Flying With A Broken Wing
written by Laura Best
young adult

Flying With a Broken Wing evokes many emotions as the reader enters the world of Cammie Deveau, a young girl with more than her fair share of disadvantages.

Cammie Deveau is a dreamer. She dreams about a better life, one where she has a mom and a dad. She dreams about having pretty clothes and a nice house. She dreams about going to school. But most of all, she dreams about being able to see better. It’s her dreams that get her through the tough stuff, like living with her flamboyant, bootlegging aunt and being the subject of gossip in town.

“A bird can´t fly with a broken wing, Cammie Deveau, no more than you can do the things the rest of us can,” Aunt Millie said, the day I asked why I couldn´t go to school like everyone else, and for the longest while I believed her.

Flying With A Broken Wing
  • Author: Laura Best
  • Ages: 10 – 14
  • Publisher: Nimbus Publishing (March 15, 2014)
  • Binding: Paperback, 216 pp.
  • ISBN-10: 1771080388
  • ISBN-13: 978-1771080385

One day she realizes that dreaming about things just isn’t enough. She has to take action. Cammie hears about a school for blind and visually impaired children like herself. She longs to attend this school but her aunt won’t let her go. She comes up with a clever plan to make it happen but things go terribly wrong. Will she have to be content with just dreaming about a better life?

This engaging story is set in rural Nova Scotia just after World War II. The descriptions are so well written, the reader is easily transported to the place and time. In Cammie Deveau, the author has created a memorable, spunky ten-year-old who dreams of a better life against all odds. Other quirky characters are sprinkled throughout the story, some hilarious, others sad and pathetic. With the clever use of dialogue that is both timely and local, this is a most enjoyable read that will keep you turning the pages as you root for Cammie. Can she have a good life even if she is flying with a broken wing?

Darlene Foster
Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also had a desire to write since she was twelve. Her short stories have won a number of awards. Learn more about Darlene!