Up There - by Sherry Roberts (Paperback)

About the Book

The wind speaks to Ariel Lee, helps her ride the Minnesota skies, and causes trouble in this magical story of self-discovery.

Book Synopsis

Born with the gift of flight, Ariel Lee is attuned to changes in the natural world. The wind speaks to her and helps her secretly ride the skies above the family farm in Cosette, Minnesota-but it also causes her trouble. After an accident involving her special gift, Ariel rejects the call of the wind, losing her connection not only with the world of Up There but with herself. Years later, as a journalist focused on environmental issues, she is drawn back to Cosette. There she finds the wind-and a storm of decisions-waiting for her. Can she rediscover her place in this world of wind and sky in time to save herself and the man she loves?

​​​Up There lifts readers into a captivating blend of magical realism as it explores love, small-town life, the environment, and one woman's quest to find herself.

Up There is the winner of the 2024 Minnesota Indie Author Project Contest presented by the Minnesota Library Association and the Minnesota Library Foundation.

Review Quotes

"A magical story in which the wind is a living thing and speaks to young Ariel, causing her nothing but trouble. In Up There, Sherry Roberts spins an enchanting tale of self-discovery that climaxes in a literal cataclysmic whirlwind as the adult Ariel finally comes to terms with the person she was always meant to be. Roberts's vivid imagery almost lifts off the page to float away in the breeze." -Michael Allan Mallory, author of the award-winning The Lost Dragon Murder

"Sherry Roberts is stunningly gifted in braiding together the world as we know it with what it could be. Her world-making vibrates with believability, and in Up There she enchants us again. Ariel Lee is Robert's most endearing character yet. Your heart will break for Ariel as she navigates coming of age as well as coming to terms with what makes her unlike anyone else, and how much one will sacrifice for the people we love."-Susan Thurston-Hamerski, MALS, author of Sister of Grendel

"Up There is stunning, with beautiful writing and a magical story that is heart-wrenching at times but mostly heart-warming, amusing, smart, and fast-paced. Up There is ideal for book clubs and readers who have loved novels such as Remarkably Bright Creatures and All The Light You Cannot See and Plainsong. Such novels take one's breath away and Up There did that for me. As soon as I finished it I wanted to experience it again. The story starts with a little girl who is 'different'-Ariel Lee can lift herself into the wind and communicate with it. Ariel is made to wear heavy shoes to hide this supposed affliction and keep her grounded (a metaphor that works well). Schoolmates taunt Ariel for her clunky shoes and supposed problem. Even as she becomes a young woman and sheds the burdensome shoes, complications ensue because she fears being true to herself, and that conundrum allows the story to take off again like the wind itself. Trouble brews at every turn with bullies, friends, family, a long lost father, special friend Ruddy, and nature itself. The Minnesota setting is a major character in this novel, adding to the reading pleasure. Highly recommended novel!"-Christine DeSmet, author, writing instructor