Flying at Night

By: Rebecca L. Brown

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kivlighan De Montebello, Arthur Morey, Rebecca L. Brown

An emotionally charged debut novel, told through the voices of three family members who learn that when your world changes, so does your destination....

Stay-at-home mom Piper Whitman Hart is too close to her nine-year-old son, Fred, to realize that his idiosyncrasies are signs of something more. And just when his diagnosis of autism sends her life reeling, she's dragged back into the orbit of her emotionally abusive father, Lance, after a heart attack leaves him with brain damage.

Fred is in need of a friend. Lance is in need of care. And Piper just wants to feel stable ground beneath her feet. What she never expects is that Fred and Lance - both misunderstood by the world - will start to connect in the most miraculous of ways....

©2018 Rebecca L. Brown (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A gorgeously written book. Told with impeccable clarity and insight, the author doesn’t pull any punches, but instead of wincing, the reader finds herself nodding with understanding and compassion. Piper is a flawed yet very relatable heroine stumbling over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and readers will cheer for her as she finds her own voice and strength to move forward. Alternating points of view are expertly done, filling in the missing pieces to create a wonderful and emotionally engaging read.” (New York Times best-selling author Karen White)

“Raw with emotional honesty, this book is a fearless, graceful and compelling look at family, marriage and parenting. Utterly captivating. I loved it!” (New York Times best-selling author Kristan Higgins)

“Beautifully written and endlessly touching, three memorable characters face life head-on with bravery and heart.” (Phaedra Patrick, author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper)

A great account of the struggles to care for a needy ailing parent and a special needs child

My son was also diagnosed with Autism while at the same school Rebecca Brown’s children attended. We play in the same park featured in the story (Wingra in Madison, WI), and roamed the same streets. So, there is plenty of personal reasons for me to relate to this story (other than the ailing parent). I can easily imagine the exact streets they are walking down, the geese they are chasing, and the classrooms Fred attended. Even with all of these built-in reasons for me to love this book, I believe it is a wonderful one for all women caring for a special needs child or an ailing parent. She does a great job of chronicling the feelings one experiences while getting through day to day: guilt, longing, regret. I have also cried after watching my son’s peers interacting in an age-appropriate way that I never thought my son would do. I have also felt that great sense of relief in finding other parents with an Autistic child that understand the rudeness and quirkiness that goes along with the territory. My favorite birthday party for my son (age 9 or so) was lightswitch cover themed. It was all he wanted as gifts, and we had a lightswitch cover scavenger hunt. Luckily, his mainly ASD friends all loved it and went along with it enthusiastically. Good job, Rebecca! I would love to meet you at Trader Joe’s or something some day. We would have a lot to talk about.
If you need any lightswitch covers, I have a huge box in the basement :)

Wonderful

This is Rebecca L Brown first book. I loved it and look forward to reading her next one.

great

it is well written & well read by every narrator.

5 stars for sure!

Absorbing

Truly enjoyed this book. Loved the premise of the softening of the old man and the wisdom of the young boy all because the of “brain issues”. Maybe we should be more appreciative when we hear the words that describe those. We all can learn from those with TBI and on the spectrum. Will look for her next book.