Strange and beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, The

Narrated by sixteen-year-old Ava Lavender, a typical teenage girl except for the fact that she was born with wings, this multigenerational story follows three generations of the Roux/Lavender women from France to Manhattan to Seattle. Ava’s story outlines their hopes, heartaches, failed relationships, and small successes. This unique, whimsical novel for grades 11-12 deals with those who are marginalized due to insider/outside status and/or physical appearance. Best suited as a literature circle title for students who are interested in family stories, female protagonists, and magical realism. Social considerations noted.