On Borrowed Wings

Chandra Prasad's unique gift of weaving history with a fictional narrative and knack for painterly descriptions never ceases to amaze me. On Borrowed Wings is no exception. Before long, I was swept back to New Haven and Yale in the 1930s, immersed in the complicated life of a young woman. I understood Adele and empathized with her as she took risks to change her destiny. This triumphant novel is the finest I have read in a very long time. I recommend it highly.

Since work keeps me so busy, I'm very particular about the books I read. When a friend suggested I read "On Borrowed Wings," I was initially skeptical, but I found myself sucked into an engrossing page-turner. Give this a read. I found the plot surprising at several turns. And although I'm not usually one to read historical fiction, I found myself firmly planted in the period.

Chandra Prasad has seamlessly woven a fascinating story. The meticulously detailed historical background is very interesting and actually quite educational but doesn't for a moment detract from the flow of the story. And what a story! It crept up on me. I was about 50 pages into the book before I realized that I was hooked. From that point I could hardly put it down. The moody mysterious suspenseful tone of the book, combined with a strong sympathetic main character makes this book a perfect escape!

This book reminded me of the classic university novel A Separate Peace (John Knowles). On the surface On Borrowed Wings is about a girl who has the guts and determination to attend a boys-only university. You get absorbed in Adele's joyride of a journey, and feel like you are with her as she learns to become a male student and assimilates to her lively and elite college life. But like A Separate Peace, this novel is densely layered.. It is also about the changes the U.S.A. is undergoing in the first part of the twentieth century. It is about how a single person can and must overcome barriers. It is about growing up and shedding one's innocence and finding a greater good. And most of all, it is about how being true to yourself sometimes requires a leap of faith. I am a high school teacher and intend to recommend this to my students - highly! It has so much to offer.

I LOVED this book. It is startling and fresh and bold. The premise itself is not particularly new: girl disguises herself as boy in order to attend university and achieve both personal and educational goals. What made this book stand out, though, was that Prasad doesn't linger on the been-there-done-that gender-bender issues. Instead, she weaves together a vibrant history of Yale and New Haven, Connecticut, during the 1930s, and she creates the pervasive excitement, fear, and frenetic energy that is part and parcel of freshman year at any college. The main character, Adele (Charlie) Pietra is an intrepid, gawky, fun, always sympathetic character; she/he is all the more endearing for her quirks and occasionally exasperating behavior. Adele is particularly delightful when attempting to maneuver her way around a fitting for a man's suit, a physical examination in the gymnasium that requires nudity, and a school dance in which--yes--she must wine and dine her female date. Prasad handles social issues of the day with a deft hand, including the Eugenics movement and anti-Semitism. Kudos to the author for giving what is essentially a brisk coming-of-age story exceptional humanity and pathos.