Naomi Kenyon’s Like A Feather is best described as adorable. Everything about this book is so sweet and wholesome, reminding me of cricket sounds and summer sunsets. It is impossible not to smile while reading this book. Yes, it touches upon some heavier topics, but it remains hopeful. It puts its characters through the ringer sometimes, but it gives off the vibe of a happy ending in the making.
I love both the main characters, especially Sam, who has an incredibly strong voice and a very developed character. I absolutely loved when he would get jealous of Penelope—I don’t find a lot of bold character flaws like that in books like this one. It really made him much more lifelike.
The pacing was great. I usually am not a fan of shorter chapters, but this book did it so well, using the chapter length as a way to set the pace. The braided narrative also worked very well—the problem I usually have with braided narratives is knowing what both characters are thinking, which ruins some of the drama, but Kenyon was very careful and didn’t allow this to happen.
My favorite part was the setting. I grew up in Western/Upstate New York like Penelope and have been living in New York City like Sam, so this was the best of both worlds for me. Kenyon’s descriptions were always vivid, especially the scene with the wheat field, which was one of my favorites in the book. (If you must know, coming from another New Yorker, they are all very accurate!)
The supernatural or magical elements of the book were very nicely handled—they didn’t overpower the character dynamics or other plot points. I feel like I learned just enough about them not to be dubious, but not enough that I feel like I’m an expert now, which is perfect in my opinion.
If you’re looking for something calming, nostalgic, and a little magical, this Like A Feather is perfect.
You can find it here.