Publication
Ballantine Books, c2015.
Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Language of Flowers comes her much-anticipated new novel about young love, hard choices, and hope against all odds. For fourteen years, Letty Espinosa has worked three jobs around San Francisco to make ends meet while her mother raised her children�Alex, fifteen, and Luna, just six�in their tiny apartment on a forgotten spit of wetlands near the bay. But now Letty�s parents are returning to Mexico, and Letty must step up and become a mother for the first time in her life. Navigating this new terrain is challenging for Letty, especially as Luna desperately misses her grandparents and Alex, who is falling in love with a classmate, is unwilling to give his mother a chance. Letty comes up with a plan to help the family escape the dangerous neighborhood and heartbreaking injustice that have marked their lives, but one wrong move could jeopardize everything she�s worked for and her family�s fragile hopes for the future. Vanessa Diffenbaugh blends gorgeous prose with compelling themes of motherhood, undocumented immigration, and the American Dream in a powerful and prescient story about family. Praise for We Never Asked for Wings �Deftly blends family conflict with reassurance: Wings is like Parenthood with class and immigration issues added for gravitas.��People (Book of the Week) �This poignant story will stay in readers� hearts long after the last page. . . . Diffenbaugh weaves in the plight of undocumented immigrants to her tale of first- and second-generation Americans struggling to make their way in America. Moving without being maudlin, this story avoids the stereotypes in its stark portrayal of mothers who just want the best for their children.��RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) �Diffenbaugh is a storyteller of the highest order: her simple but poetic prose makes even this most classically American story sing with a special kind of vulnerable beauty.��Bustle �[A] gripping, heartfelt exploration of a mother�s love, resilience and redemption.��Family Circle �Satisfying storytelling . . . Diffenbaugh delivers a heartwarming journey that mixes redemption and optimistic insight [and] confirms her gift for creating shrewd, sympathetic charmers.��Kirkus Reviews.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Sometimes a story just grabs you, either for the plot or for the characters. In this one it was some of both, I loved the characters, their flaws, their hope and dreams, their struggles, but I also loved the plot. Young love, trying to become a mother for Letty, after a very long time when she let
I loved this author previous novels but I feel that this novel is more tightly structured, that she has definitely matured as a writer. She writes with a light touch on some serious issues. The struggle for immigrants, especially undocumented ones to learn the language and to survive speaking very English. The constant fear of deportation. The bullying and struggles young people who are at all different or have physical challenges have in schools in so called less than ideal areas.
Loved all the bird talk, Alex, his grandfather and the feathers. The tie that will forever bind the pair. A very good story that flows well. Curious to see what this author tackles next.
ARC from publisher.
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her parents raise her two children, Alex fifteen and Letty six. Loved Letty, her exuberance, her determination and her fun personality. Some of her antics had me laughing.I loved this author previous novels but I feel that this novel is more tightly structured, that she has definitely matured as a writer. She writes with a light touch on some serious issues. The struggle for immigrants, especially undocumented ones to learn the language and to survive speaking very English. The constant fear of deportation. The bullying and struggles young people who are at all different or have physical challenges have in schools in so called less than ideal areas.
Loved all the bird talk, Alex, his grandfather and the feathers. The tie that will forever bind the pair. A very good story that flows well. Curious to see what this author tackles next.
ARC from publisher.
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LibraryThing member cyncie
We Never Asked for Wings By Vanessa Diffenbaugh, is her second novel after the very popular and loved The Language of Flowers. This story was more difficult and not as easy to embrace, because it tackles some difficult and uncomfortable questions about the human toll involved in illegal
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immigration. The story centers around a young woman who has allowed her parents to take on the brunt of her parenting responsibilities while she works as a bartender and drinks too much. An abrupt change in circumstances when her parents return to Mexico, means she must step up and be responsible for her children, a teen boy, and six year old daughter, for the first time. There are major missteps, and harrowing experiences by the teens in the story, the teen's doctor father reappears as well as a new love interest for the main character. It's a thought-provoking novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member LoisB
[We Never Asked For Wings] is Vanessa Diffenbaugh's successor to [The Language of Flowers]. Like children, each novel is different in some ways, but alike in others. Both novels center on nature, but this time it's birds instead of flowers. Both stories deal with a strong sense of family when
[We Never Asked for Wings] tells the more familiar story of Mexican-American families, the problems of a young single mother, and children who grow up without the company of their father. While it lacked the strong emotional tug that I found in [The Language of Flowers], it was a great quick read.
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together and apart. [We Never Asked for Wings] tells the more familiar story of Mexican-American families, the problems of a young single mother, and children who grow up without the company of their father. While it lacked the strong emotional tug that I found in [The Language of Flowers], it was a great quick read.
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LibraryThing member Gingersnap000
We Never Asked for Wings is the second novel from Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of The Language of Flowers. This book is as compelling and emotional charged as her first.
The research in the migration of birds and immigration is well studied and makes a connection between the topics. As a thirteen
Ms. Diffenbaugh gives depth and warmth to the Espinosa Family and others of Mexican immigrants' plight to live the American Dream. Politicians can use their struggles to make us believe they should all be returned to Mexico but this book brings to light their struggles.
The research in the migration of birds and immigration is well studied and makes a connection between the topics. As a thirteen
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generation American, I can still related to the reasons individuals come into this country illegally. All of my ancestors beginning with those travelers on The Mayflower, came to America seeking a better way of life.Ms. Diffenbaugh gives depth and warmth to the Espinosa Family and others of Mexican immigrants' plight to live the American Dream. Politicians can use their struggles to make us believe they should all be returned to Mexico but this book brings to light their struggles.
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LibraryThing member astridnr
Vanessa Diffenbaugh has only written two novels, but she is already one of my favorite authors. We Never Asked for Wings is a moving story of family, relationships, and love. Letty, the protagonist, is a single mom, who needs to really step up to the plate when her parents move back to Mexico. She
Alex is in love with Yesenia, one of his classmates from his old school. She and her mom are illegal immigrants. Because Yesenia is being physically assaulted at her school, Alex hopes to enroll her in his new school so he can watch over her. This is when things begin to spin out of control for both Alex and Yesenia.
There are many references to birds and wings. Letty's father is an artist who works with feathers. He has imparted his extensive knowledge of birds and their migratory patterns to his grandson, Alex.
What I enjoyed about this novel and Diffenbaugh's last is the way in which her characters come to life. She writes about real people, people who are flawed and make mistakes, but are motivated by love. I enjoyed her portrayal of both men and women. Letty's friend Rick is a great character, as is Alex's dad, Wes. Both are supportive and compassionate men. Letty is the character that undergoes the greatest transformation and growth in the course of the novel. Alex is a beautiful young man with a huge heart. Each character is memorable in their own way and is shown to posses a certain virtue. Sara, Letty's oldest friend, is loyal. Carmen, Yesenia's mom, is fiercely protective. Little Luna is everything a little girl should be, fun-loving and full of life.
We Never Asked for Wings is definitely worth reading.
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has two children, Alex and Luna, and up to this point, Letty's mom has raised Letty's children while she has worked. Letty's family lives in a low income area in San Francisco along with many undocumented immigrants. Alex's father Wes lives nearby, but doesn't know of his son until Alex is fifteen and becomes curious about the father he has never known. Alex and Luna attend poorly funded schools. Letty manages to get her children enrolled in her old school in a much better district, initially lying about her address to do so. Alex is in love with Yesenia, one of his classmates from his old school. She and her mom are illegal immigrants. Because Yesenia is being physically assaulted at her school, Alex hopes to enroll her in his new school so he can watch over her. This is when things begin to spin out of control for both Alex and Yesenia.
There are many references to birds and wings. Letty's father is an artist who works with feathers. He has imparted his extensive knowledge of birds and their migratory patterns to his grandson, Alex.
What I enjoyed about this novel and Diffenbaugh's last is the way in which her characters come to life. She writes about real people, people who are flawed and make mistakes, but are motivated by love. I enjoyed her portrayal of both men and women. Letty's friend Rick is a great character, as is Alex's dad, Wes. Both are supportive and compassionate men. Letty is the character that undergoes the greatest transformation and growth in the course of the novel. Alex is a beautiful young man with a huge heart. Each character is memorable in their own way and is shown to posses a certain virtue. Sara, Letty's oldest friend, is loyal. Carmen, Yesenia's mom, is fiercely protective. Little Luna is everything a little girl should be, fun-loving and full of life.
We Never Asked for Wings is definitely worth reading.
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LibraryThing member Kimaoverstreet
The story of Letty, a child of Mexican immigrants, forced to step up and act as a responsible mother to her own children when her parents return to Mexico. Well written, with flawed but ultimately likable characters, the novel explores themes of economic inequality, immigration, motherhood, and
What I really liked: Great bird metaphors throughout; excellent research - I loved learning about birds, bar tending, immigration law, and TB research; the character of Alex and his coming of age story kept me riveted. I finished the novel in less than a day!
Why not five stars? A tad bit more coincidence than I would have liked- too many wealthy friends!
I challenged myself to write this first part of my review as if I were reviewing a book by a debut author, and to not hold it to impossibly high standards by comparing it to the much loved The Language of Flowers. But I liked this one almost as much and will definitely read anything else by Vanessa Diffenbaugh!
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families. What I really liked: Great bird metaphors throughout; excellent research - I loved learning about birds, bar tending, immigration law, and TB research; the character of Alex and his coming of age story kept me riveted. I finished the novel in less than a day!
Why not five stars? A tad bit more coincidence than I would have liked- too many wealthy friends!
I challenged myself to write this first part of my review as if I were reviewing a book by a debut author, and to not hold it to impossibly high standards by comparing it to the much loved The Language of Flowers. But I liked this one almost as much and will definitely read anything else by Vanessa Diffenbaugh!
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
I loved Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s first novel, The Language of Flowers. I went into We Never Asked for Wings hoping I would like it as much as I know the “sophomore slump” is common with new authors. Thankfully, it turned out I didn’t have anything to worry about.
The bulk of the story is about
I was really impressed with the author’s attention to detail. A lot of research was required for this novel on several seemingly unrelated subjects. Alex’s grandfather makes art with feathers and there is much information about feathers and birds. In addition, Alex is a star student obsessed with science so there is a lot of scientific information in this book that went completely over my head. That was okay though, it wasn’t necessary to understand Alex’s science project to understand his character. Finally, the complex immigration laws played a part in this book.
The best thing about We Never Asked for Wings is that it humanizes the plight of undocumented immigrants in this country. Of course the characters are fictional but they still serve as realistic examples of what is happening in real life. It’s important to know that there are all kinds of reasons that people are in this country without documentation and they shouldn’t all be judged as a group.
With this second outing, Diffenbaugh has proven that she can consistently write books with well-developed characters and compelling plots. I’m looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.
The bulk of the story is about
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Letty and her relationship with her children. When her mother moves back to Mexico, Letty is becoming a real mother to her kids for the first time. She struggles and she makes bad choices. The author does an excellent job of filling in her back story such that I felt like I understood her and rooted for her to overcome her shortcomings as a mother.I was really impressed with the author’s attention to detail. A lot of research was required for this novel on several seemingly unrelated subjects. Alex’s grandfather makes art with feathers and there is much information about feathers and birds. In addition, Alex is a star student obsessed with science so there is a lot of scientific information in this book that went completely over my head. That was okay though, it wasn’t necessary to understand Alex’s science project to understand his character. Finally, the complex immigration laws played a part in this book.
The best thing about We Never Asked for Wings is that it humanizes the plight of undocumented immigrants in this country. Of course the characters are fictional but they still serve as realistic examples of what is happening in real life. It’s important to know that there are all kinds of reasons that people are in this country without documentation and they shouldn’t all be judged as a group.
With this second outing, Diffenbaugh has proven that she can consistently write books with well-developed characters and compelling plots. I’m looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next.
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LibraryThing member Loried
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of We Never Asked for Wings. I enjoyed this book even more than the author's previous book. It's a unique book with real life characters and challenging situations. The main character isn't the most likable, but it was interesting to see how
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she adapted to her circumstances. The book raises all kinds of ethical questions and would be a great choice for book discussion groups. I highly recommend it to all readers; I couldn't put it down! Show Less
LibraryThing member c.archer
This is a moving story about being young and making mistakes. Even in those mistakes there is room for redemption and opportunities to fly. This is a lovely book that shows the tenacity of the human spirit and the power in second chances.
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Vanessa Diffenbaugh's debut novel, The Language of Flowers, was an impressive debut that captured my heart. We Never Asked For Wings is a similarly poignant and touching story.
We Never Asked for Wings is a story of redemption as Letty Epinosa picks up the mantle of motherhood when her parents
Meanwhile Alex is falling in love for the first time and Letty is terrified he will repeat her mistakes, sabotaging his dreams with a teenage pregnancy. Alex however is far more responsible than his mother gives him credit for, but in trying to help Ysenia, an undocumented immigrant, escape the bullying she experiences at school, he unwittingly puts both their futures in jeopardy.
We Never Asked For Wings explores social issues including single parenthood, educational inequality, poverty and immigration, and themes such as family, love, regrets and redemption. Birds and feathers are symbols of migration, patterns, hopes and dreams.
Sensitively and beautifully written, Diffenbaugh paints a vivid picture of a family struggling to overcome adversity and forge a stronger, united future in We Never Asked For Wings. This is a wonderfully engaging and affecting novel that tugs at the heartstrings.
We Never Asked for Wings is a story of redemption as Letty Epinosa picks up the mantle of motherhood when her parents
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decide to move back to Mexico. After years of benign neglect, she has to learn what it means to be a parent who is emotionally present in her children's lives while providing for them as best she can. Letty makes a lot of mistakes as she negotiates her new responsibilities but slowly she begins to find her feet, wanting the best life that she can possibly provide for her fifteen year old son, Alex, and her six year old daughter, Luna.Meanwhile Alex is falling in love for the first time and Letty is terrified he will repeat her mistakes, sabotaging his dreams with a teenage pregnancy. Alex however is far more responsible than his mother gives him credit for, but in trying to help Ysenia, an undocumented immigrant, escape the bullying she experiences at school, he unwittingly puts both their futures in jeopardy.
We Never Asked For Wings explores social issues including single parenthood, educational inequality, poverty and immigration, and themes such as family, love, regrets and redemption. Birds and feathers are symbols of migration, patterns, hopes and dreams.
Sensitively and beautifully written, Diffenbaugh paints a vivid picture of a family struggling to overcome adversity and forge a stronger, united future in We Never Asked For Wings. This is a wonderfully engaging and affecting novel that tugs at the heartstrings.
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LibraryThing member hollysing
The author of the beautiful book, The Language of Flowers, meticulously researched her second novel. Her work paid off. She explores poor Hispanic families trying to achieve the American Dream. From the get-go, Vanessa Diffenbaugh grabs our attention with this quote:
“…there are beautiful white
that live completely in flight.
They are born in the air,
must learn to fly before falling
and die also in their flying.
Maybe you have been born
Into such a life
With the bottom dropping out.”
From In Flight by Jennifer K Sweeney
Letty Espinosa struggles under less than hopeful circumstances to be a good mother. Her parents have suddenly left and she is alone, trying to raise her fifteen-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, both of whom miss their grandparents and need much nurturing. The family’s financial and emotional reserves are running dry. The characters struggle, they learn, they grow. They find the courage to grow wings and fly.
Readers will not be disappointed because we’ve been given an absorbing story. The prose is exquisite, the characters well-drawn and resilient. A truly inspired work of contemporary fiction.
Netgalley provided my advance copy for my unbiased opinion.
“…there are beautiful white
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birdsthat live completely in flight.
They are born in the air,
must learn to fly before falling
and die also in their flying.
Maybe you have been born
Into such a life
With the bottom dropping out.”
From In Flight by Jennifer K Sweeney
Letty Espinosa struggles under less than hopeful circumstances to be a good mother. Her parents have suddenly left and she is alone, trying to raise her fifteen-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, both of whom miss their grandparents and need much nurturing. The family’s financial and emotional reserves are running dry. The characters struggle, they learn, they grow. They find the courage to grow wings and fly.
Readers will not be disappointed because we’ve been given an absorbing story. The prose is exquisite, the characters well-drawn and resilient. A truly inspired work of contemporary fiction.
Netgalley provided my advance copy for my unbiased opinion.
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LibraryThing member PamelaBarrett
In High School, Letty Espinosa was intelligent and had a bright future ahead of her; then she got pregnant. After giving birth to a baby boy, she names Alex, she falls apart and lets her mother, Maria Elena, take over parenting Alex while Letty works multiple dead-end jobs and drinks to numb the
The back story about Letty’s grandfather, a once famous Mexican artist whose art was made out of feathers and her parents coming to California as newlyweds for a chance at the American dream, gives meaning to the title of the book. The choices Letty makes in the following year will have an impact on everyone around her. She will need to find her own wings to become the woman she was meant to be.
Vanessa Diffenbaugh has written another richly complex novel that humanizes the people behind the issues we are facing currently. Her characters are real, warts and all, and their stories touched me. Everyone who has had to work and struggle to make a better life for themselves and their families will relate. Just as she did with children aging out of foster care in The Language of Flowers, she has brought to life children born or raised here, to families that are here illegally. I’m giving We Never Asked for Wings 5 stars with a small caution about suggestive sexual content.
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pain of the mess she’s made of her life. Six years after having her 2nd baby, a girl named Luna, Letty’s father returns to Mexico to see his mother and when he doesn’t come back Maria Elena leaves to find him. Feeling abandoned and overwhelmed by having to take care of her children, Letty takes off to find Maria Elena and bring her back. She leaves Alex and Luna home alone, in the small run-down apartment by the marshes outside of San Francisco. Teenage Alex wakes up to find his mom and grandparents gone and he tries to care of Luna without letting her know how scared he is, and also not letting their schools find out and bring in Child Protective Services. Alex is smart and a good kid trying to get good grades and keep out of trouble in one of the worst schools in the area. One thing that makes him happy at school is a pretty classmate who is in California illegally with her mother. He is falling in love with her, and she becomes his ally while Letty is gone. The back story about Letty’s grandfather, a once famous Mexican artist whose art was made out of feathers and her parents coming to California as newlyweds for a chance at the American dream, gives meaning to the title of the book. The choices Letty makes in the following year will have an impact on everyone around her. She will need to find her own wings to become the woman she was meant to be.
Vanessa Diffenbaugh has written another richly complex novel that humanizes the people behind the issues we are facing currently. Her characters are real, warts and all, and their stories touched me. Everyone who has had to work and struggle to make a better life for themselves and their families will relate. Just as she did with children aging out of foster care in The Language of Flowers, she has brought to life children born or raised here, to families that are here illegally. I’m giving We Never Asked for Wings 5 stars with a small caution about suggestive sexual content.
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LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
Letty Espinosa is a single mother with two children and she's never had the responsibility of raising her children, until now. Her parents have always been there and willing to pick up the slack while Letty worked to support the family, but her parents have returned to Mexico. We Never Asked for
Letty had her oldest children, fifteen-year-old Alex, when she was a teenager. She thought she was in love but didn't want to burden her boyfriend at the time, Wes, with the responsibility of being a parent. She knew that Wes was meant for more. Her daughter Luna is six-years-old and has always depended on her grandparents and her older brother Alex for guidance. Sadly, Letty doesn't have the first clue about parenting as evidenced by the fact that she leaves her children at home without any money while she takes her mother to Mexico. Upon her return to the US, Letty realizes that she has to step up to the plate and become the responsible adult. No more alcoholic binges, no more late night parties, and no more working nights and sleeping the day away. She finds a job bartending at the airport during the day and is finally there for her children. She lies about her address to get her gifted son into an exclusive school. Life isn't going great but it is becoming more manageable until Alex discovers who his father is and his father confronts Letty about having a teenage son he never knew about. If having Wes back in the picture wasn't enough to deal with, Letty is romantically attracted to a coworker and her son Alex is in a relationship that is getting too serious in Letty's mind.
We Never Asked for Wings provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives and loves of the Espinosa family. We witness an inept mother striving to be and do better at parenting. We see the angst and drama of teens in love and making bad decisions. We watch as this family and their friends suffer the consequences of poor decision-making. But most important of all, we watch this mother and two children become a family. To say that Ms. Diffenbaugh has a way with words is a massive understatement. Her writing immerses the reader into the lives of these characters and it was hard, at least for me, not to rejoice with their small victories and suffer through their pains and disappointments. We Never Asked for Wings presents well-developed characters with realistic action and settings. If you're looking for a story about love, life, and family, then look no more, We Never Asked for Wings is the book to read. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed The Language of Flowers and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Diffenbaugh in the future.
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Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh explores the relationship between Letty and her children as they discover how to become a family and Letty discovers what it means to be a mother.Letty had her oldest children, fifteen-year-old Alex, when she was a teenager. She thought she was in love but didn't want to burden her boyfriend at the time, Wes, with the responsibility of being a parent. She knew that Wes was meant for more. Her daughter Luna is six-years-old and has always depended on her grandparents and her older brother Alex for guidance. Sadly, Letty doesn't have the first clue about parenting as evidenced by the fact that she leaves her children at home without any money while she takes her mother to Mexico. Upon her return to the US, Letty realizes that she has to step up to the plate and become the responsible adult. No more alcoholic binges, no more late night parties, and no more working nights and sleeping the day away. She finds a job bartending at the airport during the day and is finally there for her children. She lies about her address to get her gifted son into an exclusive school. Life isn't going great but it is becoming more manageable until Alex discovers who his father is and his father confronts Letty about having a teenage son he never knew about. If having Wes back in the picture wasn't enough to deal with, Letty is romantically attracted to a coworker and her son Alex is in a relationship that is getting too serious in Letty's mind.
We Never Asked for Wings provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives and loves of the Espinosa family. We witness an inept mother striving to be and do better at parenting. We see the angst and drama of teens in love and making bad decisions. We watch as this family and their friends suffer the consequences of poor decision-making. But most important of all, we watch this mother and two children become a family. To say that Ms. Diffenbaugh has a way with words is a massive understatement. Her writing immerses the reader into the lives of these characters and it was hard, at least for me, not to rejoice with their small victories and suffer through their pains and disappointments. We Never Asked for Wings presents well-developed characters with realistic action and settings. If you're looking for a story about love, life, and family, then look no more, We Never Asked for Wings is the book to read. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed The Language of Flowers and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Diffenbaugh in the future.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
I had trouble warming up to this book. The story was in one sense about baby mamas having babies and then neglecting them, out of either lack of any parental sense of duty (in the case of Letty) or of the necessity of working many jobs (in the case of Carmen).
Letty Espinosa, 33, is offensively
They live in Eden’s Landing - run-down, nearly abandoned projects near the San Francisco International Airport. When the story begins, Letty’s mother, Maria Elena, wants to go to Mexico to find Enrique, her husband, who left six weeks earlier but has not yet returned. Letty is in a panic; she has no idea how to take care of her two children without Maria Elena. So she leaves the kids a note and takes off to Mexico with her mother. She lies to Maria Elena, claiming she has left the kids with her BFF, Sara. Enrique refuses to leave Mexico, and Maria Elena refuses to leave Enrique; she basically pushes Letty out and sends her back to America.
Carmen, 28, living in an even worse area than Letty, had her daughter Yesenia when she was only 14. Neither Carmen nor Yesenia are U.S. citizens, which means their futures are always in peril. Letty’s son Alex, almost 15, is in love with 15-year-old Yesenia. Yesenia is deformed from early domestic abuse, but Alex is fixated on the “beauty” of her deformities and how “tiny” Yesenia is. He ardently wants to protect her from the bullies that attack her because of her perceived weakness, and will do anything for her.
In addition, Alex has enlisted Yesenia to help him spy on his father, Wes Riley, who lives in nearby upscale Mission Hills. (Luna’s father is unknown.) One day, Wes follows Alex home to see who this kid is who is always spying on him, and to his shock finds Letty; he had never even known she was pregnant when she broke up with him.
Meanwhile, Letty has started to see Ricardo (“Rick”) Moya, a 29-year-old bartender where she works. Ricks attraction to Letty was not believable to me at all. He was like the analogue of a common female character with incredibly low self-esteem who falls for a guy who mistreats her, is rude and abusive, and steals from her. But Alex didn’t seem to have a problem with a sense of self-worth, and I couldn’t see why he kept putting up with Letty or her daughter.
Wes was a cypher too - why was he never with anyone after Letty? Did he still love her? How did Letty feel about him after all this time? Why did he so easily let her go? None of that was ever really clear to me.
Soon Alex and Luna are both thriving at new schools in Mission Hills, thanks to Rick finding Letty a place to live there as a caretaker of a house. Alex wants to get Yesenia in his school too, because she is beat up regularly without him there to protect her. He puts his reputation and their freedom in America on the line, when he does what he thinks he must to protect Yesenia.
After the inevitable disaster, all the adults come together in a frenzy of sudden responsibility and try to save the kids from themselves and maybe even prevent more future baby parents, although that last part isn’t guaranteed.
Evaluation: I understood what make Letty and Luna the way they were, but didn’t like them. The males were much more opaque, which did not allow me to feel invested in their fates either. The story of the situation in which immigrants find themselves might have been more compelling without the focus on Letty, whose bitter sense of entitlement and appalling self-absorption didn’t make her very endearing.
Letty Espinosa, 33, is offensively
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immature, irresponsible, and self-centered, and her daughter Luna, aged 6, is unbearably undisciplined, spoiled, and bratty. Letty also has a son, Alex, almost 15, by a different father than that of Luna.They live in Eden’s Landing - run-down, nearly abandoned projects near the San Francisco International Airport. When the story begins, Letty’s mother, Maria Elena, wants to go to Mexico to find Enrique, her husband, who left six weeks earlier but has not yet returned. Letty is in a panic; she has no idea how to take care of her two children without Maria Elena. So she leaves the kids a note and takes off to Mexico with her mother. She lies to Maria Elena, claiming she has left the kids with her BFF, Sara. Enrique refuses to leave Mexico, and Maria Elena refuses to leave Enrique; she basically pushes Letty out and sends her back to America.
Carmen, 28, living in an even worse area than Letty, had her daughter Yesenia when she was only 14. Neither Carmen nor Yesenia are U.S. citizens, which means their futures are always in peril. Letty’s son Alex, almost 15, is in love with 15-year-old Yesenia. Yesenia is deformed from early domestic abuse, but Alex is fixated on the “beauty” of her deformities and how “tiny” Yesenia is. He ardently wants to protect her from the bullies that attack her because of her perceived weakness, and will do anything for her.
In addition, Alex has enlisted Yesenia to help him spy on his father, Wes Riley, who lives in nearby upscale Mission Hills. (Luna’s father is unknown.) One day, Wes follows Alex home to see who this kid is who is always spying on him, and to his shock finds Letty; he had never even known she was pregnant when she broke up with him.
Meanwhile, Letty has started to see Ricardo (“Rick”) Moya, a 29-year-old bartender where she works. Ricks attraction to Letty was not believable to me at all. He was like the analogue of a common female character with incredibly low self-esteem who falls for a guy who mistreats her, is rude and abusive, and steals from her. But Alex didn’t seem to have a problem with a sense of self-worth, and I couldn’t see why he kept putting up with Letty or her daughter.
Wes was a cypher too - why was he never with anyone after Letty? Did he still love her? How did Letty feel about him after all this time? Why did he so easily let her go? None of that was ever really clear to me.
Soon Alex and Luna are both thriving at new schools in Mission Hills, thanks to Rick finding Letty a place to live there as a caretaker of a house. Alex wants to get Yesenia in his school too, because she is beat up regularly without him there to protect her. He puts his reputation and their freedom in America on the line, when he does what he thinks he must to protect Yesenia.
After the inevitable disaster, all the adults come together in a frenzy of sudden responsibility and try to save the kids from themselves and maybe even prevent more future baby parents, although that last part isn’t guaranteed.
Evaluation: I understood what make Letty and Luna the way they were, but didn’t like them. The males were much more opaque, which did not allow me to feel invested in their fates either. The story of the situation in which immigrants find themselves might have been more compelling without the focus on Letty, whose bitter sense of entitlement and appalling self-absorption didn’t make her very endearing.
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LibraryThing member AliciaClark23
I already liked this author so I was optimistic about this book. It turned out to be a very good read. I think the characters are great, especially Alex. Also, for all of Letty's faults and failures as a mother you still can't help but root for her. I think it is important to understand the fact
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that illegal immigration is not a cut and dry issue and Vanessa clearly illustrates that. She is able to show the high stakes and emotions that exist for families like Yesenia's. I also enjoyed that there are so many different, interesting relationships within this book. One of the only issues I had with the book is a mistake I found. On page 74 Letty states that her mother wrote to her about things she needed to remember, such as Luna breaking out in hives from eating blueberries. Then on page 103 Luna eats part of the blueberry muffin that Alex doesn't want and nothing happens. I hope that was corrected before the book went on sale. However, this is an important book that I would certainly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member sunqueen
This was a fantastic read from the mind of Vanessa Diffenbaugh!. As in her last novel, "Language of Flowers" she explores many of the same themes, such as abandonment and being a "marginal" person. Highly recommended. Please be warned you will not want to put this one down once you start it.
LibraryThing member nnjmom
I absolutely adored Vanessa Diffenbaugh's The Language of Flowers when I read it a few years ago, and was very excited for a follow-up. it was a long wait, but it was definitely worth it. In We Never Asked for Wings, Diffenbaugh has again given us an authentic portrayal of flawed, human characters
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who are trying to find their way in our complex world. Tackling the issues of single parenting, teen pregnancy, and illegal immigration all in one novel is not an easy task, but she was certainly up to the challenge. I was completely engaged while reading of Letty's attempt to be a mother after fourteen years of abdicating that responsibility to her own mom. The author is realistic about how this would look - it isn't pretty, and Letty makes a ton of mistakes. The relationships she has with her kids Alex and Luna are prickly and difficult, just as they would be with their history. Alex is a fantastic teen character, and his intelligence and fierce love and loyalty for his girlfriend Yesenia are beautiful to experience. I had a hard time putting this one down, and I only hope that I don't have to wait as long for Diffenbaugh's next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
I absolutely loved the author's first novel, The Language of Flowers, so I was delighted to get my hands on this new novel, one that deals with some of the issues of immigration from Mexico, but still is a story about people doing the best they can.
I loved this novel, too, but not quite as much as
I never knew about art made of feathers set in wax, and I found that and the collection and classification of feathers fascinating.
The immigration issue was handled with insight and heart. “All her life she had been here illegally, and she hadn't even known it.”
I cared about the characters, despite my initial impression of Letty.
“'I love it,' Letty said, kissing Luna's cherry lips and wondering how a half-eaten lollipop could somehow taste like a reason to stay.”
Despite all those positives, the only reason this book is not a five-star novel for me is that there was just too much romantic entanglement for my tastes. There was some very sweet young romance, but that adult stuff just felt a bit formulaic to me.
Still, I'm glad I read this book and will look for Ms. Diffenbaugh's next book.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review. The quotes may change in the published edition.
I loved this novel, too, but not quite as much as
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the first. The writing is still lovely. Ms. Diffenbaugh can paint a story with words that draw me in, make me see the people and the setting. In the first few pages, I didn't much like Letty, who was abandoning her children. But the protagonist in The Language of Flowers didn't present herself as someone cuddly and lovable either.I never knew about art made of feathers set in wax, and I found that and the collection and classification of feathers fascinating.
The immigration issue was handled with insight and heart. “All her life she had been here illegally, and she hadn't even known it.”
I cared about the characters, despite my initial impression of Letty.
“'I love it,' Letty said, kissing Luna's cherry lips and wondering how a half-eaten lollipop could somehow taste like a reason to stay.”
Despite all those positives, the only reason this book is not a five-star novel for me is that there was just too much romantic entanglement for my tastes. There was some very sweet young romance, but that adult stuff just felt a bit formulaic to me.
Still, I'm glad I read this book and will look for Ms. Diffenbaugh's next book.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review. The quotes may change in the published edition.
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LibraryThing member susan0316
ARC provided by Net Galley
WOW - this was a fantastic book. Vanessa Diffenbaugh definitely didn't go through a 'sophomore slump' because her second book was as good as her first. This book is about a Mexican family in the Bay Area. Mom and her two children, son is 15 and daughter is 6 and the
WOW - this was a fantastic book. Vanessa Diffenbaugh definitely didn't go through a 'sophomore slump' because her second book was as good as her first. This book is about a Mexican family in the Bay Area. Mom and her two children, son is 15 and daughter is 6 and the
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grandparents who are undocumented. The grandparents have basically been raising the children and when they decide to return to Mexico its up to Letty to learn to be a mom for the first time in her life. She makes mistakes but she tries so hard. Sometimes she just wants to give up and move them all to Mexico so that her mom can take over again but she keeps trying to improve their lives in America. This is a beautiful well written book that will make you laugh and make you cry. The characters are so well done that they will stay with you long after the book is finished. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Picked up on the recommendation of a friend who works at a bookstore. Fascinated by the thought of feather art.
LibraryThing member asomers
It is difficult to feel sympathetic to a character that abandons her children with in the first pages of a story.You continue reading because you are worried about the children. How will they cope? What will happen to them? It does take a village to raise a child and this story pays tribute to the
I thought it was interesting that Ms. Diffenbaugh, incorporated her interest in plants and wildlife into this story as well.
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other forces in a child's life that can make a difference.I thought it was interesting that Ms. Diffenbaugh, incorporated her interest in plants and wildlife into this story as well.
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LibraryThing member maximeg
i received this book via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book its a read about family relationships hardships and struggles however i did find it in places a bit too twee and too neatly sown up (life isn't like that!) so that made me struggle with the rating i gave it i
I liked this book its a read about family relationships hardships and struggles however i did find it in places a bit too twee and too neatly sown up (life isn't like that!) so that made me struggle with the rating i gave it i
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recommend it for a easy rainy afternoon read Show Less
LibraryThing member julyso
I loved Vanessa Diffenbaugh's The Language of Flowers, one of my very favorite books. We Never Asked for Wings just didn't do it for me. It's a good story, but it just never grabbed my heart like her previous book did. I look forward to more of her books....
LibraryThing member UnderMyAppleTree
Letty Espinosa never thought she would be a pregnant teenager. That only happened to other girls. But when it happened to her, she was unprepared to cope with it, relying instead on her mother for help and never even telling her boyfriend the truth. Years later, when Letty’s parents move back to
The author presented many of today’s social issues – pregnant teens, single motherhood, bullying, illegal immigration, undocumented children, and even climate change (via son Alex’s science project) – and wrapped them into an interesting, but not very believable, story. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful, descriptive writing, but not the characters themselves. A son like Alex is almost too good to be true for an irresponsible, neglectful mother like Letty. And the young daughter, Luna, was over-the-top annoying.
What I did find enjoyable was the symbolism of birds and feathers woven throughout the story, and Alex’s fascination with his grandfather’s collection of feathers reaching back 30 years.
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Mexico, she needs to grow up quickly and become a responsible mother to her children who are now fifteen and six years old.The author presented many of today’s social issues – pregnant teens, single motherhood, bullying, illegal immigration, undocumented children, and even climate change (via son Alex’s science project) – and wrapped them into an interesting, but not very believable, story. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful, descriptive writing, but not the characters themselves. A son like Alex is almost too good to be true for an irresponsible, neglectful mother like Letty. And the young daughter, Luna, was over-the-top annoying.
What I did find enjoyable was the symbolism of birds and feathers woven throughout the story, and Alex’s fascination with his grandfather’s collection of feathers reaching back 30 years.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Excellent book. She writes an interesting acknowledgement about the 2nd novel. This book had so much stuff. I would love to know what happened to the characters. Always the sign of a good book when you are left wanting the second half. Immigration in a different light.
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780553392326
Original publication date
2015