Flying Lessons — Karen Hood-Caddy

The sequel to Tree Fever is a story of redemption and the power of belief. Tree Fever, Hood-Caddy's first novel, introduced strong, spiritual heroine Jessie Dearborn, who struggled to save an old growth stand from a ruthless developer in her small Muskoka town and found her life's meaning in the process. Flying Lessons once again finds Jessie and her small group of friends fighting those who would despoil the beauty of nature, this time the builders of a resort which will destroy the ecosystem of the lake on which she lives. Jesse must wage an exhausting uphill battle against the callousness of those who would exploit the natural world for their own gain. At the same time, Jessie finds herself unexpectedly saddled with a friend's home-based bird sanctuary, where she cares for an injured baby loon who inspires her with its will to live. But Flying Lessons is really the story of two different women as Alex, a hard-driven investment lawyer from the city, faces her own mortality and seeks a healing sanctuary at Jessie's home, where she learns to listen to her inner self again. This is another uplifting tale of personal growth and idealism by a writer with a compassionate, distinctive vision of the world.