Reviews

Flight of the Trogon” is an epic tale of a young American woman tested to the very limits of physical, emotional and spiritual endurance as she negotiates the tumultuous world of revolutionary Mexico in the second decade of the 20th century. The book is big but the chapters are short making the narrative quick paced. A wide range of deep human questions are woven into the warp and weft of this beautiful literary tapestry by an author, who armed with a powerful Swedenborgian theology, does not shy from scenes and episodes depicting the mysteries of love, theodicy, forgiveness, evil, freedom, pain, and spiritual enlightenment. Many of the characters are gradually led to the realization of who they really are, an uncomfortable process ultimately accruing to one’s benefit.

Of the many themes the reader will encounter in this book perhaps none is more skillfully portrayed than the ability of the human spirit to rise above the trials and obstacles no one can avoid entirely. Death itself is the ultimate surprise, being not the end, but the true beginning in the realization of human potential. And not least in the sweeping landscape of this story are the tragic consequences of misunderstandings and miscommunications, the corrosive effects of hatred, and the unquenchable thirst for true freedom, one that derives from an escape from selfishness. ~ Stephen Smith

Shaw writes with such fluency and ease, it’s a pleasure to see where each sentence and paragraph will travel. Her knowledge of the historical context (she grew up in Mexico, listening to her relatives’ stories) seeps into the telling and provides a considerate and compelling frame for the romance. This is a writer who thinks — and can tell a good story. ~Meg Tyler, May 19, 2024