A moving story about coping with loss. I loved the themes of processing grief and grappling with religious contradictions while exploring the magical realism element about Tere Sanchez levitating against her will. I enjoyed seeing intergenerational friendships and two people with different perspectives finding common ground and choosing kindness. I also enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Avila, Spain. What I didn't love, both the themes and the relationships seemed to remain surface level. There were a lot of themes (subthemes?) covered in the book and none of them were fully developed into something deep and meaningful. The pacing was slow. And for a character rooted in the Latin community coming from Puerto Rico, she grew up in NY and resides in VT, so this felt more like an afterthought than a central point of the novel.

We need no wings to fly is a story about the long and painful process of mourning the loss of someone. Tere, a 60-year-old literature teacher, lost her husband a year ago and everyone expects her to have got over Carlos' death and be able to get on with her life. However, it is when Tere begins to levitate in the courtyard and is faced with the fear of this surreal event that the character decides to leave her refuge and look for answers in Ávila (where her family comes from).
The narrative crosses many themes more or less successfully: feminism, mourning, religion, ageing, etc. Although some themes are lost in the middle of the story, we understand how rediscovery, ageing and mourning are the main focuses, enhanced by magical realism.
Even though I'm not a religious person, the narrative captivated me with its reflections and criticisms of the Church, which are still very relevant today. In addition, Ann Dávila Cardinal explores many themes from history and art that captivated and fascinated me. The theme of religion and the cult of the saints is something that intrigues me and that I really appreciate in the Latinx and Spanish literature I've been reading over the last year. However, I wish the main character's memories of her Puerto Rican heritage had been explored more, rather than just popping up sporadically as reminders to the reader.
Despite this, there are many positive aspects, and I would highlight the charming characters, especially the female ones, who are full of life and vigour, and the descriptions of the city of Ávila, which are vivid and full of detail.
All in all, I came away from this book pleasantly surprised and wanting to travel the paths of Tere and her distant relative, St Teresa of Avila.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through NetGalley.
The synopsis intrigued me and I appreciated receiving this ARC.
Tere has struggled through the grief of losing her husband. She took a leave as a professor and has stayed in her home simply being. To her shock and surprise, her world changes one day when she levitates while working in her husband's garden. This launches her search for answers and connection to distant generations - in particular, the saint she is named after. Her answers come as she seeks journeys to Avila, Spain. Her encounters with her living cousin and her inner conversations with Saint Teresa bring her through the grief process and closer to answers for her own levitations. In the end, she faces a serious health situation which provides a realistic explanation this phenomenon. However, readers also listen as a witness shares what they saw before her accident and surgery. Readers can draw their own conclusions but will lean toward the mystical based on the final chapter.
Davila Cardinal takes readers on this adventure with beautifully written descriptions of the scenery and locations in Avila. Many may feel they've been there. She writes with a bias toward the Catholic Church which may bother some readers. The opening scene captured my attention but the story began to bog down with excessive details shortly afterward. It does pick up again but the ending feels a bit abrupt. I do appreciate the final sentence; it offers readers a chance to think about what is weighing on them in their own lives.

This is a book about rediscovering yourself (and your whole history) after grief--it's more about the messy, unwilling work of moving on and changing even when you were perfectly happy as the person you were before. Tere Sanchez was happy as a wife, professor, and mother of an adult son before her husband's unexpected death, but a year later, she's still not recovered or willing to go back to her teaching job (no matter how much her university threatens her). She feels unmoored--and then she literally becomes unmoored, because Tere is shocked to find herself levitating. This sounds like wishful thinking--drifting upward, becoming weightless--but one of the most convincing aspects of the book is how terrifying and inconvenient Tere finds it. It turns out Tere is going to need to figure out her relationship with her history (present and quite distant, personal and inherited) before she figures out anything else. She is drawn to St. Teresa of Avila and discovers a family connection; she stumbles to Avila to learn more and the novel takes off. It was satisfying reading a sixty-year-old protagonist who needs to figure out her life again. I found the dialogue a little flat, but enjoyed the characters and especially the warm descriptions of Avila itself.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc. My opinions are all my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed “We Need No Wings.” This is a compelling story that is light and airy yet covers very real issues of anxiety, grief, finding your place, reevaluating and reinventing yourself at a later age in life, misogyny, and to top it all off, the idea of levitating and finding yourself outside of your own body and looking down on the world from afar.

I think everyone can relate to these themes at a number of points in their lives. I loved Dávila Cardinal’s writing style and approach to this story, particularly her character development and how the story unfolded. Tere Sánchez is authentic, insecure, dynamic, and flawed. I couldn’t help but feel for her as she tried to come out from under a mountain of grief and try to sort herself out, even if that meant going against the norm to spontaneously book a trip to Spain to research her roots and find help for the sudden onset of levitation. I also really enjoyed how immersive the novel’s setting was and felt I was in Avila alongside Tere. And oh, how I wish I were in Spain right now!

I laughed out loud, learned more about the actual definition of magical realism, became interested in Saint Teresa of Avila, cheered Tere on, was annoyed as some of the men in her life tried to push her towards what they thought was right, understood her complicated relationship with the Catholic Church, and thoroughly appreciated her journey of self discovery even as she was reinventing herself.

Available September 10, 2024! Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for the #drc of #weneednowings by @anndavilacardinal

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookgeek #booknerd #booksbooksbooks #fyp #magicalrealism #fictionbooks #femaleauthor #femalewriter #avilaspain #saintteresaofavila #saintteresa #bookreview #bookrecommendation #netgalley #youshouldreadthis #sourcebookslandmark

We Need No Wings is a compelling story about finding and transforming oneself at any age. It's a novel that intertwines themes of grief, loss, and new friendships.

The protagonist, Tere Sanchez, has been grieving her husband for a year, leading her to become almost reclusive and take a leave of absence from her work as a professor—a job she loves. One day, Tere experiences the unbelievable: she begins levitating. In search of an explanation for this phenomenon, she travels to Spain, where she discovers that to truly fly, one doesn't need wings.

The novel is layered with various themes, including grief, loss, misogyny, the effects of colonialism, colorism, heritage, and religion. The author has skillfully woven these elements into the narrative. I found the sections about Saint Teresa particularly fascinating, especially in how they explored the misogyny and patriarchy of that era. As someone who isn't Christian, these insights were informative and engaging.

However, I felt the story dragged a bit at certain points, which slightly affected my overall enjoyment. Despite this, We Need No Wings is a worthwhile read, rich with thought-provoking themes and well-researched historical details.

I loved this book alot! It was quite the interesting read! Magical realism is such an interesting concept and this book did it well!

I want to preface my review by saying, there is definitely and audience out there for this book. Although I don't think it was for me and that aids my low star rating.

I was intrigued by this book upon reading the synopsis and was looking forward to a deeply emotional and impactful story however, I don't believe I ever got there. There are themes of grief, self-discovery (and re-discovery I suppose), religion, heritage and aging yet I don't feel we ever delve deep enough into all of them. Aging, yes. Self-discovery and re-discovery, yes. These two alone are the message behind this entire novel, that of being it's never too late to move on or take a different path in life.

On the flip side, the importance the other themes mentioned above felt brushed over. Maybe they were meant to be sub-themes? However, for me, they were mentioned far too often to not have enough drive behind them. Altogether, these themes would give the impression of blending well together. Instead, they feel disjointed. Too many "big ideas" that fail to provide a meaningful message behind them.

What I loved: The women in this one are fantastic. They are strong-willed, smart, dedicated, and all portray the take-no-shit from men attitude I wish all woman conveyed at times. The mystical heritage component was very interesting and added a level of curiosity to the story. I also really enjoyed the overall message. It was very clear what the author was trying to portray in this story and it did give me some hope that maybe my semi-miserable corporate life isn't forever (haha, sighs).

What I didn't love: For how deep and connected this story was meant to be, the dialogue what so shallow that I never really felt anything for the characters and for the events in this book to be happening in Spain with mainly Spanish characters, the dialogue is very Americanized. The pacing dragged a bit for how fast Teresa's turn of events are happening. She was going and doing so much at once however, it all still felt like the plot wasn't progressing. Lastly, there was big disconnect from Teresa being a descendant from the Spanish Saint Teresa of Avila. This connection is what catapults Teresa to travel to Spain in the first place to find answers for her levitation mystery. Other than the brief mentioning that she is Puerto Rican, which always felt like a reminder to the reader, there isn't much history established or built upon that notion. She also grew up in New York and resides in Vermont. Her entire background just felt like an afterthought.

I am sure there will be those of you who will disagree and to that I say, you should! No reading experience is the same amongst us and as I have mentioned previously, there are aspects of this book and story that I enjoyed. Ultimately, in the end, I wasn't impressed with the fine details that make up the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Not great but not bad.. if you are into supernatural then this book is for you. I really enjoyed the synopsis but the book did not live up to it.

"All that mattered was that they were free, that they needed no wings to fly."

Tere Sanchéz is floating in the air and she doesn't know how or why. So she flew to a small city in Spain, Ávila, to find out what's happening to her. It brings her to Santa Teresa—her 'Titi', Cousin Isabella, Juan, Yolanda, Rodrigo, her colleague Richard, her son Rowan, and above all else, herself.

It's interesting to read a tale with main character twice my age, yet I can relate to her in many ways. Following Tere's journey in Ávila is unlike finding the clues in detective stories or merely enjoyable for readers who share the same faith as Tere. The levitation is not only connected to Tere's emotional and spiritual growth, but also to her grief and relationship with her blood and found family. It started slow (which is expected from this genre and no problem for me, I could use some strolling to escape from real life), and then the pace quickens at 80% mark and makes everything more exciting. I'm also satisfied with how it ties beautifully in the end. Yes, the setting is lovely, but I am more enamored by people Tere meets and makes friends with.

Exploring the topic 'dealing with the loss of a beloved one'—and in "old age" at that, We Need No Wings offers a new POV with a dash of magical realism that transcends any culture or religion.

Feminism. Mysticism. Finding oneself….This book was a sweet story about a 60 year old English Lit professor who is "stuck" after the death of her husband, except when she levitates, prompting a trip to Spain to explore her roots. As a former Catholic, I thought the history of Saint Teresa was really interesting, especially because she and our MC are both badasses. The characters were all really delightful and the book is written with both reverence for the subject matter and irreverent humor. An easy read, I was left wishing for deeper interactions between the characters (especially Juan and Rodrigo), however. I loved how the story was sort of semi-autobiographical, minus the magical realism that makes stories written by Latin authors so special.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy.

Wow! This was a lovely, fanciful, wise book that I read in a single sitting. I loved the idea of levitation and the inquiry into the life of St. Teresa of Avila. Grief is powerful, but I think that the main character was finally able to deal with hers after going on the pilgrimage to Avila and chart a new path for the rest of her life.

I will highly recommend it!

3.5 ★
We Need No Wings is a character-driven novel who follows sixty year old Tere on an emotional and spiritual journey to find herself again after the loss of her husband.

This captured my attention from the very first chapter! I think it is a beautiful story and I love the whimsy elements. The writing is extremely vivid, you can tell the author really took her time researching and visiting the actual city she writes about. I love the sense of wanderlust I felt while reading this and I felt like I was walking along the streets of Spain with Tere. Tere is a character that is easy to root for; I love the way she isn’t afraid of aging and continues to grow and experience her life to the fullest of her ability. The pacing and storyline was a bit slow at times, especially in the middle. I wish there was a little more depth to some of the characters and interactions. Everything felt a little too perfect; she really hits it off with everyone she runs into? Overall I think it was a very sweet and touching story!

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: grief, death (of husband) (of parent), miscarriage, alcoholism

We Need No Wings follows Teresa Sanchez as she copes with the death of her husband and learns to live a life without him. It's been a year since Carl died and she's considering returning to her professor job at the local college when one day she levitates in the garden and is understandably startled. Levitation is not a usual occurrence for Tere but it brings to mind her ancestor, Saint Teresa de Avila, who also was rumored to levitate. Instead of going back to work, Tere makes an impulsive decision to go to Spain and research the history of Saint Teresa in hope of discovering the source of her new "power" and what to do with it.

I didn't do my due diligence and requested this book solely on the fact that it was listed as magical realism and the main character could levitate. When I realized it was more of a story about grief and dealing with the healing and recovery from the death of a loved one, I still really enjoyed it! I hadn't read a book by Cardinal before and I would definitely pick up another from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this read! Grief is heavily discussed in this book and it was well written. It really gives example of how to move on with such loss.

We Need No Wings is a poignant story that is full of emotion. The heroine of this story will put readers in awe, and they will gravitate towards her story. Many themes are explored here, most center on grief and loss and their connection to religion. While themes become complex, the author gives a reprieve with a bit of magical realism mixed in with the ethereal to create a memorizing reading experience.

At times, I found this read slow, and while I did not love every aspect of it, I can appreciate the writing and the beautiful story.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal is a third person-POV magical realist contemporary. Tere Sanchez’s husband has passed away, she’s struggling to return to work, and she’s started levitating against her will. In desperation, Tere heads to Ávila, Spain in order to get in touch with an aunt of hers who is also a nun and to learn more about her ancestor, Saint Teresa of Ávila.

What I really liked was how passionate Tere is presented when she’s in the classroom. At sixty, she’s a literature pressure who focuses on Latin American literature and magical realism and is more than qualified to be the chair of the English department, even though she isn’t given a chance. I loved seeing her defend how magical realism is mainly a literary and political movement in countries who were colonized and how some authors working with similar themes aren’t really coming from the same experience. I would love to listen to a full lecture on this topic.

Another thing I liked was how Tere connects to Juan, a young man in Ávila who assists her several times. She helps him with his resume to get into a local school and they connect over their difficult childhoods. It’s nice seeing intergenerational friendships and two people with different perspectives finding common ground and choosing kindness.

As someone who was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, what really spoke to me was Tere’s complicated relationship with the Church. A lot of the points she brought up were the same issues that I have while she also admitted to loving the rituals and the architecture. Seeing my own thoughts and feelings towards my religion really showed how two people can have the same thoughts and still comes to different conclusions for themselves (Tere is an atheist and I still identify as Catholic even if I do not go to Church).

I would recommend this to fans of books that feature complicated themes around religion, readers looking for a magical realism narrative, and those who love books featuring saints and examine how we talk about historical figures

DNF at 52%

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought that based on the description I would enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I did not. The main character wasn't that interesting to me and the heavy focus on religion wasn't my cup of tea.

2.5, generously rounded up for goodreads.

This was a highly anticipated book for me because I fell head over heels in love with Cardinal's book The Storyteller's Death, but unfortunately this offering just did not live up to my expectations.

First, the writing felt weak. Not stilted but not polished either. The character of Tere is a cool "old lady" but she's also only 60 which just doesnt feel like "old lady" territory to me any more. Tere is also... a bit much. What she is a bit much of is hard to put. my finger on because outside of her grief and her desire to find out why she is levitating and who she is as a professional, I don't really feel I ever understood her. This might seem at odds with all the things I just said I knew about her, but these big points take up her whole character. There is no nuance to her.

The trip to Ávila wants to be a grand pilgrimage and it gets close, but Tere spends so much time judging what others are presenting about Saint Teresa rather than listening that it gets a bit repetitive. As does her search. It feels convenient that her family knows they have a relative but no one knows exactly where she is and so her quest becomes many-fold. And just too long.

When it comes to the matter of Tere's levitation... its so overwrought. Never once does Tere allow herself to logic through the when and why of her "episodes." She is simply (albeit understandably) terrified. She goes immediately to needing to fix herself. There is never any inkling outside, maybe, the book synopsis and the very end, that this levitation has a larger reason or purpose. It seems like its meant to be kept to the line of Saint Teresa. This book WANTS to make it a metaphor for moving on with life, for letting go of what is holding you back, for flying without wings, but it just does not deliver.

Quite a story filled with mourning and despair but also love and hope. Women of a certain age (we know who we are!) are often faced with the death of loved ones, personal health challenges, work issues, and feeling invisible. The main character of this lovely novel faces all of the above as well as the well meaning men in her life trying to “take care of her” when what she needs is space and time to heal. This is a novel about just that. The locale is wonderfully described (Avila, Spain) and filled with characters that are easy to care about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark for the ARC to read and review.