We Need No Wings - by Ann Dávila Cardinal (Paperback)

About the Book

"To be free, we must learn to fly. Tere Sanchez has always known who she was: a professor, a wife, a mother, and a friend. But when her husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself completely broken. Taking a leave from the university, Tere hopes that she can mourn her husband and get back on her feet, but instead, she spends a year consumed by grief. Until the day she levitates. Suddenly, Tere's life is thrown into disarray, and the repeated incidents of levitation not only make her question her sanity, but also put her in danger. She decides she will do anything to stop them. So when she's reminded that her family is related to the renowned levitating mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, she leaves the refuge of her home and travels to Spain, hoping to find answers. But Saints can be elusive, and not all answers are easily found. Tere will soon have to decide whether to remain shrouded in her grief, or open her heart to a world where we need no wings to fly..."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"We need more novels that deepen our understanding of these later stages of a woman's life and put wings of hope on our hearts. The book soars, her best so far, a transcendent read." --Julia Alvarez, internationally bestselling and award-winning author

To be free, we must learn to fly.

Tere Sanchez has always known who she was: a professor, a wife, a mother, and a friend. But when her husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself completely broken. Taking a leave from the university, Tere hopes that she can mourn her husband and get back on her feet, but instead, she spends a year consumed by grief.

Until the day she levitates.

Suddenly, Tere's life is thrown into disarray, and the repeated incidents of levitation not only make her question her sanity, but also put her in danger. She decides she will do anything to stop them. So when she's reminded that her family is related to the renowned levitating mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila, she leaves the refuge of her home and travels to Spain, hoping to find answers. But Saints can be elusive, and not all answers are easily found. Tere will soon have to decide whether to remain shrouded in her grief, or open her heart to a world where we need no wings to fly...

From the award-winning author of The Storyteller's Death comes a riveting, multicultural story about what it means to love, heal, and take flight.

Review Quotes

"This story of magical realism and self-discovery is a tender exploration of grief, second chances, mysticism, and of feeling seen as a woman of a certain age." -- BookRiot

"Focused on grief, growth, love and healing, Ann Dávila Cardinal's latest tells the story of Tere, who begins to levitate after a year of mourning her husband. Most refreshing is Cardinal's centering of the magic in the lives of older women." -- Ms. Magazine

"Cardinal deftly blurs the boundaries between literary and relationship fiction, crafting a novel full of magical realism that unfolds with leisurely grace as it traces a plot that is deeply engaging. Swift yet reflective, intimate yet universal, this is a novel of deep rewards." -- Library Journal, STARRED review

"Cardinal explores grief and spiritual ecstasy in this uplifting story of a woman's new lease on life...Aided by her vibrant characters' sense of humor, Cardinal thoroughly explores themes of mysticism and friendship. It's an enlivening tale of second chances." -- Publishers Weekly

"Ann Dávila Cardinal's We Need No Wings beautifully articulates an older woman's life, her grief over the loss of her husband, her frustration with the sexism and racism in her professional life, her need to reinvent herself--the landscape so many of us aging boomers are traveling in our lives or will travel. Cardinal magically weaves pilgrimage, levitation, a 16th century mystic, a journey to heal and recover into an elegantly structured novel. We need No Wings is a 21st century older woman's quest that will inspire readers to consider what lies at the latter end of their lives. Spoiler alert: possibility, hope and love. We need more novels that deepen our understanding of these later stages of a woman's life and put wings of hope on our hearts. The book soars, her best so far, a transcendent read." -- Julia Alvarez, internationally bestselling and award-winning author

"From the very first sentence, you know that Ann Dávila Cardinal's We Need No Wings is a story for the ages. Tere Sanchez is a grieving widow, a loving mother, a brilliant professor and, oh yeah, she levitates. This novel explores the inexorable pull of blood ties, the power of ancestral homecomings, and one woman's transcendent journey into selfhood. Sassy, smart, humorous, and deeply affecting, this book will make you want to fly." -- Connie May Fowler, Author of Before Women had Wings

"Ann Dávila Cardinal expands the reach of the beloved Santa Teresa de Ávila with this exquisite novel about a woman who learns that all journeys lead back to the broken heart. We Need No Wings is masterful storytelling--tender, funny, original, and sharp." -- Rigoberto González

"Poignant, witty, and downright refreshing, We Need No Wings will crack open your mind and heart to show you how grief can help us live, doubt can make us trust, and change can bring us back to our true selves. I cried, I laughed, I desperately wanted to visit Spain with Tere Sánchez. This novel is pure magic." -- Eden Robins, author of Remember You Will Die

"An unflinching examination of grief through the eyes of an extraordinary woman. With humor and sensitivity, Ann Davila Cardinal weaves a potent narrative that demonstrates the resilience of women, who are more than their roles in the family--and that the third act of life can be a vibrant new beginning." -- Dawn Kurtagich, author of The Madness