3.5 ⭐️
What an uplifting and unique read. Tere navigates the tumultuous waters of grief and self-discovery after the death of her beloved husband, Carl. Left to redefine her identity beyond being a wife, Tere’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her ability to levitate. As Tere struggles with her levitation, she questions her sanity, leading her to stumble upon articles about her ancestor, Saint Teresa of Avila, known for her own mystical experiences. This discovery propels her to travel to Avila in a bid to connect with her heritage and to hopefully find a way to ground herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

As someone who is not religious, I didn't mind reading about religion in this book at all. I'm glad the writer was critical of most of my issues with catholism. 
It's nice to read about an "older" woman, as a 24-year-old woman, I'm afraid of ageing. I don't want to get wrinkles or turn gray, because the dominant narrative is that after your thirties your life ends. It's nice to see a main character live her life and find her way, it almost felt like a coming-of-age story but then in a different phase of your life. 

All the connections described in this book were beautiful. I genuinely feel like that is what life is about. 

At times the main character annoyed me, she was so distant from everyone she cares about. I understand this is part of her grief, and it's also part of her character arc, but at times her son felt barely adult, with the way she was treating him.

I was pleasantly surprised about how much I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book. While I am primarily a fantasy and sci-fi genre reader, I asked to read this book from Net Galley thinking it was a fantasy. But what I got was a book about a character’s struggles with grief and ability to redefine herself in her later years after the loss of her husband. Davila does a phenomenal job with the characterization of this cast. I absolutely loved Sister Isabella and our main character Tere is very personable. I felt a very strong connection to Tere even though I am not in her age range. The way she responds to her grief and her attitude of not wanting to inconvenience anyone with her problems, I felt like she was so very easy to relate with. I felt an immense amount of joy at the end of the book and felt like this was a celebration of the fact that anyone can make a change or do something no matter where you are at in life. I also really liked Davila’s prose in this book. Great dialogue and great writing! The middle of the book had a small window of time where the drive to solve Tere’s problem was not as assertive, but it picked back up. This book went above and beyond my expectations and I would strongly consider reading another novel by Davila.

Grounded in magical realism, We Need No Wings intertwines the supernatural with profound explorations of grief, feminism, and colonialism. Set against the backdrop of a woman's unexpected levitation following her husband's death, the narrative unfolds as she embarks on a journey to Spain to delve into her saintly ancestor's legacy.

While the thematic depth captivated me, the character's oscillation between insightful commentary and occasional naivety, particularly for a seasoned university professor in her 60s, occasionally disrupted the narrative flow. Additionally, repetitive descriptors, like 'his eyes went soft,' detracted from the immersive experience. Furthermore, despite its aspirations to critique American centralism, the book at times falls into its own trap, depicting Spanish characters through a lens that feels more like an American's interpretation than genuine cultural representation. Nevertheless, the author skilfully weaves together historical intrigue and contemporary reflections, creating a thought-provoking tale that lingers in the mind after the final page.

The premise of the book was intriguing. I appreciate the diverse take on Catholicism and the vivid descriptions of Avila. However, I was not able to connect with Tere as much as I hoped to as I felt a bit disappointed and at times even frustrated with her response to some of the situations that occurred, although this can also be a manifestation of her going through the rough process of grief. I believe there was potential for Tere's character to be further developed beyond the frequent metaphors, which sometimes detracted from the immediacy of the narrative. There were also some details that I find repetitive or futile to still be said. Rating We Need No Wings by Ann Davila Cardinal with 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. A quick and easy read sprinkled with magical realism. I enjoyed the themes of processing and growing through grief, and the connection to culture and spirituality.

Rating: 4.5

Wow! I loved this book so much.. and it was a huge surprise. I think not everyone will enjoy it, but being Latin American, I'm totally into magical realism as I grew up reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I loved the whole Catholic angle and the beautiful descriptions of Avila, Spain. I also enjoyed the main character's wittiness and the grief exploration.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy

We Need No Wings tells the story of Tere, recent widow, and how she begins to find her way through grief.

It is well written charming . The inclusion of Tere levitating brings it in the realm of magical realism.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

We Need No Wings by Ann Dávila Cardinal is a unique and intriguing contemporary fiction.

This book was an interesting combination of realism vs ethereal and the balance made for a unique read.

The fantasy and other-worldly threads were wound with the real life experiences of grief, loss, healing, and the complexities of looking within one’s life and oneself. It definitely gave me a few things to think about.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/10/24.

A refreshing breath of fantasy. I feel like the genre has become so stuck we forgot fantasy is a lot of things like being so stuck in your grief you begin to levitate. Happy to not read about elves for once but a sweet cross of contemporary and Fantasy.

DNF'ed at 39%
Only if I knew Tere mentioned in description was a real Spanish nun and catholism was going to be in book I wouldn't have read it, even as a Muslim I try not read books with so called Muslim representation (I've lots of issues with Muslim characters written by authors who had spend their whole life in west) so I try to stay away from books having any kind of religion as important element in book except fantasy books where of course Gods are just made up legends created by the author.

(read as ARC electronic copy) I won’t lie I struggled to get through this one. I loved the themes of processing grief, grappling with religious contradictions, and exploring magical realism but it felt very repetitive for a while. (And I was a little annoyed with how “Americanized” the conversations sounded when most of the dialogue was hypothetically taking place in Spanish…took away from the immersion somewhat)

loved Ann Dávila Cardinal's last book, The Storyteller's Death so I was excited to pick this up. It did not disappoint at all. She has become a new favorite author to follow

This was a both a moving story of coping with loss, and a lovely look at how to find the strength to move forward in life when you feel most adrift.

Tere Sanchez spent the past year grieving after the loss of her husband, she has been on an extended leave from her job as a professor, and her son and his wife and kids have built their own life in the city -- leaving her alone and unmoored in her small town in Vermont. But one day as she is watering the peonies her late husband planted in their garden, her life suddenly changes as she begins to levitate. Turning to her family roots, she remembers that her family claims to be descended from Saint Theresa de Avila, and she decides to uproot herself and travel to Avila, Spain to try and figure out what's happening to her. Answers are not so easy to come by, though, and she must first understand herself and what holds her back before she can truly soar.

I loved Ann Dávila Cardinal's last book, <i>The Storyteller's Death</i>, so I was excited to pick this up. It did not disappoint! She is incredible at crafting beautiful, immersive settings in gorgeous places -- the descriptions of Avila absolutely transported me to the ancient Spanish city with its stone walls, fragrant gardens, and monasteries and churches on every corner. It truly felt like I could see every detail that the author meticulously crafted into the story.

I also think the magical realism element was handled so well. It was just the right amount of mysticism for me, and it gave the story of finding your way when you're at a major life crossroads an element of mystery and spirituality.

There were some really important discussions in this book, as well, about literature as a tool for marginalized people, about the juxtaposition between the Catholic church's rich opulence and the true meaning of living out your faith through the charity and simple living of the nuns and other devout members of the community.

I'm not 100% sure about one part of the ending, but I do think that the emotional climax of Tere's journey of self discovery was very moving.

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review.

A poignant, clever dive into grief and the ways it unmoors and disorients us. Tere is a lovable protagonist - a familiar, comforting presence even as she reckons with her own identity and priorities after loss, the sort of person that I'd love to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a long conversation with. Her narration and insights often brought a wry smile to my face. I felt a sense of pride in her journey and the emotional place she reached by the novel's end, and that's a huge credit to the author's skill at creating someone who instantly feels like a mentor or friend.