Moving between the majestic coastline of North Cornwall and the leafy suburbs of London, Flight is a story of secrets and lies – and of the indelible traces that are left behind when someone tries to disappear.
Read an extract
When Wren Irving’s numbers come up in the first ever national lottery draw, she doesn’t tell her husband, Rob. Instead she quietly packs her bags, kisses her six-month-old daughter Phoebe goodbye, and leaves.
Two decades later, Rob has moved on and found happiness with their oldest friend, Laura. Phoebe, now a young woman, has never known any other life. But when Rob receives a mysterious letter, the past comes back to haunt them all. With their cosy world thrown into turmoil, Laura sets out to track Wren down and discover the truth about why she walked out all those years ago.
Isabel Ashdown is also the author of Hurry Up and Wait (Myriad, 2011) Summer of ’76 (Myriad, 2013) and A Quiet Winter (Myriad, 2015).
Flight Book Group Guide
Sally Cronin
22 July 2015It requires masterful storytelling to keep a secret for over 300 pages. The story that unfolds in Flight mirrors relationships that most of us have experienced over the years. The dynamics changing as we grow older and move away to follow our dreams and own lives. However, the dynamics of this particular relationship between Laura, Rob and Wren are complex and when one of them leaves the relationship without warning it has a profound effect on the other two.
The first mystery that is sustained until the very end of the book is the reason for Wren’s decision to leave her husband and young baby abruptly without explanation. The second mystery arrives in the form of a letter twenty years after Wren’s disappearance and has the power to shake the foundation of all their lives.
I found it very easy to become engaged with the characters of Wren, Laura and Rob. All individually interesting who find strength in their friendship and times of crisis. Their relationship is explored from their individual perspectives and in the opinions about each other which illustrate how much we may not know about our best friends. The story flows smoothly towards its unexpected finale and I was particularly delighted to be taken by surprise by the revelations.
I recommend the book on many levels. It is very well written, the characters are multi-layered and the story provides enough twists and turns to keep your attention to the last page.