Birds in the Air

Having moved to the little community of Sweet Anne’s Gap with her family, Emma Byrd tries to settle in. Her husband and kids are having a much easier time of it than she is with an exciting new job and new school friends to occupy their time. Emma’s first attempt at meeting a neighbor resulted in having a door slammed in her face. Some members a local quilting group take pity on Emma and welcome her into their fold, teaching her new quilting skills. It’s not long before Emma is offered the chance to organize the quilt show that will celebrate the town’s 100th birthday. Emma may be thrilled, but there are a few long time residents who aren’t too happy about a newcomer taking on a role that rightly should belong to them. AS an elementary school librarian, I have read and enjoyed Dowell’s children’s book and was eager to read her first foray into adult fiction. Birds in the Air is just as delightful, a book about real people with real problems, emotions and solutions

Lovely novel with wonderful descriptions of quilt patterns and quilters. Mainly, it's a novel about trying to fit in, no matter one's age or past life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Milton Falls Media, Inc for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. This title is really delightful. A woman moves to the mountains of North Carolina (an area I love.) Through the course of events, Emma starts to quilt, leading to a series of events. I liked this book a lot.

How original! I loved this story w/ the quilting theme. Absolutely loved it. Looking forward to reading more of this authors work.

This is a great feel good novel. You really felt like Emma could be you. For a first quilting novel in her repertoire, Frances has done a fantastic job. I really wished the story didn't end and I hope it will have a book two, to follow.

Emma and her family moved to a smaller town to follow her dreams of buying her dream home in a small town and and to write a novel, whilst spending time with her family.

An old house, trunks in the attic, a new neighbour who has a secret and an old quilt. A trip to the local quilt store with the quilt to find some information, and of course Rurh convinces Emma to learn to quilt. She is hooked, but unsure of her skills after attending the local quilt meeting.
The vintage quilt is returned to the original owner's relative, who is a not so nice person, and then the lical Pastor ropes Emma into working with her on a quilt exhibition for vintage quilts,
Many ups and downs, new friends, new enemies and quilt teaching ensues.
As the story develops I really feel that Emma could be anyone of us after a move to a new town and trying to find our way in the community.
I really commed Francis for moving outside the square - of her writing genre - she certainly has shown she can write adult novels as well as children's. Looking forward to the next chapter in Emma's life of quilting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It's very lighthearted (with the usual small town drama thrown in) and it's an easy read.
I know nothing about quilting- never thought I would enjoy something I literally know nothing about- but the writer did an excellent job of teaching the reader about quilting while still making this a book about people.
I love the secret trunk in the attic and that feeling of moving to a new town was captured seamlessly.
The former drug addict neighbour was a pleasant surprise as I felt the author did a good job in her quest to break down barriers and prejudices.
All in all- a very good read!

Charming and delightful "quilt" story that was relatable and fun. What a great book!

I found the book to be a nice read. The setting and characters were all likable and familiar to anyone from the southeast U.S. This would be a good book for reading group discussions, as it touches on serious topics, (though with an unoffensive, light hand). Overall it was an enjoyable "cozy" read that would appeal to many female readers.

An urban family moves to a rural, close knit mountain town and tries to fit in and be accepted. The mother is rather introverted which doesn't help matters. She finds some old trunks in her Victorian homes attic and within one is a very old quilt. The quilt starts the whole ball rolling as far as the story is concerned. It is taken to the local quilting shop and analyzed as to its age and pattern. The quiltshop owner is quite gifted at her job, and the mother leaves with quilting materials and soon she is hooked. She attends a quilting meeting there where she meets many of the towns oddball characters, including a woman who says the antique quilt was stolen from her family.. There is a neighbor next to the Victorian house with an ancient granny, a daughter who appears to have been on drugs and up to no good and then her daughter , a nurse. The drug addicted daughter plays a large part in the story as well as a quilting show that the mother becomes involved in as a publicist. As is the way of life things never go smooth , but it makes for a cute benign entertaining tale.

When I selected BIRDS IN THE AIR as my next read, it was because the book's press had
promoted it as a warm, a humorous books about discovering the world of quilting and fitting into a new community. Naturally this wanna-be quilter was attracted, especially when I saw recommendations from a favorite television quilter. It was not until I was almost done with the book that I really looked at the author blurb (Sorry, Frances) and realized Frances O'Roark Dowell is a children/tween author, most widely known for her books DOVEY COE, THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF GIRLS, and CHICKEN BOYS -- all books I "booktalked" and promoted when I was a school librarian. So it should be no surprise that this awarding winning queen of exploring the ins and outs of friendships and not fitting in for the tween reader would see fertile ground for exploring the same themes in an adult book.

Emma Byrd, her husband and their two children have just moved to Sweet Anne's Gap, a small mountain town. Excited to have escaped the stressful pace of suburbia, Emma is sure she will be able to start writing her long-awaited novel --except she has no idea what to write. As the children attempt to settle into school, 10 year old Sarah experiences the pains of being the new girl with no friends. When the queen bee of her grade receives word from her mom that she should have nothing to do with Sarah (reason for this is part of the novel's small town plot so I won't spoil it), it appears the quiet newcomer will remain on the outside for a long, long time. As Emma considers how to help her daughter, she experiences her own immersion into small town culture. A next door neighbor, obviously a recluse, closes the door on Emma, but the lady's granddaughter shows up at Emma's soon after and encourages Emma to explore the old trunks hidden in the attic. There they find a fragile quilt and a mysterious photo of a young woman. A trip to the quilt store helps Emma identify the quilt's age and pattern (civil war BIRDS IN THE AIR), but more than that, the trip brings about Emma's own attempt to quilt and an avenue to meet new people. But all is not smooth. Not everyone is ready to accept a newbie, especially someone who just might consider herself better than the mountain folk that surround Sweet Anne's Gap, and who just might be in possession of a valuable, stolen quilt!

The book was a really fast, entertaining read. It was not until I started to write this review that I realized that there is a lot to think about in the themes of the book. I commend O'Roark Dowell for entering the world of adult fiction and I felt laid the ground work for this story to continue in more books. That said, I still wish this book had been a bit longer with more character development and depth. I got the feeling that Emma was "colored in" but other characters never moved much beyond the pencil outline of who they were and how they affected the story. I want to visit this town again, hear more of their stories, and perhaps watch Emma finally write her novel. There are so many colors and layers the author could bring to Sweet Anne's Gap. I received an e-copy of this title from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

I enjoy this book, had bit of everything in it - laughter, mystery, sadness and quilting. It is not a book I would generally read but I found it followed well, the characters where well drawn and I was pulled into the book and the stories of all the people in book.

Emma, along with her husband and two children move to a more rural area especially attractive due to finding the house of her dreams - with gables! This is really the story of Emma trying to fit in as a newcomer to a town where everyone knows everyone else and has done for generations.
Purely by chance, quilting is the vessel to acceptance strange as it may seem although the road isn't smooth.

This was a wonderfully warm, exceptionally well-written novel and I couldn't believe it when I noted I was almost finished it. A really good read to immerse yourself in - and learn some things you never thought of before. A terrific read.

Birds in the Air by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a wonderful story. I loved the book from the first page to the last page. The book involves a woman whose family moves to a small town in the mountains. Her husband and daughter settle in quickly with job and school, but Emma needs something to do. Finding an old quilt in an attic trunk is the catalyst for searching out the local quilt shop. She is not a quilter to start with, but that quickly changes. Through a series of events, she ends up learning to quilt as well as becoming the publicist for the local guild's quilt show. Some of the members do not agree that an outside should have such an important role. Conflict with another guild member creates a disaster for the quilt show, and help comes from an unlikely source. The story is interesting and told in an easy to read style, and I found it difficult to put down. I also like that Emma is happily married, as many of these series begin with a divorce so the woman can find her own way. I like that a married woman can also find her own way while having a family and a committed relationship.

There are several reasons I loved this book.

First, the characters. The characters are realistic and true to life. Second, I could related to the life styles characterized by several of the characters. Third, I like how Frances uses quilting terms through out the book. Fourth, I like that the author brought the conflict of "quilt divas" to the story which brings to like the quilting industry that not everyone is kind at all times. The author brings past quilting history and highlights how functions in a community both in the past and in current times. I love how the author makes community building such a central theme in the story. Lastly, fifth, the authors deals with quilting controversy within the story and it makes the story appear that much more realistic.

I received this book from Milton Falls Media, Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review