When Horses Had Wings

Have you ever read a story that centers around abuse, only to find yourself at the end wondering why you chose to waste your time getting depressed? "When Horses Had Wings" is different! I think Diana's background as a humorist allowed her to approach this story with a degree of detached amusement that drew me in and made me know right from page one that I would not regret the read. The characters seem so real, and the "victim," Renee, shows an inner strength that grows with her. She has moxy, it just takes her a while to realize it. Having grown up in the south, with several years in TX, I feel like I have personally met each of these characters at some point in my life. I'm pretty sure a few of them are based on my relatives! They are vivid and real, and Diana paints them in such a human way that I can't even hate the bad guys completely. I laughed, cried, and laughed again--and felt really good at "The End."

I began reading this book with the hope that things would get better for the main character, you know prevailing despite all the misery and long suffering, not so. I absolutely hated that we were given glimpses of strength and then she would allow herself to be beaten down again and again. Seriously, who tells their husband, "I would rather die than to spend one more minute with you" and then hands him a gun in order to kill you but doesn't fight back when he rapes her, beats her and tells vicious lies on her, so that she loses custody of her child, seriously who does that??? Hated hated hated this book...you leave the last sentence as the happy ending, really?!

Renee is 16 years old and pregnant to a lazy, contoling man named Kenny. They have a shot gun wedding and move into a low income duplex. Renee is poor and uneducated but has a heart full of love. Kenny is abusive and degrading to Renee. After Sean is born, Renee, through Granny's wise words of wisdom, gets the courage to begin standing up for herself by driving, getting a job and leaving Kenny. Renee begins to build a life for her and Sean but it seems nothing ever comes easy for Renee. Her faith in God is constantly being tested. Kenny and his mother are constantly bringing her down to her knees. This is a very strong, emotional story where it leaves you emotionally drained at times. Although the character of Renee seems oppresive and depressing through much of the book, this character has such raw courage and strenth inspite everything that happens to her. Her wanting for a better life for herself and her son is amazing. Right up to the end. This book for me was not the "changing into a brand new butterfly" with a "Happy Ever After" life, but one of love, forgivenees, faith and strong spirit. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone, teen, man and woman.
I would definitely read more of her work.

This would have made a lovely actual autobiographical work, but in my opinion, it didn't make the best novel.

I liked the ambiance of the story, the language the author used, and the way the author wrote the voices of the different characters, and I never wished to put it down. However, I found the plotline to be... blah. Obvious. (If it really happened exactly this way, I couldn't complain about it, but in a purported novel...) And the events and emotions of the book were somewhat shallowly painted-- the main character would tell us that she was suffering, but I never really felt it. I would think yes, X happened, of course this is the hardest day of your life, but I was always very aware that I was reading a story instead of seeing everything through the characters' eyes.

Oh, also, the ending of the book came out of nowhere, and felt too rushed and rather too easy. I was disappointed, because I was hoping it would be _Bastard Out of Carolina_ good, but I didn't find it to be.

Even when we do not actively participate in our destiny, we are still on a chosen path. Life has a way of making decisions for us.
******

In Diana Estill's women's fiction title "When Horses Had Wings", lead character Renee Goodchild understands the important lesson of gaining control of one's life more than most. Her unplanned teenage pregnancy prompts a premature wedding to her high school boyfriend, and now Renee must submit to the responsibility of adulthood without the benefit of actually being an adult.

Set in 1970's rural Texas, the author manages to convey the impoverished lives of the town's inhabitants in a way that allows the readers to nearly feel their hopelessness first hand. Simply getting a job and permission from her young husband to drive are big dreams for the undereducated, pregnant Renee. However, through the joys of motherhood and the difficulties of an unhappy marriage, or perhaps because of these things, Renee is able to find the courage to change her life.

For those who like character driven stories, "When Horses Had Wings" may certainly prove to be worth reading. A good quality of this book is that no one character is all good or all bad. They are just people who are products of their environment. In moments in this story even Kenny, Renee's abusive husband, escapes the all consuming villain label. While Granny, Renee's next door neighbor, provides an especially entertaining and necessary element in Renee's journey. Granny has the type of wisdom, honesty and orneriness that only experience can cultivate and only time can perfect.

Another positive factor of the novel is that taken as a whole, it has a good message, especially for women. Through Renee's interactions with other women, including her mother, she learns a thing or two about relationships and life in general. She realizes that if she chooses to do nothing about her unhappy life, she will remain unhappy. When discussing the limitations Kenny imposes on Renee, Granny tells her, "'Anybody that don't drive gets driven....Let somebody else drive you, you never know where you'll end up.'"

Good advice, Granny. We should all think about that one.

**A free copy of this book was provided for review purposes only**

Renee is a young girl of strict, religious parents. When she becomes pregnant, she is given no choice but to marry. Almost immediately, she is a victim of abuse at the hands of her husband. When Horses Had Wings is a classic example of the cycle of violence in domestic abuse, and how our choices can change our lives forever. After being isolated from the world, Renee finds the strength to change her future, no matter the cost.

My personal measure of a good book is if I can get totally lost in its pages. When Horses Had Wings is such a book. Although a work of fiction, Ms. Estill's writing brings the pain and heartbreak of abuse to life with clarity. Her characters are multi-dimensional and you feel their emotions completely. From fear and longing, to ambivalence and hope, you follow the characters through a less-than-perfect, yet humanly candid journey. While dealing with a sensitive, heartbreaking topic, the writing is beautiful and absorbing. Unlike a lot of fiction works, this isn't a happily ever after story. It's poignant, achingly real, and that is what makes it outstanding.

(Review written by Charlene, a Literary R&R book review blog team member)

I can tell when a book is good because the world around me disappears and I have no clue what is going on while I am reading. This was one of those books. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. There were so many emotions I encountered while I read, especially anger at Kenny. I wanted to strangle him! I grew to adore the main character and the narrator, Renee. Renee marries young when she finds she is pregnant and has to deal with a less-than-perfect life. The message is a good one - be sure to read to the very end! It's worth it!

It’s been quite awhile since I read an entire book in two days, but this story totally enthralled me. The dialogue was so realistic and the writing, excellent. I often found myself going back to read the many beautifully-crafted sentences again and again. This is a story of resilience and redemption—two of my favorite themes in literature. Bravo, Ms. Estill, for a job extremely well done. I can’t wait to read your next book!

The book kept my interest but I had to keep wondering where the title related to the book. I did like the way that the Renee overcame the abuse and disappointments in life. Overall - a pretty good read - but not what I would call great.

The author tells us a story of Renee Goodchild, a pregnant 16 yr old in the 1970s. Not only is Renee in a tough situation but it's made even harder with an abusive husband and living at almost poverty level. Ms. Estill does an excellant job of getting the emotions across from this story and pulling us into the life of Renee, I was to the point of wanting to tell Renee "No don't marry him" RUN, and later in the book I had the same feelings. I cheered when she was able to move on. Even though it's a serious subject, Ms. Estill was able to put a lot of humor into the story and made it almost impossible to put down. A very good read, I would recommend to everyone.