Wayseeker speaks...

 


What follows is not merely David Longley's review of The Winged Child that makes me feel good about my book. It is a beautiful piece of writing that makes me feel good about life.

Precariously poised on our tip-toes,
leaning out over the endless void,
arms outstretched,
hearts aflutter with anticipation,
side by side atop the picnic table...

We were what? 2 or 3 years old? Towel-capes diaper-pinned around our tiny necks. We knew we could fly. We just...knew it. We were so much lighter then: physically, ontologically, emotionally. Life...the whole world...was enchanted. Anything was possible.

We lose that, don't we? 9 to 5's, mortgages, the weight of adulthood: it all piles on to smother the whimsy, curiosity and lightness of being.

In Through the Ages by Cloud Cult, Craig Minowa sings:

I'm done being stupid and worried and dramatic
So I lay down my every disguise
So if ever I can't see the magic around me, please take my hands off my eyes

What Mitchell accomplishes in Winged Child is to bring the magic back into the world we grown-ups live in; a world that is sometimes dark, often tedious and occasionally cruel. He peels back the veil of a mountain town with metaphorical dragons to reveal the very real possibility of actual dragons...and, of course, magic as well.

He takes our hands off our eyes.

Those of us already enamored with Mitchell's writing will find in this latest offering characters familiar and characters new, an origin story, mythic creatures, thresholds, surprises and, as always, beauty in the midst of pain. One need not have read his earlier works to enjoy this story but those of us who have are rewarded with many wonderful gifts.

Thank you, my friend. Thank you.

-David Longley

For those of you out there who don't know my friend, mentor and trail guide, David Longley (aka Wayseeker), is host of the All Who Wander podcast, in his own words-

the pod-cast for sojourners 

discontent with asphalt highways,

steepled cages, tidy answers

and ordinary lives

Join us as we walk away from the everyday,

explore, dream, discover and live.

By all means, join him on the journey - and at every rest stop, read my book.


henrymitchellbooks.com

 

Comments

  1. SharonFebruary 7, 2022 at 5:48 PM

    I read this just this morning on Amazon and loved it..it's right on the mark and, as Henry says, a beautiful piece of writing in itself. I've been trying to get my own review of The Winged Child posted since last Thursday, to no avail. It's quite strange since in the past they've accepted my reviews for all of Henry's books and have done so within just a few hours. I feel at a loss for how to proceed now, but will keep trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Henry MitchellFebruary 8, 2022 at 10:35 AM

      Amazon is a source of endless frustration for many of us, Sharon. I'm grateful for your support.

      Delete

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