Review of We Need No Wings

A Book That Fuels My Soul

We Need No Wings is transcendent.

Is it Possible to Have a Soul Book?

I've heard of soul mates, soul pets, and even soul food. Is it possible to have a soul book as well?

For me, the answer is yes, and I found it in WE NEED NO WINGs by Ann Dávila Cardinal.

Perhaps I simply relate to the character of Tere Sánchez in so many different ways. She just turned 60, lost her husband a year earlier, and struggles with the political reality of working in academia, although she loves teaching. She’s at a crossroads, where she is unsure how she fits into the world—a woman feeling invisible and a loss of identity as everything shifts in her life. I am 58, my husband is still alive (and I hope it stays that way), and I left my academic teaching jobs because I struggled with the political reality of working in academia, although I love teaching. I have been wandering through my days in search of myself and my own identity.

That’s enough to make this my soul book.

Writing that Shines

But this book shines for reasons beyond that. It contains everything I love, gorgeous writing, wit, humor, depth, curiosity, and a touch of mysticism. After all, Tere’s journey into healing begins on the day she levitates.

The writing is at times witty, hilarious, snarky, eloquent, and thoughtful. Breathtaking and evocative descriptions drew me in from the very first page:

“As she inhaled, a feeling of lightness spread through her body, not the dizziness that sometimes plagued her, no. More like the restraints of her day-to-day life released their hold…” (1-2)

Her need to discover the answers regarding levitation, leads her to Ávila, Spain in search of stories of her distant ancestor, Saint Teresa of Ávila. As she walks through the city, I walk with her. I’ve never been there, but now I see clearly in my mind’s eye (aided also by the need to look up images of all the locations and artworks mentioned in the book).

Themes that Resonate

Meanwhile, Tere’s journey resonates with questions about love, life, loss aging, spirituality, organized religion, and the not-so-subtle misogyny that women face daily in a world ruled by patriarchy. I discovered answers, and perhaps more questions, with every single word.

Ultimately, Ann Dávila Cardinal has written a transcendent book that gives everyone searching for their next steps a chance to soar.