WINDHAVEN

On a planet of isolated islands, dense atmosphere, and unpredictable ocean storms, there is only one sure way to connect the inhabitants flight. Maris of Lesser Amberly desperately wants to be one of the elite fliers who soar and dive with metal wings salvaged from the spaceships that crashed-landed generations ago. Maris has the toughness and grace for flight. The only problem is that she's a girl. The marvelously versatile Dame Harriet Walter combines the passionate voice of adolescence with her grounding in Shakespearian drama and her wonderful ear for Celtic character accents to tell this high-fantasy tale, first published in 1981. It begins as a simple coming-of-age story and evolves into a heady examination of love, loyalty, and sacrifice. B.P. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]