What it’s About:
Uncovering a long-lost family story is the only way to bring her grandmother peace.
Kieran Lucas's grandmother is slipping into dementia, and,
when her memory is gone, Kieran's last tie to the family she barely knows will
be lost forever. Worse, Granny Mac is being tormented by flashbacks of her
mother’s death and the loss of their home.
In 1931, Rosie McCauley's Smoky Mountains home is threatened
by the Tennessee Great Smokies Park Commission as they create a new national
park. But Rosie vows the only way they'll get her land is if they haul her out
in a pine box. When a compromise offers her and her disabled sister the
opportunity to stay for her lifetime, it seems too good to be true.
Ornithologist Benton Fuller arrives to conduct a bird survey
for the park and the two form a tenuous bond. But their friendship broadens a
rift between her and the other mountain folk who are suspicious of any
government connections. Then the discovery of an illegal still in the woods
near her cabin leads to a violent clash between sides that could destroy them
all.
Eighty-five years later, Kieran heads back to the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park to find answers to her great-grandmother's
mysterious death and bring peace to Granny Mac before it's too late. Park
Historian Zach Jensen may be the key to locating both the answers and a
precious family heirloom. But just as in the past, Kieran's needs clash with
government regulations. Will Zach block her from recovering what she needs and
solving this family mystery?
My Thoughts:
I anticipated reading When Stone Wings Fly, and it did
not disappoint. Karen Barnett brings us another wonderful book featuring the
National Parks. This time we find Rosie McCauley in the midst of the creation
of the Great Smoky Mountain’s National Park, with a threat to lose her land.
Benton Fuller, researching for the park system, discovers the place his heart
has longed for. Two generations later, Kieran Lucas wants more than anything to
bring the grandmother she’s longed for a peace in the midst of dementia. As she
searches for that peace, she finds Zach, a kind-hearted man troubled by his
past. Barnett set up a heart-wrenching, yet hopeful story in the midst of the
beautiful Smokies. Grandma Mac’s story weaves together this beautiful tale of determination
and love. Realistic, yet romantic, this story touches the heart in so many ways.
If you enjoy split-time, historical, or romance, I think you’ll enjoy When
Stone Wings Fly. I purchased a copy, and my opinions are my own.