An Impossible Distance to Fall

Gr 8 Up–A soaring tale about a flying circus and a girl searching for her father. It’s 1930, and the effects of the stock market crash have hit close to home for Birdie Williams. After seeing an air show on Coney Island, Birdie knows her future rests in the sky. Traveling with the air circus in an attempt to find her father and the truth, Birdie makes discoveries and friends that will change her life forever. McNamara’s descriptive and detailed narrative creates a rich atmosphere that transports readers to the 1930s and invites them to sit around the fire with the crew as they swap stories. Birdie is relatable in her search for answers as many young people are kept in the dark when it comes to family issues. Her discoveries about her father mirror discoveries about herself, and she starts to question who Birdie Williams really is and what she wants for her life.