind every polished exterior, there can be secrets and hidden truths. The women at the heart of this story transform as they battle demons from the ones existing in real life to the ones they carry within. Through the passages of time and self-discovery, they form an unlikely alliance bringing them to a place of healing and growth.” —Tammy Hetrick, author of Stella Rose 




"Simonetti’s stirring novel excels at creating characters that are fully fleshed out and deeply committed to their artistic careers and their interpersonal relationships. The three principal...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781647420444
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
PAGES 256

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)

Average rating from 16 members


Featured Reviews

The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonetti may have the reader planning a butterfly garden and watching for monarch butterflies in the next season. The story of three vastly different women who become unlikely friends is beautifully written.
Goldie Sparrows is experiencing some strange sensations in her seventy-year-old body which has her a bit worried. She lives alone in a Victorian townhouse located in Cape May. She is devoted to her pets and her art. Goldie has vivid memories of her beloved father-in-law Patrick and a huge secret about her deceased husband, Simon. She is experiencing some financial difficulties and must make sure her art studio becomes more profitable.
Joycelyn Anderson feels she is married to the most wonderful man who loves her, and Billy, her six-year-old son more than she could have believed. She wrote a successful first novel and is facing a deadline for the draft of the second book, but she is having a big problem. Since her son is spending the summer months with his father, Joycelyn cannot concentrate on the current book. She finds reasons to avoid the edits to her timeline and finishing the book. She seems obsessed with worrying about her son and makes some poor decisions that will cause distress for Bruce. One day Joycelyn is looking through the safe for the custody agreement for Billy and she finds an old notebook that had been written by Bruce's mother years ago. The journal will lead to the understanding of how lives can intersect in the most unlikely of ways.
Krystal Axelrod is a newly married voluptuous beauty with low self-esteem. She knows her wealthy husband loves her just as she is, but Krystal keeps remembering her neglectful and abusive mother when she was a child. She cannot forget her high school days of being bullied by the school mean girls. Abe has had a fabulous home built for her to enjoy and spares no expense to make sure she feels loved. Soon Krystal will meet two women who will become dear friends and help her understand she is a person of worth.
I really enjoyed this book which weaves the stories of the women and their husbands, past and present, into a story of lasting friendships.
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

What a great little weekend read! Suzanne Simonetti binds her reader to the characters with beautiful imagery and relatable story lines. Each character is carefully crafted to link their stories together in a meaningful way that the reader can appreciate. This book would be the perfect companion for a beach weekend, full of relatable characters, surprising twists, and a strong bond among women. Women of all ages would enjoy this quick weekend read. I would absolutely recommend it to a friend who was looking for an interesting read for a trip. This book reads easily, and I found myself picking it up in the nooks and crannies of my day to see what happened next. I’ll go a little deeper into the plot, but if you’re like me and hate knowing what’s to come, just know that it’s a good one and I give it my thumbs up.

The three characters are seemingly unrelated at the beginning of the novel, but their stories are beautifully woven together at the end, bound by love with (mostly) honorable men and their devotion to each other.

Jocelyne struggles with a custody battle over her beloved son. She is mostly challenged by her desire to be open with her new and wonderful husband but cowering from it, afraid of losing him. Finding a journal that belonged to her late mother-in-law offers her a friend from beyond the grave who knows how it feels to raise a son alone but with grace, humility, and love.

Krystal is a woman who comes from meager beginnings and an abusive childhood, forming her low self-esteem and lack of self-worth. Always shrinking into the background, accepting terrible treatment from so-called friends, and overcompensating with too much makeup and outlandish outfits, Krystal’s growth throughout the book is staggering. Her friendship with Jocelyne and Goldie fosters her confidence and allows her to experience the world from a new perspective, one filled with self-acceptance and love.

Goldie is a seventy-year-old woman who couldn’t have children of her own but fosters the younger characters in the book as if they were hers. Her ability to relate to the younger generation reflects her own confidence and the fact that she feels much younger than she is. Goldie chooses to do what is right, even if it is wrong, in the name of the Greater Good and for the benefit of the people she loves. She fosters Krystal into becoming a strong woman like herself and alters the trajectory of Krystal’s future.

This is truly a tale of how each woman has their own struggles but can find solace and companionship in each other. Each woman finds her own growth because of her relationships with true friends.

Grab a copy of this book, out May 4th 2021, and throw it in your bag to read on your next trip or waiting in line for your curbside pickup. It’s a good one. Enjoy!

Was this review helpful?

The characters in The Sound of Wings were so vivid and personable that they simply jumped off the page and into my heart.

They all had their flaws which only endeared them to me further. This is a story of love and family whether it is the family we choose or the one we were born into. Life, love, and finding joy where one can are the overriding themes and message here. In the times we're living in, it's a message that we can all use.

If you are a fan of women's fiction, of books that will make you love the characters and wish the book didn't end, then The Sound of Wings is for you.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

The Sound of Wings is a lyrical debut novel of hidden depths. Featuring 3 very different women who bond together over a whole host of problems and secrets. Goldie, Jocelyn and Krystal are sterling characters. They are full of wit, wisdom, caring and compassion in spite of the secrets and dysfunction in their pasts. The setting is Cape May, NJ which added an extra element of fun since I have lived in the area and am very familiar with many of the areas she mentions. Suzanne Simonetti has the ability to weave difficult thoughts and feelings into a beautifully told novel. It is one of the best I've read in a while and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for this gift of a story.

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful and haunting. This is a book I’ll be purchasing for my personal shelf. The characters were well developed and beautiful.

Was this review helpful?

Enjoyable book. Real characters with interesting lives and a few unexpected twists. Particularly loved Goldies personality. Well worth reading.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars.
At first, I was not taken with this story of three women, each dealing with a personal problem that I could not relate to. I didn’t really feel connected, but that changed as their pasts are divulged and their paths cross. I started to genuinely like these women and their stories became more interesting to me. In alternating chapters, their pasts unfold and what seems like unlikely friendships develop. We’re first introduced to Goldie, a seventy year widow, trying to manage her finances, her ceramic shop, while facing health issues as she comes to terms with her past secrets. Joyelyn is a writer who is struggling with her second novel, but that’s the least of her problems. Her ex husband is trying to get custody of their son. Krystal unable to let go of her insecurities from high school bullying and an abusive childhood, trying to find herself. There are a few good men here except for Goldie’s deceased cad of a husband. Goldie by far was my favorite character and I was most engaged in her story, but I came to like both Jocelyn and Krystal as they come into their own. There are secrets here, some divulged early on and I thought at one point, that I knew all of them . I was definitely wrong about that! There’s a twist I wasn’t expecting, and with some guilt I found myself saying “ Yes!”. It’s a quick read about the ways in which people are shaped by their pasts and how the beauty of friendship can be so healing. In spite of my slow initial connection, I was with these characters one hundred percent by the end, so definitely worth upping it to 4 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book from She Writes Press through NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

The Sound of Wings is a perfect book to start reading and be drawn into with-in a few pages. Goldie, Krystal & Jocelyn are women who immerge as relatable with flaws, I could not help but want them each to succeed in overcoming their life’s obstacles. The expression “Home is where the heart is” rings true for each of them as they work to develop friendships, navigate family and longings. My favorite character, quirky Goldie, who’s cherished garden, menagerie of animals, and hauntings of her deceased husband Simon won my heart as she developed her friendship with Krystal & Jocelyn. Patrick, Bruce and Abe were pillars to Goldie. Enjoyed reading.

Was this review helpful?

This is the perfect book to read in Spring time. The central figure in this wonderful book is gardening and what a garden and plants mean to us. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

This is such a intriguing book that captivated me from the start. I loved the way the author moved between present to past seamlessly with all her charcters. The charcters are richly drawn and each stands out on their own.. The setting and feature of a Butterfly garden is beautiful and meaningful. This is a pleasing read that stands out for the authors research and love of gardening. I highly recommend this book .

Was this review helpful?

LOVED IT. Can’t say that enough!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#thesoundofwings is written in a style I love, with storylines being told from multiple characters’ points of view. Krystal, Jocelyn, and Goldie don’t seem like likely friends when they first meet, but as they get to know each other, they find their ties run deep and form great friendships. Love and family are at the heart of it all.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader at #netgalleyarc #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer

Was this review helpful?

There are only 5 stars but I would give this book 10 if I could. I lived for 30 years in Cape May and Suzanne Simonetti captures the seaside resort perfectly. I can picture the lovely home built by Abe's construction business and Goldie's shop with her beautiful collection of sculpture. This story is about 3 women who have nothing in common but bond and become best friends. Joceyln is an author, married to AB with writer's block, now married to Abe and facing a custody battle with her ex. Krystal is living a dream life but worried about embarrassing her very rich husband. Goldie ties the three together, older and facing some health issues she has secrets about about her life and Abe's. Loved the interaction between the three women and their families. I think this is Ms. Simonetti's first book and can't wait to see her next story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

“The symbol of the sparrow reflects the self-worth we should feel for ourselves regardless of external factors. This energy and passion are embedded deep within our hearts, waiting to be awakened.”

Relationships and the roles women play take center stage in this beautifully crafted novel by Suzanne Simonetti. Set in the quaint seaside community of Cape May, women voice their insecurities as friends, wives, mothers, and artists as they navigate their personal journeys toward self determination and peace.

The women come from different backgrounds and from different ages and stages of life, yet find connections with each other, seeking and finding genuine warmth and support. Through that support, they find their confidence. They have all had their experiences with unhealthy relationships and are plagued with self doubt. As with most people, they are judged and also guilty of judging other people at a surface level. But as they look past perceptions, and as they allow themselves to be vulnerable, they are able to truly “see” each other. They let go of inner demons and uncertainties, value each other, and nurture real friendships.

Creativity is a release for these women, but only when able to give in to the process, find their voice, and let go of feelings of inadequacy and judgment. When they are able to let go, they flourish as artisans through writing, cooking, pottery, jewelry design, and gardening. Same as how they flourish in their relationships.

As a native of NJ and vacationing every summer in the Wildwood/Cape May area, I got so excited by all the references to the area. It felt like being in on a secret, knowing the places, backgrounds, and rituals associated with Cape May. An interesting note….It is one of the most haunted towns in America, so to have the characters haunted by their pasts and negative self-talk (and especially Goldie haunted by the ghost of her ex-husband) was quite fitting for the location.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: