Catching Air: A Novel
“Ultimately, Pekkanen shows that relationships of any kind take work, expression of love, and the willingness to take risks in order to save them.”
Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally bestselling author of The Opposite of Me, Skipping a Beat, These Girls, and The Best of Us as well as a series of linked short stories for ereaders. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers.
Catching Air is a novel in the genre of women's fiction by author Sarah Pekkanen that primarily takes place in Killington, Vermont. The coming together of five main characters is the foundation of this novel and one that Pekkanen adeptly handles. It's the contrast between the couples and each individual that makes this story relatable to a wide audience (including men, even though the genre is women's fiction).
Rand and Peter are brothers with very different characteristics. Rand, the ruggedly handsome, free spirit, is married to Alyssa, his counterpart in life and adventures. Peter, the shy, dependable computer geek is married to Kira, his counterpart in life and security.
When the four take on a B&B in the quaint New England town of Killington, Vermont, they can't foresee the months ahead and how the experience will change each of them. Alyssa and Kira are sister-in-laws with two very different backgrounds and who don't know each other very well due to their husbands' estranged relationship. Peter and Rand have been at odds for years, notably since the passing of their mother. Add to the mix Dawn, a young woman with brains and street smarts who is on the run from her questionable past, and yet makes herself immediately welcome as a worker in the B&B with her cooking and cleaning expertise.
Pekkanen seems to innately weave twists and turns of this story in a believable fashion while developing characters who are likable despite, or perhaps because of, their inherent flaws. Delving into the complicated roles of siblings, spouses, parents and children, and even business partners, each character plays a powerful role in honing and shaping these dynamics. Marriages are challenged. Sibling relationships are tested. The complexities of father and daughter relationships are examined. And, the B&B's rocky start is potentially saved or failed by a demanding bride-to-be who chooses the location as her ideal winter wedding.
Ultimately, Pekkanen shows that relationships of any kind take work, expression of love, and the willingness to take risks in order to save them.