FLYAWAY

Isla has a love of birds. One day, when she and her father are watching their beloved flock of swans, he has a heart attack. As Isla struggles with her father’s illness and the changes in her life, she meets a young man who is awaiting a bone marrow transplant and encounters a lost swan. Everywhere she looks, Isla wants to help. Narrator Harriet Carmichael is sublime as she portrays parents, siblings (and their rivalry), and an array of school friends and teachers. Each rendering adds to the outstanding dialogue and well-drawn characters. Listeners will find these moving situations and characters compelling. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]