I loved Diffenbaugh's previous book The Language of Flowers so much, that I had mixed feelings as I began to read We Never Asked for Wings. I could not wait to read it, yet I worried that I could not possibly like it as much as I liked the other. And then I read it in one day.

Granted, it was a travel day, and I had hours of airport and plane time to devote to the enterprise, but I also stayed up until 1:30 am to finish the book after I got home. While I did not find the premise of the book to be as compelling as that of The Language of Flowers, Diffenbaugh's writing ensured that this was an engrossing read. The novel tells the story of a single mother of two living in the San Francisco area with her two children. Even though it is fiction, I found it to be a timely read as it deals with several issues playing out right now in the United States political landscape -- namely wealth inequality and immigration. I've always been a big fan of historical fiction because the dramatization of historical events often helps me to better understand them. I had the same sensation while reading this book.

I may not have loved it as much as I loved The Language of Flowers, but I enjoyed We Never Asked for Wings, and felt that reading it was time well spent.