Review: A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy
The idea of journeying to far off places has always fascinated me, and something about Asia feels especially exotic and intriguing. So when I first spotted A Mosaic of Wings on a Goodreads list of upcoming Christian fiction last year, the idea of traveling to India with a female entomologist launched this book to the top of my must-read list. It didn’t hurt that it also had one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen.
It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.
India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India-and of Owen-fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.
In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices-between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.
After so long of waiting to read this book, I’m thrilled that it turned out to be a beautiful adventure from start to finish! Who would have known that the study of insects could be so fascinating? I’m certainly not a bug-lover-butterflies and ladybugs are about the only ones I can tolerate-but seeing these creatures through Nora’s eyes gave me a greater appreciation of their beauty and complexity. Next time I go to the zoo, instead of shrinking away from the insect displays, I’ll be studying them with new interest, and seeing if I recognize any of the bugs from Nora’s exploring.
Nora herself endeared herself to me very quickly. I empathized with her pain over the loss of her father, the need to honor his legacy with her own work, and her frustration at not being understood by nearly everyone around her. She is a character whose greatest strength is also her greatest weakness. Her passion and impulsivity is admirable, yet it also causes her trouble at every turn. At times, this became frustrating, but I realized that that is what made Nora so real. She is human, and sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we do things we regret. And sometimes we do some really amazing things, too.
Nora’s decision to go against culture and tradition to save the life of a young girl had far reaching effects that she didn’t see coming. However, oftentimes, the right thing to do isn’t the easy thing to do. Sometimes there are serious consequences for doing what is right. But does that make the right thing not worth doing?
That question really had me thinking. It had me examining my heart to see how I would react if I were in a similar position. Would I risk everything to do what was right, even if everyone else thought I was actually doing wrong?
That soul-searching aspect of this book is what I appreciated the most.
The second thing I loved the most, though, was Owen Epps. **sigh** He is the sort of man all women should have, especially if they are full of big dreams that need an equally big support system. Owen reminded me of one of the best literary heroes ever, Gilbert Blythe (especially since he and Nora are academic rivals just like Gil and Anne). He also reminded me of my real-life hero-my husband, Austin. He’s different from Owen in many ways, but he is supportive of my dreams to be a writer and has never once told me that those dreams were too far out of reach. So thanks, Owen, for reminding me of just how blessed I am to have someone who supports me the way you support Nora!
When Nora and Owen returned home from their Indian adventure, I felt just as sad and wistful as Nora did. I felt as if I had really taken the journey alongside them, and wished just as deeply as Nora did to return to the sultry, fragrant, and vibrant world of India. I’ll never forget that memorable journey and all the friends she-we-made along the way. And I invite you to take that journey, too-the journey of discovering who you are and what you were created to do-through the pages of this novel.
5/5 Stars for this beautiful read by debut author Kimberly Duffy! I can’t wait to see what adventure she takes me on in her next book!